CBSA AMPS penalty: what to do in the next 90 days
An AMPS penalty is a fine the CBSA issues when a customs rule wasn’t followed: a late or wrong declaration, a missing document, a wrong code. It arrives as a Notice of Penalty Assessment, and you have 90 days to challenge it.
- Deadline90 days
- Optionscorrection or review
- Up to$25,000 a contravention
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Two ways to get this done
Do it yourself
Everything you need is on this page, step by step, from official government sources.
Read the guideLet a broker handle it
A licensed broker reads the notice, tells you which route fits, prepares the request and fixes the entries behind it. First look is free.
Request a free reviewIn short
What an AMPS penalty means
The Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) is how the CBSA fines commercial importers, carriers and brokers for breaking customs rules. Each contravention has a code and an amount set by the CBSA’s schedule, which grows with repeat offences, up to $25,000 for one contravention.
Read the details
You have two ways to push back, both within 90 days of the notice: ask the issuing office to correct a clear error (wrong amount, wrong name, miscalculation), or ask for a formal review by the CBSA’s Recourse Directorate, online or in writing.
Missing the 90 days closes the door, except in exceptional circumstances where the Customs Act allows more time. In some cases, a Penalty Reinvestment Agreement lets you put the penalty toward fixing the problem instead.
Handling a penalty, step by step
Read the notice
Note the contravention code, the transaction it relates to and the amount on the Notice of Penalty Assessment.
Mark the deadline
Count 90 calendar days from the date of the notice. That is your limit for a correction, a review or a Penalty Reinvestment Agreement.
Find the cause
Pull the declaration and documents for that transaction and work out what actually went wrong, and whether the CBSA has the facts right.
Choose your route
A clear error in the notice: ask the issuing office for a correction. A disagreement on the facts or the law: ask for a formal review. A real mistake you can fix: ask about a Penalty Reinvestment Agreement.
Send the request
Send it with the notice number and your supporting documents. A review request goes to the Recourse Directorate, through E-Appeals or in writing.
Fix the root cause
Change what caused it (codes, procedures, who checks what), or the next penalty for the same contravention will be higher.
The amount grows with each repeat
AMPS penalties are graduated: the same contravention costs more the second and third time. Paying without fixing the cause is the expensive option. If you get one penalty, check whether the same error is sitting in your other entries.
Common questions
How long do I have to contest an AMPS penalty?
90 calendar days from the date of the notice, for a correction request or a formal review. In exceptional circumstances, the Customs Act allows more time.
What is the maximum AMPS penalty?
Up to $25,000 for a single contravention, depending on the contravention and how many times it has happened.
Can a broker deal with the CBSA for me?
Yes. A customs broker can review the penalty, prepare the request and fix the entries behind it.
I got a penalty: are my other entries at risk?
Often, yes: the same error tends to repeat. A free review checks your entries for the period.
Find out what you can get back
A free review of your last 12 months of imports, by a CBSA-licensed brokerage. You keep your current broker.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Customs duty refunds
How to claim back overpaid duty in CARM, and the deadlines.
Read →U.S. surtax remission
Which U.S. goods qualify to get Canada’s surtax back, and how to claim it.
Read →CBSA trade compliance verification
What a CBSA trade compliance verification checks, and what you must correct.
Read →Duty recovery review
A free review of 12 months of entries to find duty you can still get back.
Read →