What type of identification is required for CTPAT membership?

• A. An active U.S. importer of record ID, such as a social security number or IRS assigned ID.
• B. A passport number.
• C. A driver’s license number.
• D. A company registration number.

Answer: (A)

This questionis about what type of identification ties the company to its customs entries for CTPAT. CBP requires an active U.S. importer of record ID to establish the link between the entity responsible for the shipment and the records in the system. The typical ID is a tax identifier issued by the IRS—such as a company’s EIN for most businesses, or a Social Security Number for sole proprietors acting as the importer of record. This ID directly identifies the entity that will file the entry and handle duties and compliance, which is central to evaluating security and risk.

Personal IDs like a passport number or a driver’s license belong to individuals, not the business entity that handles customs entries, so they aren’t the identifiers used to establish the importer of record. A company registration number might identify a business in some contexts, but it doesn’t uniquely map to the importer of record in CBP’s systems in the same way a tax ID does, and it may not be recognized or linked to the importer’s customs records.