CBP Records (FOIA)

What CBP keeps

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) keeps records of entries and exits, inspections at ports of entry (including secondary inspection), detentions and Border Patrol encounters, and expedited removal records at the border. CBP has no entry and exit records for people from before 1982.

Who needs them

They’re requested by people who need to prove when and how they entered — for example, whether they were inspected and admitted or paroled — people who were stopped or turned back at the border and want to know what was recorded, and people who don’t remember all their entries and exits.

The I-94 history: the quick option

For basic travel records, CBP’s official I-94 website lets you look up your most recent I-94 (back to 1983 for most classes of admission) and a travel history for the past 10 years. It’s free and immediate, but CBP warns that the history isn’t an official record for legal purposes, that it leaves out most land-border crossings, and that U.S. citizens and permanent residents can’t retrieve their history there — they must file a FOIA request.

How to request records through FOIA

Since January 22, 2026, CBP no longer accepts requests by mail, fax or email: they’re filed online through the SecureRelease portal or FOIA.gov. For your own records you need your full name, address, date of birth and a signed certification of identity or a statement that’s notarized or signed under penalty of perjury; for someone else’s records, that person’s signed consent. Personal records usually cost nothing, although the Department of Homeland Security changed some fees on September 1, 2026. Response times vary and can take months.

Why request them before a new case

How you entered can decide whether you qualify for a green card inside the U.S., and a removal at the border can affect your eligibility. It’s best to know these records before you file.