Re-entry Procedures for Boaters who Have Visited Canada
Boaters who have touched Canadian soil must report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon re-entry to the United States. Recreational boaters have two options to report: (1) Outlying Areas Reporting Service [OARS] Videophone or (2) via telephone under the I-68 program.
All persons arriving from foreign soil are presumed to be aliens until they prove otherwise. A passport or NEXUS card is required for every person onboard. Children under 16 are permitted to show citizenship with a birth certificate.
OARS
The Outlying Areas Reporting Service (OARS) uses videophones to request admittance to the U.S. Eight videophones are located along Lake Erie from Ashtabula to Port Clinton (see list below). Docking is free for the reporting-in process.
To use an OARS Videophone, simply open the doors and the phone will ring at the appropriate office. An officer will be able to see you, your passengers and your documents. If instructed to do so, you must then wait for an inspector to come down to the dock. You and your passengers cannot go anywhere until meeting with the inspector. If you are reporting outside of the hours of 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM or on a weekend or holiday, you may be liable for overtime charges associated with the inspection.
You will have to undergo this process each time you enter the U.S. after having stepped on Canadian soil.
When planning on using the OARS Videophone system, be sure to calculate how far you will be going out of your way to use the videophone and the mileage to get back on a course to your final destination. The average 30-foot powerboat consumes $40 of fuel in a one-hour run at 20 MPH and a sailboat (with no fuel cost) travels to a given destination at the rate of about 5 MPH. As the videophones are spaced today, the annual cost of the Form I-68 turns out to be a bargain.
To report an inoperable videophone or ask a question, call the Cleveland Port of Entry (216-522-2265).
OARS Videophone Ohio Locations on Lake Erie
| City |
Location |
Distance to Next Videophone |
| Ashtabula |
Ashtabula City Public Dock |
24 |
| Fairport Harbor |
Grand River Marina |
4 |
| Mentor |
Mentor Lagoons Marina |
5 |
| Eastlake |
Chagrin Lagoons Yacht Club/public gas dock |
15 |
| Cleveland |
East 55th Street Marina |
58 |
| Sandusky |
Cedar Point Marina |
26 |
| Port Clinton |
Brands Dry Dock |
- |
| South Bass Island |
Put-in-Bay Dock Master's Office |
- |
Four OARS videophones are also located in Erie, PA.
I-68
I-68 is similar to a vehicle registration; it is not an identity document. When you have an I-68 form approved, YOU MUST STILL CONTACT CUSTOMS VIA TELEPHONE, and you must still have a NEXUS or passport. If anyone on board your vessel does not have an I-68, you must report directly to a videophone to authorize their admittance to the U.S. The form carries your fingerprints and photograph. You must apply for and renew your application in person; the form is re-authorized annually.
How to apply for an I-68: You must apply for the I-68 in person. I-68 costs $16 per person or $32 for a family (husband and wife, their parents and their unmarried children younger than 21). People applying for a permit must bring proof of citizenship and photo identification, plus three identical photographs. Children younger than 14 do not need to be present, but their birth certificates must be presented.
Where to apply: You can apply at a Port of Entry. You will need to call an office to make an appointment.
- Cleveland: 440-891-3800
- Ashtabula: 440-964-2510
- Toledo/Sandusky: 419-259-6424
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