With gold and silver prices rising, many individuals are buying quite a bit of these precious metals as a long term investment. If you plan on traveling with gold or silver in or out of the country, it may not be as simple as you think. These tips will help you avoid being hassled by the TSA at the airport.
Contact The Appropriate Places Before Travel
As soon as you know that you will be traveling in or outside of the United States with gold or silver, contact a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency office that is near the city that you are departing from. Talk with them to determine what you need to do to adhere with the law and get it in writing. Take that written response with you when traveling and show it to the TSA agents if necessary. You many also want to contact the local Customs office at the airport and let them know the date and time of your departure flight and your situation.
Fill Out The Appropriate Forms
Before traveling you will probably need to fill out a Census Bureau Form 7525-V, Shippers Export Declaration if the value of the coins is above $2,500. If you don’t fill out this form, then you are at risk of having your precious metals sized and you could even face a fine or jail time.
Consider Having A Professional Service Do It For You
If you are worried about having your precious metals confiscated, you can always hire a professional service to do it for you. There may be a hefty fee for this service, but you won’t have to worry about your items getting confiscated or the possibility of having to pay a fine because you didn’t fill out paperwork correctly.
Even with taking proper precautions, there’s still a chance that your intentions will be questioned. Cooperate to the fullest and do not give the TSA agents a hard time. If you can, try to avoid traveling with large amounts of gold or silver in order to avoid the risk of it being confiscated. If you do find yourself having to travel with these items, do everything you can to inform the proper authorities of your intentions, ahead of time, in hopes that both you and your precious metals will arrive at your destination on time and with little hassle.
