Customs broker CE credits before January 31, 2027: how the rules work and where AI training fits

The CE rules, the accreditor step, what sessions cost, a catch-up plan for brokers who are behind, and why AI rules are worth a few credits.

For the first time, licensed customs brokers have to certify continuing education (CE) to keep their licenses. The first deadline is close: each licensed broker must earn 20 CE credits by January 31, 2027, and report and certify completion on a triennial status report due February 28, 2027 (AJOT via NCBFAA, Jul 2026).

This post lays out how the rules work, what counts, how to check whether a course will count before you pay for it, and where AI training fits.

The rules in brief

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set the requirement in a June 2023 final rule (ST&R Trade Report, Jun 2023):

36 credits per triennial period going forward, about one hour a month.
The first period is prorated. It runs February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2027 and requires only 20 credits. Brokers could start earning credits on January 1, 2025 (ST&R, Nov 2024).
No mandatory topics. CBP did not require any particular subject.
Keep your records for 3 years.
Penalties range from a warning letter to license suspension or revocation.

What counts

Per the June 2023 rule summary:

Training from CBP or other federal agencies counts automatically.
Training from companies or nonprofits counts only if a CBP-selected accreditor approved it in advance.
Qualifying formats include coursework, seminars, webinars, workshops, self-study and conventions. Teaching or speaking counts, with limits.

The accreditors

CBP selected five accreditors, authorized from June 2, 2024 to June 1, 2027 (ST&R, Nov 2024). Two are named in our sources: ST&R itself, and NEI, the NCBFAA Educational Institute (AJOT via NCBFAA, Jul 2026). We couldn't confirm the other three from public sources, so check CBP's broker pages for the full list.

Course providers submit their materials to an accreditor for review before the course runs. That has a practical consequence: a course doesn't become credit-bearing after the fact. If the listing doesn't say it was approved, ask before you register.

How to check a course before you pay

Ask the provider three questions:

Which accreditor approved it, and when? A real answer names the accreditor. Regional associations often label approved sessions plainly; LACBFFA (the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association) listed its April 2026 AI webinar as "NEI-Accredited" for 1 credit (LACBFFA, Apr 2026).
How many credits, and for which format? LACBFFA's AI webinar, for example, listed 1 credit. Don't assume a longer workshop is worth more until the provider tells you.
What proof do I get? You need something to keep for 3 years: an attendance certificate with the course name, date, accreditor and credits.

If it's a federal agency session, such as a CBP webinar, the first question answers itself.

What it costs to get to 20

Credit-bearing sessions range from free to modest:

Source	Example	Price
CBP webinars	"CAPE Enhancements and Questions About Your IEEPA Refund," July 15, 2026	Free (NCBFAA listing, Jul 2026)
Regional association	LACBFFA "From Hype to Value: Best Practices for Applying AI in Customs Brokerage," April 29, 2026, 1 credit	$45 (LACBFFA)
Trade association	NAFTZ (National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones) "Ai 202: Developments in Trade," October 6, 2026	Free for members, $75 non-members (NAFTZ)
National association	NCBFAA members earn credits year-round through NEI webinars, G.TEC and NEI Case Studies	Varies (NCBFAA)

If you're short on credits in December, free CBP sessions are the obvious first stop. Paid sessions earn their price when they teach something you'll use on Monday.

A plan for brokers who are behind

Count what you have. Pull your certificates since January 1, 2025.
Fill the gap with sessions you'd want anyway. No topic is mandatory, so pick subjects that solve a current problem: CAPE refunds, tariff changes, AI use under CBP ruling H350722.
Book early. Association webinars run on fixed dates, so map them against the January 31 deadline now.
Keep certificates in one folder with the accreditor named on each, ready for the status report and the 3-year record.

Where AI training fits

AI is a sensible use of a few of those 20 credits for one reason: the rules on it are new, and the risk of getting them wrong falls on the licensed broker. CBP ruling H350722 says software can't decide what goes on an entry; a licensed person must direct it (ST&R, Mar 2026). Your entry writers will use these tools whether or not anyone trains them, so it's worth an hour to set the ground rules.

Most AI sessions so far have been vendor panels. The April LACBFFA session featured the chief executives of two AI vendors and a CargoWise product manager. That's useful for seeing what's on the market. What many offices still need is the hands-on version:

working through your own invoice and entry types;
seeing where AI output is wrong and how to catch it;
writing the AI-use policy and client authorization your office needs;
setting up review and record-keeping that meets the 5-year rule in 19 CFR 111.23.

For more on those, see the H350722 checklist and the series overview.

A note on our own sessions

This post summarizes public sources and is not legal advice; check CBP's current guidance for your own license. Lunan offers hands-on AI sessions for brokerage teams. We are not an accreditor and can't grant credit ourselves. A session carries CE credit only when the hosting association or provider has had it approved by a CBP-selected accreditor in advance, and we'll say clearly on each listing whether that has happened.

If you'd rather start with your own office, start a free conversation. You'll get a short written list of where AI could help your team and where it should stay out.