Question

[sarah_carter]

Have a question

Can you bring back sea shells and little rocks (you pick up along the road) back to the US from Nassau.

What kind of live plants can you bring back if you can bring some back.

Thank you

My grandmother likes shells, rocks and plants so I thought I would see if anyone knew if we can bring some back going May 2013

 

[linmarie12]

I don't think u can bring back any live plants. I'm not sure though. I don't know about rocks or shells.

 

[zacaronius]

Have a question

Can you bring back sea shells and little rocks (you pick up along the road) back to the US from Nassau.

What kind of live plants can you bring back if you can bring some back.

Pretty much a no go on plants. Heres from the CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) website:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml
Plants and Seeds
Some plants, cuttings, seeds that are capable of propagation, unprocessed plant products and certain endangered species are allowed into the United States but require import permits and other documents; some are prohibited entirely. Threatened or endangered species that are permitted must have export permits from the country of origin.


Every single plant or plant product including handicraft items made with straw, must be declared to the CBP officer and must be presented for CBP inspection, no matter how free of pests it appears to be. For information on importing plants or plant products visit the Plant, Organism and Soil Permits page. ( Plant, Organism and Soil Permits )

Im not sure about shells and rocks. Hopefully someone else will know. Just make sure there are no inhabitant in the shells though

 

[TifffanyD]

You can't bring back untreated shells (animal products) but you can buy treated, souvenir ones.

 

[Wadewilk]

We just got off and people we were traveling with had been given a conch shell that was straight out of the ocean, scraped but not treated. He told the border guy when he asked about plants/food/etc and he said "I'm more interested in the fact you didn't sign your passports than your shells" with a smile and let them pass.

 

[TifffanyD]

We just got off and people we were traveling with had been given a conch shell that was straight out of the ocean, scraped but not treated. He told the border guy when he asked about plants/food/etc and he said "I'm more interested in the fact you didn't sign your passports than your shells" with a smile and let them pass.

Interesting! I always heard a big NO ...

 

[GotMickey?]

We cruised on 10/6 and my son filled a big ziplock bag full of corral and shells and a little sand. It was in my back pack that I carried off the ship. We didn't have any problems. I answered no to the question about live plants and soil (because that's not what I had).

 

[DISaholic's]

No plants or fruit or vegetables of any kind. The reason for this is that many invasive species, plants or insects, have been introduced into the United states this way. While it may seem harmless to have one bug or plant, many of these species replicate quickly and can cause so many problems here (or from the US to other countries). This is also the reason that they are supposed to inspect even the shells, sand and anything with straw.

 

[BeardedDragons]

We brought a few conch's back from Grand Cayman. We had asked as we were disembarking if they were ok to bring back. It wasn't a problem.

 

[tvguy]

We brought a few conch's back from Grand Cayman. We had asked as we were disembarking if they were ok to bring back. It wasn't a problem.

I think the big issue is the folks in Grand Cayman don't want you taking them, not bringing them into the U.S. I know on many of the tours I have been on in the Caribbean, the guides say not to take them, so that they will be there for the next group of tourists.