Which document is this? DD Form 1252-1, official title DD Form 1252-1, US CBP Declaration for Personal Property Shipments - Part II, February 2006. What does it do? It exists to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Declaration for Personal Property Shipments - Part II. Everything on this page builds on those two facts.
Does it apply to your branch? Yes. The DD prefix means Department of Defense, not one service, so the same blank serves the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and the Coast Guard under Defense jurisdiction. There is no Army version and no Navy version to search for.
Where does the requirement come from? From not stated, with not stated responsible for the document itself. Those are the names to cite if anyone asks under what authority you filed.
Is this the right edition? The current one is dated not stated, and the publisher carries it as not stated. Check that against whatever copy you already have before going further.
What the form asks for
- Customs declaration number.
- Part 1 - Household goods, unaccompanied baggage, and privately owned vehicles. 1. To: (overseas POE/APOE).
- 2. From (military customs inspector).
- Section A - Owner's customs declaration. 1. Name (last, first, middle initial, print or type).
- 4. Grade.
- 5. Social security number. Do not include dashes.
- 6. Unit address overseas (include A P O number).
- 7. Address in U.S. (include zip code).
- Press space bar to mark X in first box if have or second box if have not been serving overseas under U.S. government orders.
- Am traveling under orders for (or to): X first box if TDY or PCS to US or enroute, second box if PCS to US from overseas, third box if PCS from overseas to restricted overseas area, fourth box if PCS to US from permanent duty station, fifth box if PCS from combat area or zone to the US, or sixth box if TDY to US from overseas.
- Place of exit from the United States.
- 9. Declaration concerning importation of firearms or ammunition previously taken out of the United States. My present address is:
- Date of exit (4 digit year, 2 digit month, 2 digit day).
- 12. Description of firearms or ammunition. a. Firearms. Code, item (1).
- Manufacturer.
- Country of manufacture.
- Caliber size or gauge.
- Model.
- Serial number.
- 12.a. Firearms. Code, item (2).
- Manufacturer.
- Country of manufacture.
- Caliber size or gauge.
- Model.
Download the form
What formats exist for this form? PDF. What is the scale of it? 2 pages and approximately 79 fields.
What is the difference between fillable and printable? A fillable pdf has real field boxes that accept typed text and hold it inside the file. A printable pdf is a flat blank with no fields at all, intended for a printer and a pen. Which one you have determines how you complete the form, so it is worth checking first.
Is handwriting acceptable? Yes, but it is the weaker choice. Scanning flattens pen strokes and reproduction blurs them, while typed characters survive the whole chain intact. Print in capitals if you are working from a paper blank.
In what order do you complete it? The printed order, top to bottom. Header data comes before the body, and the body before the signature block. The sequence is not decorative — later entries are keyed to earlier ones.
What if your copy is old? Replace it. Check the date printed on the form against not stated. Old blanks circulate for years in shared folders, and because a DD revision lands across the whole Department at once, the receiving office will be working from the new layout.
Is the form its own instruction manual? Partly. The rest sits in not stated, which is also the authority where the two texts conflict.
Who receives it? The office not stated designates, subject to whatever local instruction your organization adds. What do you keep? A copy, made before the form leaves your hands.
What if DD Form 1252-1 points to another form? Search the series and number. Because the DD sequence is common to every military department, no branch qualifier is needed to land on the right file.
Can you assume a matching number is the same form? No, and this is where downloads go wrong. Read the prefix. Army numbering and Department numbering are independent systems, so the digits alone tell you nothing about which document you need.
Why do editions change at all? Three reasons, mostly: the prescribing directive gets reissued, the information collected changes, or the required notice language is amended. Are you notified when it happens? No. Which is why confirming not stated at the moment you download is worth the few seconds.
What does this page actually provide? The blank form and a description of it. What does it not provide? Legal guidance, procedural rulings, or any assurance about a particular filing. Who answers those? not stated, the administrative office that serves you, or the authority identified in not stated.
Questions and answers
- What is DD Form 1252-1?
- DD Form 1252-1, US CBP Declaration for Personal Property Shipments - Part II, February 2006
- Which edition is current?
- Not stated by the publisher
- Who is responsible for this form?
- Not stated
- In which formats can it be downloaded?