PARS and PAPS are the two pre-arrival release references cross-border truck drivers hear about most. PARS, the Pre-Arrival Review System, is a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) release option for commercial goods entering Canada. PAPS, the Pre-Arrival Processing System, is the name U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) used for linking a broker's entry to a carrier's shipment for goods entering the United States; in ACE it is now called a simple bill. In both, the number on the label starts with the carrier's own code and is assigned by the carrier, and the broker files the release against it.
PARS and PAPS at a glance
| PARS | PAPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Goods entering | Canada | United States |
| Agency | CBSA | CBP |
| What it is | A release option: the importer or customs broker submits release documentation for CBSA review | The link between the broker's entry and the carrier's e-Manifest bill of lading; a simple bill in ACE today |
| Number on the label | The cargo control number (CCN): the 4-character CBSA carrier code plus a carrier-assigned reference, 5 to 25 characters | The bill of lading number: the carrier's 4-character SCAC plus up to 12 more characters |
| Carrier's advance data | ACI eManifest | ACE e-Manifest |
| Advance data deadline | Received and validated by CBSA no later than 1 hour before arrival | Received by CBP 30 minutes or 1 hour before arrival, depending on the system used |
What PARS is
CBSA Memorandum D17-1-4 describes PARS as a way for importers and customs brokers to submit pre- or post-arrival interim accounting documentation to obtain release of goods. A border services officer reviews the PARS information and updates CBSA's systems with a decision to release or refer the goods. A PARS request can be submitted electronically up to 45 calendar days before the goods arrive at the CBSA office of release, or 40 days after the goods have been reported.
PARS is a release option, not the carrier's advance data. The carrier still sends ACI eManifest cargo and conveyance data, which CBSA must receive and validate no later than one hour before the truck reaches the first port of arrival (CBSA Memorandum D3-4-2).
How a PARS number is built
The PARS number is the shipment's cargo control number (CCN). CBSA defines the CCN as the CBSA carrier code followed by a unique reference number assigned by the carrier, with no spaces; the first four characters are the carrier code. CBSA's eManifest Portal help sets the total length at 5 to 25 characters, using digits, letters and dashes, and says the bar-coded PARS number presented at the border must exactly match the CCN transmitted before arrival. Including the letters "PARS" in the number is allowed but not required.
Memorandum D3-1-1 adds that a highway CCN must not be reused for three years, and that bar-coded CCNs must be approved by CBSA before cargo control documents or labels are printed. The permitted symbologies are Code 39 and Code 128; our PARS barcode guide covers the printing rules.
At the first port of arrival, the driver may present the PARS documentation, with the bar-coded CCN and a handwritten conveyance reference number (CRN) on it, as the lead sheet (D3-4-2).
When PARS fails
If the shipment arrives and no release request is on file, CBSA calls it a failed PARS. D17-1-4 gives two options: hold the goods at the first port of arrival until the request is submitted and processed, or move them inland for release at a sufferance warehouse, in which case the carrier should tell the importer or broker about the change of release office. When a request is in reject status, the importer or broker has to correct it before release. A carrier that moves the goods in bond after a failed PARS must present Form A8A(B) as proof of report (D3-4-2); see our A8A cargo control document guide.
What PAPS is
CBP's inbound truck FAQ for the Trade Act of 2002 rule described PAPS as a system that links the entry a customs broker files through the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) with a Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) and a unique number provided by the carrier, such as a bill of lading or pro-bill number. The shipment is identified at arrival by a barcode containing the SCAC and that number.
ACE uses newer names. CBP's ACE Truck e-Manifest quick reference says the Bill of Lading Number field was formerly the Shipment Control Number, and that a Simple Bill was formerly PAPS. CBP's March 2026 truck manifest implementation guide (X12 309) lists bill of lading type code 00 as "Simple/Regular Bill - formerly known as PAPS".
How a PAPS number is built
The number is the carrier's SCAC followed by the carrier's own reference. CBP's FAQ allows up to 12 alphanumeric characters after the four-character SCAC, 16 in total. The March 2026 implementation guide accepts up to 12 alphanumeric characters after the SCAC, with no spaces or special characters, says the number must be unique for three years, and says customs brokers must obtain this number to file an entry.
CBP's ACE Truck Manifest User Guide (2012) explains why the number matters: it must match what the broker or entry filer reports in the customs entry or the QP electronic in-bond request, the match links the manifest shipment to the entry, and that link must occur for the truck to be released. The guide says the number can be the carrier's pro-bill number, the broker's entry number or a PAPS number, as long as both parties agree on it.
CBP must also receive the carrier's advance cargo information before the truck arrives: 19 CFR 123.92 requires it no later than 30 minutes or one hour before the truck reaches the first US port of arrival, depending on the CBP-approved system used, and CBP's truck FAQ gives one hour, or 30 minutes for FAST shipments.
One round trip, both systems
A Canadian carrier hauling a load from Toronto to Chicago gives its US customs broker the SCAC-based bill of lading number for the PAPS (simple bill) release, and reports the same number on its ACE e-Manifest. On the return load to Toronto, it gives the Canadian broker the CCN for the PARS release and reports the same CCN in its ACI eManifest. Each number has to match what the broker filed for that direction.
Checking release before the driver rolls
CBSA sends release status back to the client through its Release Notification System (RNS) and eManifest notices (D17-1-4). On the US side, confirm with the broker that the entry is filed against the same bill of lading number before the driver reaches the port. Agree in advance who watches each status, so a driver is not sent to the border before release is on file.
BorderPro early access
BorderPro early access can help carriers prepare and validate ACE and ACI manifest data. It does not currently transmit to CBP or CBSA and does not show live PARS or PAPS release status; production transmission and live agency status remain pending certification.
This post is general information, not legal or customs advice. Confirm current requirements with CBSA, CBP or a licensed customs broker.