Entering USA with cash > $10K

[Cleopatra]

Does anyone have personal experience (no speculation please) of the procedure followed by US Customs officers when you check the box declaring you are bringing more than $10,000 of currency or monetary instruments into the country?

I know you have to complete FinCEN Form 105, but is there any further hassle? Do you have to show them the money? Do they routinely search the baggage of travellers who make this declaration?

[Eder]

I just lie about the $$ and tobacco etc I am bringing in...the worst case senario is refusal of entry, but after countless entries I have never been searched and never have had a prob..

[TheLoser]

if the money is legal, DO NOT try and hide it my friend had 30k taken from him last month. I cross the border a lot with 10k+ although I think I usually get a bigger hassle then most as I have never paid taxes in my life or held a "real job" I usually have to sign a form saying I am carrying X ammount of cash and then get asked all the stupid questions about gambling and how I got the money to gamble to begin with. Usually then they search my car and send me on my way, sometimes this can take over an hour. As for in airports I have never flown with more then 10k

[jokerthief]

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...then get asked all the stupid questions about gambling and how I got the money to gamble to begin with.

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How do you go about answering this to their satisfaction?

[cockpit]

I've flown in a few times with more than $10k. I filled out the forms and had no problem at all. Just routine questions and no baggage check. NOTE: Travelers checks are the same as cash. If you have any, then you need to add them to the total.