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I've been asked to get a gift for someone who collects almost all things military.

This person would like to get a US ACH(Advanced Combat Helmet) which you can buy from surplus stores. Is it possible to carry it with me on a plane out of the US?

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  • I would worry about getting it inside a country, not taking it outside.
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 0:17
  • FYI, I found the item on Amazon and I tried to ship it to an international destination, Amazon said this item is not allowed to be shipped out of US.
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 0:20
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    @MeNoTalk: Well, Amazon says that for a wide variety of items, for reasons that have nothing to do with export controls.
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 0:34
  • Indeed, there are a LOT of items on Amazon which cannot be shipped outside the US.
    – Aditya Somani
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 1:25

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There are two things you need to check:

  1. Can you export the item from the country of origin.
  2. Can you import the item to the country of destination.

As far as I know, there is no restriction on removing a helmet from the US. You need to check with the destination country whether the item can be legally imported. A good place to start would be contacting their nearest consulate, or you may be able to find the information online on their government website.

If in doubt, declare the item at customs on arrival. You may be required to pay import duty (i.e. tax). If it's illegal, you may be simply allowed to surrender it without penalty.

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  • From what I was able to find there was a site quoting changes in policy regarding military grade armor protection with no reference to the original or current policy, so forgive me if I won't take you at your word and at the moment I am only concerned about export regulations.
    – Karlson
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 2:54
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    This isn't an ordinary helmet; it was designed for use in combat and to protect against other weapons. Australia, for example, strictly controls the importation of such items - see customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/… [PDF]. You should check the import regulations as well if you haven't already.
    – Sam
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 3:33
  • Good find Sam. I've updated my answer accordingly.
    – Mark Micallef
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 5:57
  • This is great but I need to know about the EXPORT regulations.
    – Karlson
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 12:58
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    Helmets are classified under Category X (PPE) of the United States Munitions List (USML) and you are therefore prohibited by U.S. law from supplying it to a non-U.S. person, even within the U.S. Its export is governed by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which is regulated by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. You need either an exemption or a license to export it.
    – Mark Micallef
    Commented Jun 20, 2014 at 13:26

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