Regulations & Licenses

Most export transactions do not require specific approval in the form of licenses from the U.S. Government. Regulations regarding all exports must be followed. Use this section as a primer to familiarize yourself with the regulations and licenses that may apply to your product(s).

• Sophisticated and high technology products; short supply items; technical information and products that have defense, strategic, weapons development, proliferation or law enforcement applications can be subject to export licenses.
• Major factors in determining whether an export license is required include the destination and end-use of the product or service.
• To determine whether a license is needed to export a particular commercial product or service, an exporter must first classify the item by identifying what is called an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) for the item, according to the EAR, and then must reference the Commerce Control List. Consult the Bureau of Industry and Security about export controls, classification and licensing according to the EAR and CCL.

Several other federal agencies also have some licensing responsibilities. These are listed, along with a brief explanation of each agency’s responsibilities, on the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security online resource links to United States Government Departments and Agencies with Export Control Responsibilities.