---
type: "LegalText"
title: "6 U.S.C. § 965"
description: "Tier 2 participants in C–TPAT"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 6
title_name: "DOMESTIC SECURITY"
chapter_number: "3"
chapter_name: "SECURITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EVERY PORT"
section: "965"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 965"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc06@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t6/s965"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-06/usc06.xml"
source_hash: "a95c6f4c1cff49e48c94c209b1d6b99ad32e48fb1eb7cbe528560562619f3cd1"
raw_snapshot_hash: "a286ebc069cd8c7d317b4084d217abe94cd2a3642b1a3e409a909d1e92452161"
text_hash: "2ed0504de7388e281112e5ae572536d825abf7618f5e89aae6f6c83ed018a43d"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 6 U.S.C. § 965 - Tier 2 participants in C–TPAT

## Text

(a) Validation The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, shall validate the security measures and supply chain security practices of a Tier 1 participant in accordance with the guidelines referred to in subsection (c). Such validation shall include on-site assessments at appropriate foreign locations utilized by the Tier 1 participant in its supply chain and shall, to the extent practicable, be completed not later than 1 year after certification as a Tier 1 participant.

(b) Benefits The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, shall extend benefits to each C–TPAT participant that has been validated as a Tier 2 participant under this section, which may include—

(1) reduced scores in the Automated Targeting System;

(2) reduced examinations of cargo; and

(3) priority searches of cargo.

(c) Guidelines Not later than 180 days after October 13, 2006, the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, shall develop a schedule and update the guidelines for validating a participant’s security measures and supply chain security practices under this section.

(Pub. L. 109–347, title II, § 215, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1910.)