{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/customs-and-excise-management-act-1979/section-27",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/customs-and-excise-management-act-1979/section-27.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1979/2",
  "legislation_title": "Customs and Excise Management Act 1979",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/customs-and-excise-management-act-1979",
  "path": "section/27",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "27",
  "heading": "Officers’ powers of boarding.",
  "text": "(1) At any time while a ship is within the limits of a port, or an aircraft is at an aerodrome, or any other vehicle is—\n(a) entering, leaving or about to leave the United Kingdom,\n(b) within the prescribed area,\n(ba) within a railway customs area,\n(c) within the limits of or entering or leaving a port or any land adjacent to a port and occupied wholly or mainly for the purpose of activities carried on at the port,\n(d) at, entering or leaving an aerodrome,\n(e) at, entering or leaving an approved wharf, temporary storage facility, customs warehouse or free zone, or\n(f) at, entering or leaving any such premises as are mentioned in subsection (1) of section 112 below,\nany officer and any other person duly engaged in the prevention of smuggling may board the vehicle and remain therein and rummage and search any part thereof.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) The Commissioners may station officers in any ship at any time while it is within the limits of a port, and if the master of any ship neglects or refuses to provide—\n(a) reasonable accommodation below decks for any officer stationed therein; or\n(b) means of safe access to and egress from the ship in accordance with the requirements of any such officer,\nthe master shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of level 2 on the standard scale.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(1) substituted (16.7.1992) by Finance (No. 2) Act (c. 48), s. 10(2)."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words substituted by Finance Act 1987 (c. 16, SIF 40:1), s. 7(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(1) substituted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 19(2)(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 27(1)(ba) inserted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 19(2)(b) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(1)(e) substituted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 19(2)(e) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 27(1) substituted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 19(2)(d) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 27(1A) omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 19(3) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703, (N.I. 3) art. 5"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 27 restricted (1.1.1993) by Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 (c. 48), s. 4(1)(3)(c)(6)."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 27 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2017) by The Raw Tobacco (Approval Scheme) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1172), regs. 1(3), 22, Sch. 2 para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 27 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2018) by The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/264), regs. 1(1), 2, Sch. (with regs. 3-5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 27 amended by S.I. 1987/2114, reg. 2 and by S.I. 1990/2167, art. 4, Sch. para. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/2/section/27",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:19:19.216576+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}