Export Control Licenses

Export Control Guidance Topics

Accordion Content

If Rutgers Export Control has determinate that your activity requires an export control license, they will act as a liaison between you and the government agency(s) and obtain a license(s) on your behalf.

  • After working with the Rutgers Export Control Department, you will be notified if an Export License is required. The process is:

    1. Export Control will review your activity and determine if a license is required.
    2. EC office will apply for a license on your behalf.
    3. EC office will notify you when license is approved by the government and received by RU. 

    The PI must retain a copy of their license with their records.

    WARNING: If your active requires a EC license: Do not commence your activity until a license is obtained. It is unlawful to conduct your export control activity without a license, even if one was approved and you have not received it yet.

  • License requests typically go through an extensive review process, including review by interested U.S. government agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the intelligence community, and NASA, as well as interested bureaus within the Department of State. During this process, the US government checks for:  

    • the eligibility of the applicant.
    • all parties involved in the transaction.
    • appropriateness of the quality and quantity of the proposed export to the end-user and stated end-use.
    • any legal impediments to the proposed export.
    • any national security implications presented by the proposed export.
    • any foreign policy implications, including but not limited to:
      • potential effect on regional stability.
      • human rights.
      • ensuring compliance with multilateral control regimes.

    A license will usually take a few months to obtain based on the complexity of the activity. 

  • An export license grants permission to conduct a certain type of export transaction. It is issued by the appropriate licensing agency after a careful review of the facts surrounding the given export transaction. In some cases, exporters may be required to apply for multiple licenses from separate government agencies. Some of the common agencies which may provide an export license are:  

    • Department of Commerce
    • US Department of Treasury
    • Department of State
    • Department of Defense (Defense Technology Security Administration)
    • Nuclear Regulatory Commission
    • Department of Energy
    • Drug Enforcement Administration

    Common reasons for requiring an Export Control License are: shipping or travelling with an Export controlled material (identified as requiring a license) outside the USA, collaborating with a foreign national on an export controlled activity, transmitting export controlled data to a foreign national or location.