ACE Account Deactivated — Error 41 and Error 42 Explained
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TL;DR – Error 42 means your account was deactivated for inactivity — call ACE Support and they'll fix it on the spot. Error 41 is different: the email on your login doesn't match what CBP has on record. Go to aceaccountreview.cbp.gov first, then call. If your importer accounts vanish after reactivation, that's a third problem, separate from both errors, and it needs a support ticket. The phone number is 866-530-4172. Expect a long hold.
Three different problems people keep confusing
All three show up as ACE login failures. All three require different fixes. Figure out which one you have before you call.
| Symptom | Error | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Your account has been deactivated" | Error 42 | Call 866-530-4172 — standard reactivation |
| "Login User Email Not Found" | Error 41 | Check aceaccountreview.cbp.gov first, then call or email |
| Logged in but importer accounts are gone | Post-reactivation unlinking | Open a ticket, call for escalation |
Error Code 42 — deactivated for inactivity
ACE automatically deactivates accounts that go unused. Since CAPE launched on April 20, 2026, people who set up ACE weeks ago and are logging in for the first time since are running into this constantly. If you haven't touched your account in a while, Error 42 is the likely culprit.
Call 866-530-4172. The agent will reactivate your account while you're on the phone. It's routine — no documentation needed.
After reactivation, stay in the session and get your work done. If you need to log out and come back, clear your browser cache first. Stale cookies can trigger the error again even on a freshly reactivated account.
To avoid repeat deactivations: log in every few days during the CAPE period, even briefly. Set a calendar reminder if you need to.
Error Code 41 — "Login User Email Not Found"
Error 41 is an email mismatch. The email address you're using to log in doesn't match what CBP has registered for that account. It's not about inactivity — it's about the email.
A few ways this happens. A broker or former employee set up the account under their own email address. Or you submitted a TAO change request and CBP entered the new email incorrectly — one broker in a recent r/CustomsBroker thread was told by a support agent that it had happened three times that day alone. The modernized ACE Portal also requires users to re-sync their accounts with updated email credentials, and some accounts fell through in the process.
Step 1: Go to aceaccountreview.cbp.gov.
This is CBP's account application portal. You can use it to submit a correction request for your account information, including the email on file. Check what's there before you call — it saves time and tells you exactly what you're dealing with.
Step 2: Submit a correction or email ACE.Applications@cbp.dhs.gov.
If the email is wrong, submit an updated application through the portal or email ACE.Applications@cbp.dhs.gov directly. For email/TAO changes, CBP typically wants a request on company letterhead signed by the TAO or an authorized officer.
Step 3: Call if it's urgent.
Phone: 866-530-4172. Or email: ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov. If your CAPE filing has time-sensitive entries, say so when you call — entries liquidating in the next few weeks should be flagged.
Accounts disappear after reactivation
This is a third problem, distinct from both errors above. The sequence: you call, they reactivate your account, you log in successfully — and then you see zero importer accounts, zero exporter accounts, zero protest filer accounts. The Accounts page shows nothing. Sub-users who had access are getting deactivation errors too.
Multiple r/CustomsBroker users reported this in April 2026. One TAO had managed their account for over ten years and had never seen anything like it.
The reactivation process is restoring the top-level user account without relinking the organizational sub-accounts underneath it. That's a CBP-side failure — there's nothing you can do yourself to fix it.
Get a ticket number from the agent who reactivated you. Without a ticket, there's no tracking, no escalation path. Call back every 24-48 hours until it's resolved.
One workaround worth checking: if anyone else at your company has ACE access, see if their view is intact. In some cases the sub-user accounts are fine even when the TAO sees nothing. If another user can get to the importer view, they can file the CAPE Declaration while your account is being restored.
Calling ACE Support — what actually works
Hold times in April 2026 are running 3-7 hours. Not an exaggeration — multiple brokers in r/CustomsBroker have posted exact wait times. One person waited 7 hours on day one, gave up, came back the next day and waited another 3 hours 45 minutes before getting through.
Call early. People who got through consistently say early morning Eastern Time is significantly better than midday. Before 9am EST is the target.
Phone: 866-530-4172
Email: ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov
For TAO/email changes: ACE.Applications@cbp.dhs.gov
Have your EIN ready, the email address on the account if you know it, and the specific error code. The more you can tell the agent upfront, the faster it goes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my ACE account working before I can file CAPE? Yes. The CAPE tab requires an active ACE importer account. You can't file without it. If your account is down, resolve that first — or ask a licensed customs broker to file on your behalf while you sort it out.
Can a broker file CAPE for me while my account is down? Yes. A licensed customs broker can file a CAPE Declaration for your entries using their own ACE account. The refund still comes to you (or to the broker if you set up Form 4811). If you have entries approaching the 80-day liquidation cutoff, this is worth considering rather than waiting for your account to be restored.
What if I'm the only person with ACE access at my company? You'll need to resolve the account issue before filing yourself. While you wait, check whether any of your entries are approaching the 80-day CAPE cutoff or the 180-day Form 19 protest deadline. If they are, prioritize getting a broker involved. See All IEEPA Refund Deadlines for the specific dates.
I logged in but can't see any accounts. My CAPE tab is empty. What's wrong? Either your importer sub-account got unlinked during reactivation (see the section above), or your Importer sub-account was never properly connected to your Top Account in the first place. Call ACE Support with your ticket number and describe specifically that you can log in but see no accounts. These are different fixes and the agent needs to know which situation you're in.
What's the fastest way to avoid this happening again? Log in to ACE every 2-3 days during CAPE season. Don't let the account sit idle. If you stop using it between now and August, you'll likely get deactivated again.