The Office of Trade Compliance (OTC) has created a "decision tree" to help you determine if a license is required or not for your export. You MUST follow the Pitt procedures described in the Shipments - step-by-step Export Controls review document prior to shipping any items out of the U.S.
Basically, a license (i.e. export authorization) is required when:
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The item that will be shipped will be used in nuclear, missile, chemical/biological weapons activity;
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The item will be exported to an embargoed or sanctioned country;
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The item's recipient appears on a restricted party list;
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The item is on the Commerce Control List (CCL), or on the U.S. Munitions List (USML), or on the Nuclear Equipment and Material List (NEML), or on the U.S. Munitions Import List, and no license exception is available.
Note that:
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Items controlled under the ITAR always require a license before being exported and imported.
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Items or equipment used in or resulting from Fundamental Research always require a license before shipping outside of the US.
If any of these statements apply to your situation, you MUST contact the OTC. The OTC will assist you in preparing a license request for your export or temporary import. They will also assist you by providing special support documents, when required. The processing time for a license application and supporting documents depends on each situation. You should allow a minimum of 8 weeks to process your application if an actual export license is required. If your export is eligible to use No License Required (NLR) or a license exemption, the OTC can review your export and ensure that you have the appropriate paperwork for justifying the exemption's use.