Proposed Rule2025-15266
Postmarks and Postal Possession
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Published
August 12, 2025
Issuing agencies
Postal Service
Abstract
The United States Postal Service seeks comment on a proposed addition to the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). Specifically, the Postal Service proposes to add Section 608.11, "Postmarks and Postal Possession." This Section will serve multiple purposes. It will define the postmark, will identify the types of Postal Service markings that qualify as postmarks, and will describe the circumstances under which those markings are applied. This Section will also explain that, while the presence of a postmark on a mailpiece confirms that the Postal Service was in possession of the mailpiece on the date of the postmark's inscription, the postmark date does not inherently or necessarily align with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of a mailpiece. In addition, this Section will advise customers of the options available if they want evidence of the exact date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece. The proposed DMM addition does not signal and would not effect a change in postmarking procedures; postmarks will continue to be applied to Single-Piece First Class Mail pieces, both letter-shaped and flat- shaped, in the same manner and to the same extent as before.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38716-38722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15266]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Postmarks and Postal Possession
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service seeks comment on a proposed
addition to the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). Specifically, the Postal Service proposes
to add Section 608.11, ``Postmarks and Postal Possession.'' This
Section will serve multiple purposes. It will define the postmark, will
identify the types of Postal Service markings that qualify as
postmarks, and will describe the circumstances under which those
markings are applied. This Section will also explain that, while the
presence of a postmark on a mailpiece confirms that the Postal Service
was in possession of the mailpiece on the date of the postmark's
inscription, the postmark date does not inherently or necessarily align
with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of
a mailpiece. In addition, this Section will advise customers of the
options available if they want evidence of the exact date on which the
Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece. The
proposed DMM addition does not signal and would not effect a change in
postmarking procedures; postmarks will continue to be applied to
Single-Piece First Class Mail pieces, both letter-shaped and flat-
shaped, in
[[Page 38717]]
the same manner and to the same extent as before.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 11, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, Product
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
Washington, DC 20260-3436. Email comments, containing the name and
address of the commenter, may be sent to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#055546436061607764695760626c7671607745707675762b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d5d4e4b6869687f6c615f686a647e79687f4d787e7d7e236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>,
with a subject line of ``Postmarks and Postal Possession.'' Faxed
comments are not accepted. All submitted comments and attachments are
part of the public record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any
material in your comments that you consider to be confidential or
inappropriate for public disclosure. You may inspect and photocopy all
written comments, by appointment only, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters
Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC 20260.
These records are available for review Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m. by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martha Johnson, Senior Public
Relations Representative, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#701d11020418115e035e1a1f181e031f1e30050300035e171f06"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="89e4e8fbfde1e8a7faa7e3e6e1e7fae6e7c9fcfaf9faa7eee6ff">[email protected]</span></a> or (202) 268-
2000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service is using this rulemaking
to explain the Postal Service's operational use of the postmark and the
information conveyed by postmarks; to solicit feedback regarding the
content proposed for the DMM and recommendations on how best to educate
the public about the added DMM provision once it is finalized; to
advise the public that customers who want a postmark aligning with the
date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of their
mailpiece may request a manual (local) postmark at a retail location;
and to remind the public of services available for purchase (including,
but not limited to, Certificates of Mailing) that provide a receipt
proving the exact date on which the Postal Service first accepted
possession of the customer's mailpiece.
I. Introduction
This introduction begins by sketching the history of postmarking as
it developed in the United States. It then describes the use and
application of postmarks in the contemporary postal system and
acknowledges the postmark's use by other parties in certain instances.
A. A Brief History of the Postmark
Contemporary postmarks encompass two separate markings with
distinct origins: one that inscribes the date and place of application,
and one that recognizes the payment of postage fees (i.e., via the
obliteration or cancellation of pre-paid stamps).
Marks inscribing the date and place of application have a long
history. Early postmarks in the United States resembled the British
Post Office's ``Bishopp Mark'' (created in 1660), featuring in their
top half the month and in their bottom half the date that the Post
Office accepted the mailpiece. A February 20, 1792, ``Act to Establish
the Post-Office and Post Roads within the United States,'' established
postage fees based on distance travelled and number of sheets of paper,
and postmarking practices evolved accordingly: though Congress would
pass multiple bills tweaking the criteria for determining postage fees
(for example, in 1845, price was indexed to weight rather than to the
number of sheets of paper), United States mail thereafter regularly
bore indications of the location and date of the mailpiece's origin and
of the fee charged for postage. An Act of Congress in 1855 enforced
pre-paid postage and empowered the Postmaster General to make made
adhesive stamps compulsory. Shortly thereafter, postage stamps became
the common currency of the mails.
At first, postage stamps were ``canceled'' or ``obliterated'' in a
variety of ways, including with pen and ink, with the standard date-
and-place postmark, or with a ``killer'' or ``canceler'' that used a
variety of means (including stamping and, occasionally, tearing postage
stamps) to prevent stamps from being reused. An order from the
Postmaster General on July 23, 1860, prohibited the use of postmarks as
canceling instruments; in consequence, two marks, the cancellation
stamp and the postmark bearing a location and date, began to appear
side by side--a pattern that remained prevalent even after 1863, when
uniform prices were adopted for mail between all points within the
United States. This pattern was subsequently taken up, in the second
half of the 19th century, by early cancellation machines, and it
remains visibly present today.
Thus, the ``postmark'' as it is known today historically consisted
of two separate markings, with two distinct (albeit interrelated)
functions. The cancellation marking served to prevent the reuse of pre-
paid postage. The marking with a date and place, which originally
correlated (in the United States at least) with a scheme of zoned fee
assessments and therefore helped determine the price to be paid,
provided an index of time and distance travelled. Both of these
functions were created for purposes related to postal operations.
B. Use and Application of Postmarks in the Contemporary System
As in the past, modern postmarks consist of markings applied by the
Postal Service to a mailpiece that: (1) display the location of the
postal unit or facility that applied the marking and the date that the
mailpiece was accepted by or first processed on equipment in that unit
or facility, and (2) where necessary, cancel postage so that it may not
be reused.
Modern postmarks are typically applied by automation at originating
processing facilities, but they also can be applied manually at those
facilities, or, upon a customer's request, at a retail location when a
mailpiece is presented for mailing:
<bullet> Automated Machine Cancellations. For Single-Piece First
Class Mail, postmarks are applied by automated cancellation machines
(currently, by Advanced Facer Cancellation System (AFCS) machines for
letter-shaped mail, and by Automated Flats Sorting Machines (AFSMs) for
flat-shaped mail). These machines are located in originating processing
facilities, including in Regional Processing and Distribution Centers
(RPDCs) and select Local Processing Centers (LPCs) within the
redesigned network to which the Postal Service is currently
transitioning. (90 FR 10857). These machines position and cancel
collection mail and perform a variety of other functions (e.g., reading
barcodes on pre-barcoded mail and diverting certain mailpieces onto a
reject stacker for additional processing). Machine-applied postmarks
register the location of the processing facility and the date of the
first automated processing operation performed on a mailpiece at that
facility, and, where necessary, cancel postage.
<bullet> Manual Postmarks on Non-Machinable Mail at Processing
Facilities. Where a mailpiece that would ordinarily be postmarked on an
automated cancellation machine is unable to be canceled by the machine,
the Postal Service may apply a manual postmark to the mailpiece at the
originating processing facility. Like automated machine cancellations,
these manual postmarks register the facility at which the mailpiece was
received and the date the first automated processing operation would
have been performed on a mailpiece at that facility.
<bullet> Postmarks at Retail Locations. While most postmarks are
applied at processing facilities, the Postal Service makes manual
(local) postmarks available, upon a customer's request, at
[[Page 38718]]
the retail counter of every Post Office, station, or branch. Like
postmarks applied in processing facilities, postmarks at retail
locations cancel postage (if necessary), and indicate the location of
the retail unit at which the postmark is applied. But because these
postmarks are applied (upon a customer's request) at the retail counter
when the mailpiece is tendered for mailing, the date on the postmark
also aligns with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted
possession of the mailpiece. Under Section 312.2 of the Postal
Operations Manual, postmarks at retail locations are free of charge and
are available for up to 50 mailpieces per customer; customers who wish
to obtain such postmarks on more than 50 mailpieces should contact the
local postmaster or other manager in advance to ensure that adequate
resources are available to provide a manual (local) postmark.
<bullet> Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) Labels. PVI labels are
the functional equivalent of postmarks applied at the retail counter.
These labels are printed by Postal Service employees at retail
locations and are applied to a mailpiece by Postal Service employees
upon acceptance of the piece. These labels indicate the postage paid
for a mailpiece and the location of the retail unit at which the
mailpiece was accepted. Like a postmark applied at the retail counter,
the date on a PVI label aligns with the date on which the Post Service
first accepted possession of the mailpiece. PVI labels also contain
various tracking information.
C. Third Party Uses of the Postmark
While the postmark's historic and current uses are tied to postal
operations, the Postal Service is aware that customers and other
entities have used certain components of postmarks for other purposes,
including by looking to the fact of a postmark to confirm that a
mailpiece was sent through the mail (i.e., was in Postal Service
possession) and by utilizing the postmark date as evidence of the date
of mailing (i.e., the date that the Postal Service accepted possession
of the mailpiece).
For example, postmark dates are referenced in various federal court
rules that concern the filing of specific documents; \1\ in analogous
state court rules; \2\ in federal statutes such as the Internal Revenue
Service's reliance on the postmark for evidence of timely filing; \3\
and in state tax statutes and other laws.\4\
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\1\ Generally, the postmark date is not relevant in filings in
federal courts. See, e.g., Fed. Rule App. P. 25(a)(2)(A)(i) (for
nonelectronic filings, ``filing is not timely unless the clerk
receives the papers within the time fixed for filing''). There are,
however, some limited exceptions, most notably Supreme Court Rule
29, which allows that ``[a] document is timely filed if . . . it is
sent to the Clerk through the United States Postal Service by first-
class mail (including express or priority mail), postage prepaid,
and bears a postmark, other than a commercial postage meter label,
showing that the document was mailed on or before the last day for
filing.''). See also Fed. R. App. P. 13(a)(2) (predicating appeals
from U.S. Tax Court on the Internal Revenue Code's timely mailing
provisions, under which notices of appeal sent by mail are
considered to be filed as of the date on a postmark).
\2\ Many state courts have adopted rules accepting the postmark
as evidence of the date that certain types of documents were mailed
and/or filed. By way of example, Rule 19.260 of the Oregon Rules of
Civil Procedure provides that, regardless of the date of actual
receipt by the court, the date of filing of the notice of appeal is
the date of mailing, provided the notice is ``[m]ailed by any class
of mail from the United States Postal Service and the party filing
the notice has proof from the United States Postal Service of the
mailing date.'' Furthermore, ``[a]ny record of mailing or dispatch
from the United States Postal Service . . . showing the date that
the party initiated mailing or dispatch is sufficient proof of the
date of mailing or dispatch.'' Id. Finally, ``[i]f the notice is
mailed via the United States Postal Service first class mail, the
date shown on the postmark affixed by the United States Postal
Service constitutes sufficient proof of mailing or dispatch under
this subsection.'' Id.
\3\ Under 26 U.S.C. 7502(a), where tax documents and payments to
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are sent by mail and are
delivered after the prescribed due date, the date of the ``United
States postmark stamped on the cover in which such return, claim,
statement, or other document, or payment, is mailed shall be deemed
to be the date of delivery or the date of payment, as the case may
be.''
\4\ Many state tax statutes (and/or accompanying regulations)
incorporate postmarks in a manner similar to 26 U.S.C. 7502(a). See,
e.g., ORS Sec. 305.820 (a covered tax-related writing or remittance
that is ``[t]ransmitted through the United States mail . . . shall
be deemed filed or received on the date shown by the cancellation
mark or other record of transmittal, or on the date it was mailed or
deposited if proof satisfactory to the addressee establishes that
the actual mailing or deposit occurred on an earlier date.'').
Similar postmarking provisions exist across a broad spectrum of
state laws and regulations. To cite but one example, Illinois's
Statute on Statutes provides that, unless an Act specifies
otherwise, any writing or payment required or authorized to be filed
with a state or local government ``shall be deemed filed with or
received by the State or political subdivision on the date shown by
the post office cancellation mark stamped upon the envelope or other
wrapper containing it.'' 5 ILCS 70/1.25.
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Furthermore, numerous election jurisdictions utilize the postmark
to accept certain completed ballots as timely where they are sent by
mail but are received after Election Day. Some voter registration laws
similarly utilize the postmark to accept mailed registration forms that
are received after the registration deadline.
Entities within the private sector (e.g., banks, insurers,
regulated utilities companies) may also base ``grace period'' policies
on the postmark in a manner analogous to the statutory and regulatory
rules detailed above. That is, they may accept payments or other
communications that arrive by mail after the stipulated deadline,
provided that such payments or other communications were mailed before
the stipulated deadline, as indicated by the Postal Service postmark.
II. Clarifying the Potential Uses and Limitations of the Postmark and
Other Markings
Given the prevalence of third-party uses of the postmark to confirm
that an item was sent by mail or as evidence of the date of mailing,
the Postal Service is using this rulemaking as an opportunity to
educate the public about the information that postmarks convey and the
methods customers can use to confirm that the Postal Service had
possession of a mailpiece and the date on which such possession
occurred.
The Postal Service first accepts possession of a mailpiece under a
variety of circumstances--for example, when a letter carrier collects a
mailpiece from a mailbox or collection box, or when a postal retail
associate accepts a mailpiece from a customer at a retail location.
While the date on a postmark applied by automation in an originating
processing facility often coincides with the date on which the Postal
Service first accepted possession of the relevant mailpiece, the date
of acceptance and the postmark date are not always in alignment, and
this lack of alignment will become more common with the implementation
of the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative and the
corresponding adoption of ``leg''-based service standards. (90 FR
10857). However, there are other available ways to obtain proof of the
date on which a mailpiece first entered the Postal Service's
possession: for instance, customers can take advantage of the Postal
Service's Certificate of Mailing service.
The postmark is not currently defined in any Postal Service
regulation. The proposed DMM language will clearly define the postmark
(including the significance of the date appearing on a postmark); will
identify the various markings and indicia that qualify as postmarks,
together with the locations at which such postmarks are applied; and
will explain the information that such postmarks convey, specifically
regarding the date when the Postal Service accepted possession of a
mailpiece. It will then remind customers who wish to retain proof of
the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of their
mailpiece(s) of the services (including Certificates of Mailing) that
provide such proof. Finally, it will identify
[[Page 38719]]
certain auxiliary markings and scan data generated during the course of
postal operations which indicate postal possession of a mailpiece (but
not necessarily the date on which the Postal Service first accepted
possession of a mailpiece). To be clear, and as noted above, this
provision simply reflects in the DMM the Postal Service's current
operational practices regarding postmarking, and makes no changes in
that regard.
The proposed addition to the DMM described in this rulemaking would
have no impact on philatelic sales and services (including philatelic
postmarking), which will continue to be offered as described in Section
1702 of the Mail Classification Schedule and Section 608.4 of the DMM.
A. Postmarks and the Date of Postal Service Possession
The presence of a postmark on a mailpiece confirms that the Postal
Service had possession of that mailpiece on that date (i.e., that the
item was in the mailstream on the identified date). However, the
postmark date does not necessarily indicate the first day that the
Postal Service had possession of the mailpiece. Moreover, the absence
of a postmark does not suggest that the Postal Service did not have
possession of the mailpiece.
It is important to note that the Postal Service does not postmark
every piece of mail in the normal course of operations. Much of our
mail volume--such as Marketing Mail, Presort First-Class Mail, and
metered mail presented to the Postal Service in trays--bypasses
originating processing operations, including machine cancellation. And,
while the Postal Service's operations are designed to postmark letters
and flats that are entered as Single-Piece First-Class Mail and
processed on automated cancellation machines, there are occasionally
circumstances where a legible postmark is not applied, including where
a mailpiece is stuck to another mailpiece when it runs through the
cancelling machine, or where the machine runs out of ink or smears when
applying postmarks.
We also caution that the dates on pre-printed labels applied by the
customer prior to mailing--e.g., postage printed from Self-Service
Kiosks (SSK), Click-N-Ship online postage, and meter strips--show
merely that a customer has purchased or applied postage on a particular
date; they do not in themselves demonstrate that the Postal Service
accepted the mailpiece on the date indicated on the customer-applied
label or postage.
B. The Meaning of the Postmark Date on a Mailpiece
Although every postmark contains a date, that date does not
inherently align with the date that the Postal Service first accepted
possession of a mailpiece. Rather, the postmark date represents the
date on which a mailpiece was accepted at a retail location, or the
date of the first automated processing operation performed on that
mailpiece at a processing facility. Most postmarks fall into the latter
group--that is, they are applied by machines in originating processing
facilities. A mailpiece is not always entered into an originating
processing facility on the same date that it was first tendered to the
Postal Service, nor is it always processed on the same date that it
arrived at a processing facility.\5\ As a result, the date of a
postmark applied at a processing facility shows that a mailpiece was in
the Postal Service's possession on that date but does not foreclose the
possibility that the mailpiece was mailed before that date. In other
words, the date on a machine-applied postmark may reflect the date on
which the mailpiece was first accepted by the Postal Service, but that
is not definitively the case. As noted, customers who wish to obtain a
receipt containing the date when the Postal Service first accepted
possession of a mailpiece can take advantage of one of the services
(including the Certificate of Mailing service) that provide such
receipts.
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\5\ Note that the Postal Service deploys a ``rollover'' time on
its processing machines to reflect the fact that originating
operations for particular mailpieces occur overnight, and hence
those operations can cross calendar days. The rollover time means
that processing machines apply a cancellation mark reflecting the
date of the originating operation for the mailpiece, even if the
application of the postmark takes place after midnight. For example,
if mail arrives at a plant at 10:00 p.m. and is scheduled for
originating operation that operating day, but the AFCS operation is
not complete until 4:00 a.m. the following calendar day, the
postmark will nevertheless reflect the date that the mail arrived at
the plant. However, there may be scenarios where mail will arrive at
a processing facility on the day it is collected, but it is
scheduled for originating operations on the next day, so that mail
may not be cancelled on the date of entry.
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Machine cancellations have never provided a perfectly reliable
indicator of the date on which the Postal Service first accepted
possession of a mailpiece, given Postal Service transportation
schedules and other circumstances that can arise in the course of
postal operations. For example, if a letter carrier returns late from a
collection route, the mail collected on that route may miss the
transportation to the processing facility on that day; or if a
transportation trip from a retail unit to a processing facility is
delayed, the mail on that truck may not arrive at the originating
processing facility until the following day.
The RTO initiative will make the scenario where a postmark date
does not align with the date that the Postal Service first accepted
possession of a mailpiece more common. As explained in proceedings
before the Postal Regulatory Commission, as well as in a recent
rulemaking published in the Federal Register, local transportation
operations within the legacy network have typically utilized separate
trips for morning drop-offs of destinating mail and evening pick-ups of
originating mail or paid contracted transportation to undergo layovers
between morning pick-ups and evening drop-offs. (90 FR 10857). In ZIP
Codes where at least one delivery unit is located beyond a 50-mile
driving distance threshold of its servicing RPDC, RTO consolidates
drop-offs of destinating mail and collections of originating mail on a
single transportation route, which saves money, reduces carbon
emissions, and benefits processing operations for a number of reasons.
RTO properly aligns transportation operations with the fact that the
landscape of mail acceptance has fundamentally changed: the volume of
Single-Piece First-Class Mail has declined by 80 percent since Fiscal
Year 1997 and now comprises a minority of First-Class Mail volume
overall.
On such consolidated routes, a single truck generally drops off
destinating volume in the morning, on the outgoing leg of the trip, and
then proceeds to collect originating volume at locations in the line of
travel of the return leg--though at some locations, pick-ups and drop-
offs may occur at the same stop on the route. As a result, pick-ups of
originating volume subject to RTO's consolidated transportation scheme
will generally occur the day after such volume is tendered to the
Postal Service by a customer. Thus, RTO-impacted volume that first
enters postal possession on a weekday not immediately followed by a
holiday will be transported to a facility to be processed (and, as
appropriate, postmarked on our automated cancellation machines) the
following day. With the elimination of Sundays and holidays as transit
days for the purposes of service performance measurement (90 FR 10857),
RTO-impacted volume that first enters postal possession on a Saturday
may be processed (and, as appropriate, postmarked by the automated
machinery) the following Monday--a gap of two days; similarly, RTO-
impacted volume that first enters postal
[[Page 38720]]
possession on a weekday immediately before a holiday will generally be
processed (and, as appropriate, postmarked by the automated machinery)
on the day after the holiday--also a gap of two days. Finally, RTO-
impacted volume that first enters postal possession on a Saturday
preceding a Monday-holiday may be processed (and as appropriate,
postmarked by the automated machinery) on Tuesday--a gap of three days.
It is important that mailers understand the distinction between the
date when the Postal Service first accepted possession of mailpiece and
the date registered by machine-applied postmarks. If the mailpiece is
destined for automated processing, a machine-applied postmark provides
evidence of postal possession and shows both the location of the
processing facility that applied the postmark and the date of the first
automated processing operation performed on the mailpiece; but as noted
above, it does not necessarily provide evidence of the precise date on
which the Postal Service first accepted possession of the postmarked
mailpiece. To be clear, however, any discrepancy between the date when
the Postal Service first accepted possession and the date reflected on
a postmark applied in a processing facility will be only one day in the
vast majority of cases, and such discrepancy will generally exist only
with respect to letter-and flat-shaped mailpieces that are both subject
to RTO and cancelled at a processing facility. For mailpieces accepted
within 50 miles of the servicing RPDC, the date on a postmark applied
in a processing facility should generally continue to align with the
date that the Postal Service first accepted possession of the
mailpiece.
As noted above, manual (local) postmarking will continue to be
offered on request at retail locations, and the dates indicated by such
retail postmarks will align with the date on which the retail location
(and therefore the Postal Service) accepted possession of the
mailpiece. PVI labels likewise reflect the date on which the Postal
Service accepted possession of the mailpiece. Customers may also obtain
Certificates of Mailing as proof of the date on which their mailings
were tendered to the Postal Service.
C. Stakeholder Input To Account for Third-Party Uses of the Postmark
In developing this rulemaking and the proposed DMM language below,
the Postal Service engaged in discussions with different stakeholders,
including industry mailers, private sector representatives, and state
election officials, to better understand how they currently use
postmarks (and postmark dates), and to develop language for the DMM
that would be useful to those stakeholders. We believe we have
accounted for most of the feedback from those discussions in this
proposed rule. To the extent we have not, or if there are concerns not
yet considered, we look forward to review of comments received as part
of this process.
III. Services Proving the Date of Postal Acceptance
For customers who wish to retain a record or proof of the date on
which the Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece,
the Postal Service offers extra services beyond the postmark that
provide evidence of the date of a mailpiece's acceptance by the Postal
Service. As described in Section 500.5 of the DMM, a Certificate of
Mailing serves as a receipt, providing the mailer with evidence of the
date on which a mailpiece was accepted by the Postal Service. As
described in Sections 500.2 and 500.3 of the DMM respectively,
Registered Mail and Certified Mail services also provide mailing
receipts for individual mailpieces.
IV. Auxiliary Markings and Scan Data
During the course of postal operations, the Postal Service may
inscribe markings on mailpieces and/or generate scan data. For example,
individual mailpieces that are processed on automation machines (i.e.,
mailpieces that are not deposited through bulk or commercial methods)
are typically imprinted with a fluorescent identification tag on the
back of the piece. This tag encodes a variety of information, including
the day and month on which the mailpiece was processed at an
originating processing facility. Such encoded information is not
readable without a scanner. Intelligent Mail[supreg]Barcode (IMb) scans
provide another source of auxiliary data. IMbs are applied by customers
to mailpieces--primarily to letters, flats, and cards (as well as to
certain competitive product mailings, such as USPS Priority
Mail[supreg])--and encode a variety of data, including the identity of
the mailer, the services requested, a serial number, and a routing
code. The IMb itself does not verify Postal Service possession, as it
is applied by a customer before a mailpiece is tendered to the Postal
Service. But IMbs are typically scanned at various points in a
mailpiece's trajectory, and each scan event reflects the time and place
of the scan. Where the mailer includes unique serial numbers on each
mailpiece containing an IMb, IMb scan data can be used to track the
processing of specific mailpieces. Commercial mailers can access IMb
scan data via the Informed Visibility interface. Please note that, for
information generated by IMb scans to be accurate, IMbs must be
properly prepared as specified in Section 204.1 of the DMM. Duplicate
and/or illegible barcodes will compromise the availability and
reliability of scan event data.
Such auxiliary markings and data indicate possession of a
mailpiece; however, they do not constitute evidence of the date when
the Postal Service first accepted possession of a mailpiece.
Furthermore, the absence of these auxiliary markings or data does not
indicate that the Postal Service did not accept possession of a
mailpiece.
V. Request for Comments
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a)), the Postal Service invites comments on
the proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal
Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by reference in the
Code of Federal Regulations. Input from customers, government entities,
industry stakeholders, and other interested parties are welcome,
particularly as regards the interests that they and/or their members or
constituents may have in postmark dating. The Postal Service is also
interested in feasible suggestions as to how any impact of this
rulemaking on a commenter might be mitigated, including what
information commenters believe would be helpful for the Postal Service
to include, if not already captured, in the proposed DMM addition.
Furthermore, the Postal Service plans to engage in customer outreach
and education efforts beyond the current notice and rulemaking
proceeding; recommendations regarding such efforts--for instance, how
best to reach the public, and/or any particular segments of the
public--are welcome. If the Postal Service decides to revise the DMM as
proposed, it will publish a final rule in the Federal Register.
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
[[Page 38721]]
Accordingly, the Postal Service proposes the following changes to
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual (DMM), incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal
Regulations (see 39 CFR 111.1):
PART 111--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401-404, 414, 416, 3001-3018, 3201-3220, 3401-
3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3629, 3631-3633, 3641, 3681-3685, and 5001.
0
2. Revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as follows:
* * * * *
600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
* * * * *
608 Postal Information and Resources
* * * * *
[Add the text of part 11 to read as follows:]
11.0 Postmarks and Postal Possession
11.1 Postmark Defined
A postmark is a marking, applied by the Postal Service to a
mailpiece, which displays the location of the processing facility or
retail unit that applied the marking and (if applied at a processing
facility) the date of the first automated processing operation
performed on that mailpiece, or (if applied at a retail unit) the date
on which the mailpiece was accepted at that retail unit. Where
necessary, a postmark also cancels postage so that it cannot be reused.
11.2 Locations at Which a Postmark is Applied
Postmarks are generally applied by the Postal Service via
automation on machines in originating processing facilities but may
also be applied manually by Postal Service personnel at those
facilities, or by a Postal Service employee at a retail unit when a
customer presents a mailpiece at a retail counter and requests a
postmark.
<bullet> Automated Machine-Applied Postmarks. These are applied by
automated cancellation machines located in originating processing
facilities, including in Regional Processing and Distribution Centers
and select Local Processing Centers. Automated machine-applied
postmarks cancel postage and identify the processing facility that
applied the postmark and the date of the first automated processing
operation performed on that mailpiece. Mailpieces prepared according to
certain criteria will bypass automated cancellation to improve delivery
speed.
<bullet> Manual Postmarks on Non-Machinable Mail at Processing
Facilities. Where a mailpiece that would ordinarily be postmarked on an
automated cancellation machine is unable to be canceled, the Postal
Service's common practice is to apply a manual postmark to the
mailpiece at the originating processing facility. Like automated
machine cancellations, these manual postmarks register the facility at
which the mailpiece was received and the date that the first automated
processing operation would have been performed on that mailpiece.
<bullet> Postmarks at Retail Locations. Manual (local) postmarks
are available, upon a customer's request, at the retail counter of
every Post Office, station, or branch. Manual (local) postmarks at
retail locations cancel postage (if necessary), and indicate the
location of the retail unit at which the postmark is applied and the
date on which the mailpiece was accepted at that unit.
<bullet> Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) Labels at Retail
Locations. These are printed by Postal Service employees at retail
locations and are applied to a mailpiece by a Postal Service employee
upon acceptance of the piece. These labels indicate the postage paid
for a mailpiece and, like manual (local) postmarks applied at retail
locations, indicate the location of the retail unit at which the
postmark is applied and the date on which the mailpiece was accepted at
that unit.
11.3 Information Conveyed by a Postmark
The presence of a postmark confirms that the Postal Service
accepted custody of a mailpiece, and that the mailpiece was in the
possession of the Postal Service on the identified date. However, for
the reasons that are further described below, the postmark date does
not necessarily indicate the first day that the Postal Service had
possession of the mailpiece. Moreover, the absence of a postmark does
not imply that the Postal Service did not accept custody of a
mailpiece, because the Postal Service does not postmark all mail in the
ordinary course of operations.
The location displayed on a postmark shows the processing facility
or retail unit at which the postmark was applied. The date displayed on
a postmark shows the date of the first automated processing operation
performed on a mailpiece or, alternately, the date when a mailpiece was
accepted at a retail unit. Because most postmarks are applied at
processing facilities, they do not necessarily represent either the
location at which or the date on which the Postal Service first
accepted possession of the mailpiece. The date inscribed by a postmark
applied at a processing facility may be later than the date that the
mailpiece was first accepted by the Postal Service. See 11.5. for
options available to customers who seek proof of the date on which the
Postal Service first accepted custody of a mailpiece.
11.4 Postmarks Aligning With the Date of Acceptance
Customers who want a postmark aligning with the date on which the
Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece may request
a manual (local) postmark at any Post Office, station, or branch when
tendering their mailpiece. Because a manual (local) postmark is applied
upon acceptance at the retail counter, the date on that postmark aligns
with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of
the mailpiece. Similarly, the date on PVI labels, which are applied by
Postal Service employees to a mailpiece for which a customer is
simultaneously paying for postage and tendering the mailpiece for
mailing, also aligns with the date on which the Postal Service first
accepted possession of a mailpiece.
Please note that pre-printed labels applied by the customer prior
to mailing--e.g., postage printed from Self-Service Kiosks (SSK),
Click-N-Ship online postage, and meter strips--show merely that a
customer has purchased postage and the date on which the postage was
printed; they do not in themselves demonstrate that the Postal Service
accepted the mailpiece, or the date on which any such acceptance
occurred.
11.5 Services Proving the Date of Postal Acceptance
Customers who wish to retain a record or proof of the date on which
the Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece(s) are
encouraged to purchase a Certificate of Mailing. As described more
fully in Section 500.5, a Certificate of Mailing is a service designed
to provide evidence that individual mailpieces have been presented for
mailing. As described more fully in Sections 500.2 and 500.3
respectively, Registered Mail and Certified Mail services also provide
mailing receipts for individual mailpieces.
11.6 Auxiliary Markings and Data
During the course of postal operations, the Postal Service may
[[Page 38722]]
inscribe markings on mailpieces and/or generate scan data. Such
auxiliary markings and data indicate possession of a mailpiece;
however, they do not constitute evidence of the date when the Postal
Service first accepted possession of a mailpiece. Furthermore, the
absence of these auxiliary markings or data does not imply that the
Postal Service did not accept possession of a mailpiece.
A non-exhaustive list of such auxiliary markings and data include:
<bullet> Identification Tags. Mailpieces processed on automated
machines (i.e., mailpieces that are not deposited through bulk or
commercial methods) are typically imprinted with a fluorescent
identification tag. This tag encodes a variety of information,
including the date on which the tag itself was applied.
<bullet> Scans of an Intelligent Mail[supreg] Barcode (IMb). As
more fully described in Section 204.1, IMbs are applied by customers to
mailpieces--primarily to letters, flats, and cards (as well as to
certain competitive product mailings, such as USPS Priority
Mail[supreg])--and encode a variety of data, including the identity of
the mailer, the services requested, a serial number, and a routing
code. The IMb itself does not verify Postal Service possession, as it
is applied by a customer before a mailpiece is tendered to the Postal
Service. Rather, IMbs are typically scanned at various points in a
mailpiece's trajectory, and each scan event reflects the time and place
of the scan. Where the mailer includes unique serial numbers on each
mailpiece containing an IMb, IMb scan data can be used to track the
processing of specific mailpieces. Commercial mailers can access IMb
scan data via the Informed Visibility interface. Please note that for
information generated by IMb scans to be accurate, IMbs must be
properly prepared as specified in Section 204.1. Duplicate and/or
illegible barcodes will compromise the availability and reliability of
scan event data.
* * * * *
Kevin Rayburn,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2025-15266 Filed 8-11-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 12, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.