Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council
November 7, 2023

CITYOF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Mayor Dave Potter, Councilmembers Jeff Baron,
Alissandra Dramov, Karen Ferlito, and Bobby
Richards
Contact: 831.620.2000 www.ci.carmel.ca.us
All meetings are held in the City Council Chambers
East Side of Monte Verde Street
Between Ocean and 7th Avenues

REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
4:30 PM

HYBRID MEETING ATTENDANCE OPTIONS
This meeting will be held in person and via teleconference ("hybrid"). The public is welcome to attend the meeting in person or remotely via Zoom, however, the meeting will proceed as normal even if there are technical difficulties accessing Zoom. The City will do its best to resolve any technical issues as quickly as possible. To view or listen to the meeting from home, you may also watch the live stream on the City's YouTube page at: https://www.youtube.com/@CityofCarmelbytheSea/streams. To participate in the meeting via Zoom, copy and paste the link below into your browser.
https://ci-carmel-ca-us.zoom.us/j/86721067021 Meeting ID: 867 210 67021 Passcode:
022734 Dial in: (253) 215-8782

HOW TO OFFER PUBLIC COMMENT
The public may give public comment at this meeting in person, or using the Zoom teleconference module, provided that there is access to Zoom during the meeting. Zoom comments will be taken after the in-person comments. The public can also email comments to [email protected]. Comments must be received at least 2 hours before the meeting in order to be provided to the legislative body. Comments received after that time and up to the beginning of the meeting will be made part of the record.

OPEN SESSION
4:30 PM

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS
A. Carmel High School Report Out
B. Proclamation Protecting the Rights of Children

PUBLIC APPEARANCES
Members of the public are entitled to speak on matters of municipal concern not on the agenda during Public Appearances. Each person's comments shall be limited to 3 minutes, or as otherwise established by the Chair.

Matters not appearing on the agenda will not receive action at this meeting and may be referred to staff. Persons are not required to provide their names, and it is helpful for speakers to state their names so they may be identified in the minutes of the meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
A. City Administrator Announcements
B. City Attorney Announcements
C. Councilmember Announcements

ORDERS OF BUSINESS
Orders of Business are agenda items that require City Council, Board or Commission discussion, debate, direction to staff, and/or action.

1. Receive a presentation on the exploration of street addresses and provide staff with direction

2. Mills Act Policy Discussion

3. Level 2/Notable Home Incentive Program Proposal

PUBLIC HEARINGS

4. Resolution 2023–103, selecting an Overhead to Underground Utility Conversion Project and establishing the Carmel Underground Utility District utilizing Rule 20A allocations
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2023–103 selecting an Overhead to Underground Utility Conversion Project Option #1 and/or Option #2, and establishing the Carmel Underground Utility District utilizing Rule 20A allocations.

5. First Reading of Ordinance No. 2023-007 Amending the Carmel Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning) by Repealing and Replacing Chapter 17.42 Stormwater Quality and Utility and Chapter 17.43 Water Quality Protection
Recommendation:

1. Request City Attorney to read Title of Ordinance; and

2. Waive the reading in full and introduce Ordinance No. 2023-007 Amending the Carmel Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning) by Repealing and Replacing Chapter

17.42 Stormwater Quality and Utility and Chapter 17.43 Water Quality Protection; and

3. Set a second reading for December 5, 2023.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

ADJOURNMENT
This agenda was posted at City Hall, Monte Verde Street between OceanAvenue and 7thAvenue, Harrison Memorial Library, located on the NE corner of Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Street, the Carmel-by-the-Sea Post Office, 5th Avenue between Dolores Street and San Carlos Street, and the City's webpage http://www.ci.carmel.ca.us in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL RECEIVED AFTER THE POSTING OF THEAGENDA Any supplemental writings or documents distributed to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda, received after the posting of the agenda will be available for public review at City Hall located on Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh Avenues during regular business hours.

SPECIAL NOTICES TO PUBLIC
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 831-620-2000 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to ensure that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide accessibility to the meeting (28CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II).

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY SPECIAL MEETING TO FOLLOW

IMMEDIATELY AFTER

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

CITY COUNCIL

PROCLAMATION

A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
In recognition of the fundamental importance of safeguarding the rights and welfare of children, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea hereby proclaims the following:

WHEREAS, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is dedicated to upholding and protecting the rights of children; and
WHEREAS, it has come to our attention that a significant percentage, estimated to be between 60- 80%, of the 3 to 8 million children residing in orphanages, residential care facilities, and children's homes worldwide are not orphans and could reunite with their families; and

WHEREAS, it has been revealed that the “voluntourism” industry has grown into a multibilliondollar industry, often profiting from the institutionalizing of children; and WHEREAS, there are currently no standardized requirements, such as minimum experience, age, or background checks, for volunteers traveling abroad to work with vulnerable children; and WHEREAS, these requirements are also absent from both the U.S. government, various foreign governments, and major organizations that financially incentivize volunteer placements in residential care homes; and
WHEREAS, organizations facilitating volunteer placements in residential care homes are not mandated to maintain adequate oversight, ensuring that the children receive the minimum standard of care and preventing any potential trafficking of the children from their homes; and WHEREAS, organizations which receive financial incentive to place volunteers in residential care homes are not mandated to maintain adequate oversight, ensuring that the children receive the minimum standard of care and preventing any potential trafficking of the children from their homes; and
WHEREAS, the children who are placed in Orphanages, Childcare homes or Residential care may be trafficked to worse situations, abandoned on the street, and lose contact with their family; and WHEREAS, searching for "volunteering with orphans" in a specific country on popular search engines yields advertisements promoting such activities, without any warnings about the dangers they pose to children, inadvertently contributing to the risk of child trafficking; and WHEREAS, both the United States of America and the state of California currently lack legislation to protect children abroad and to combat domestically funded human trafficking; and Attachment 1
WHEREAS, the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution to the Rights of the Child, Article 35(t), urges governments to take appropriate measures to prevent and address the harms associated with volunteering programs in orphanages, including in the context of tourism, which can lead to trafficking and exploitation.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea takes a stand in the protection of children’s rights:

1. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea shall only provide support, funding, or benefits to orphanages or residential care that have undergone professional vetting and auditing.

2. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea will promote awareness of the risks associated with orphanage voluntourism by prohibiting advertisements for such activities in its offices and city buildings.

3. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea bans orphanage volunteering from all city-sanctioned or city-led volunteering programs.

4. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea urges all businesses registered in its City limits that work with children to implement background checks for volunteers, especially for those who intend to travel abroad.

5. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea reaffirms its commitment to raising awareness about the perils related to volunteering programs in orphanages, particularly in the context of tourism, which can lead to child trafficking and exploitation.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURHTER PROCLAIMED THAT I, Dave Potter, Mayor of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, together with the City Council and the citizens of Carmel-by-the-Sea, call on the state of California and the United States of America to make similar resolutions, regulations, and laws which will help globally protect the rights of the child.

November 7, 2023
_______________________________
Dave Potter, Mayor
Attachment 1

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

CITY COUNCIL
Staff Report
November 7, 2023

ORDERS OF BUSINESS
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Emily Garay, Administrative Analyst
APPROVED BY: Chip Rerig, City Administrator
SUBJECT:

Receive a presentation on the exploration of street addresses and provide staff with direction
RECOMMENDATION:

Receive a presentation on the exploration of street addresses and provide staff with direction.

BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:

Tradition and preservation of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s charm, unique look, history, and culture have been at the forefront of its governing body and community throughout its almost 107-year history. Throughout the City’s history and culture, a daily trip to the local post office to pick up mail, chat with person behind the counter, and catch up with friendly faces has become a tradition for many residents and community members.

Changing times have brought increased scrutiny and requirements for a verifiable street address from financial institutions to secure loans and lines of credit, the California Secretary of State made changes to its filing requirements for businesses to have a verifiable street address, utility companies regularly rely on street addresses to set-up utilities services, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought some people to rely on online ordering of essential necessities and medications. With attention to the concerns of residents, expressions of frustration navigating the increasing standards for address verification, delivery of packages, findability in an emergency, and concern for public safety, the issue of street addresses was placed on the City Council’s 2022-2023 priority project list.

On October 4, 2022, City Council received a presentation from staff of preliminary research, historical context, City Council and residents’ consideration of street addresses in the past, and a “white paper” (Attachment 2). With a focus on the City's intention of not having door-to-door mail delivery and its firm intention to keep the downtown post office open, staff identified as a critical element the necessity to obtain an official answer from the USPS on whether implementing a street address system would compel mail delivery and/or result in the closure of the downtown post office. City Council directed staff to continue research on the issue of exploring a street address system implementation and confirm if implementing a street address system would compel mail delivery service. Staff moved forward exploring street addresses with a recognition and emphasis on the topics of implementing street addresses and at-home/door-to-door mail delivery as two separate issues, with the intention of only exploring implementation of the former.

Staff has worked diligently to continue researching the process of implementing a street address system, finding answers to questions asked by City Councilmembers and community members (Attachment 1), gaining thorough knowledge and understanding of the USPS processes and policies, and developing more consistent lines of communication with USPS representatives. Although staff cannot definitively advise that the downtown post office will never close or move, or that mail delivery beyond the established PO Box system will never happen in the City, staff has found a process within the USPS system of operations that could answer the question of whether street addresses would compel mail delivery beyond the established system.

Staff has identified the “USPS Postal Operations Manual, Issue 9” (USPS POM) (Attachment 3), the “US Postal Service National Delivery Planning Standards” (Attachment 4), the City’s Municipal Code, and the City’s General Plan as the foundation for exploring a street address system implementation process.

The USPS POM, “serves as a blueprint” and details the USPS’ policies, regulations, and procedures of postal operations. Staff’s analysis of the POM focused on Chapter 63, Sections 631.1-643.1. The US Postal Service National Delivery Planning Standards explains the collaborative process required to establish an addressing system, addressing system requirements for USPS system recognition, and the required point of contact for the process. The point of contact is a local USPS delivery planning individual, referred to as a Growth Manager. The Growth Manager works within the USPS policies and procedures to assist and “work closely with you to determine the best approach to providing mail delivery service” and in determining the “appropriate mode of delivery while considering input from the parties involved.” A significant development is that USPS has moved to a preferred “centralized delivery” approach or “mode of delivery,” and “curbside, sidewalk delivery, and door modes are generally not available for new delivery points, with very rare exceptions” or “in very unusual circumstances.” Centralized delivery includes a variety of options, including call windows, horizontal mail receptacles, cluster box units (CBUs), and wall-mounted receptacles. The USPS operational policies for delivery services include recognition of local ordinances that may affect the mode of delivery available, listing that PO Box or general delivery service may be provided at the nearest postal facility. If a collaborative process is initiated with the USPS and the Growth Manager, staff would emphasize the City’s general plan and municipal code as it relates to the importance of the City’s character, tradition, and attention to safety due to the City’s unique landscape. At this point, staff has contacted the local Growth Manager for informational purposes only.

Staff’s analysis concludes that implementing a street address/street numbers system would require a collaborative process between the City and the USPS Growth Manager, Postmaster, and/or designee but it will not necessarily automatically trigger at-home/door-to-door mail delivery. Implementing a mode of delivery or delivery method of at-home/door-to-door mail delivery would involve staff and the City taking an intentional and proactive approach in requesting at-home/door-to-door mail delivery from USPS.

Staff’s presentation to City Council will include an explanation of its analysis and conclusion regarding the USPS’ process of street address system and delivery mode implementation, California’s Fire Code and Building Code as it relates to street addresses, and seek direction from City Council on whether to move forward with street addresses exploration and implementation by initiating and engaging in the established process with the local USPS Growth Manager or whether to conclude its research and maintain the status quo of not having a street address system in the City. If staff is directed to move forward, once a collaborative working relationship is established with the USPS Growth manager or representative, staff would return to the City Council with a roadmap and timeline for community engagement and outreach for the process.

FISCAL IMPACT:

N/A
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION:

On October 4, 2022, Council gave direction to staff to continue to do research on the topic and confirm if implementing a street address system will require mail delivery service.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1) Questions from City Council & Community
Attachment 2) Street Addresses White Paper
Attachment 3) USPS Postal Operations Manual (POM)
Attachment 4) USPS Handbook PO-632
Attachment 5) USPS POM Chapter 63, Sections 631.1-643.1 Attachment 1

Questions from City Council and Community Members

1. Does the Fire Department keep any data/notes/recorded information about delayed response times to calls/dispatches due to not being able to initially find the correct house/building (due to absence of street address)? In an emergency response situation or in response to a house alarm? • Answer from Chief Panholzer:

We require our personnel to provide a reason for any delayed responses that exceed a 5-minute response time. I checked with Assistant Chief Jim Courtney, who reviews the reports monthly, and he does not recall any time where lack of addresses or inability to find the correct location was indicated as the reason for a delayed response. I cannot say that no addresses has never been a factor in our response, but I have not had any of our personnel indicate a concern with this.

2. Is the Carmel-by-the-Sea Fire Department aware of any difficulties Carmel-by-the-Sea residents or business owners have with obtaining fire insurance or any other type of structure insurance? Are there any requirements for street address or physical address that will/should affect Carmel-ByThe-Sea residents/business owners? • Answer from Chief Panholzer:

I am not aware of any circumstance where someone was unable to obtain insurance coverage due to them not having a street address. It is possible that people have not shared that with me if it has happened.

3. Are there any fire safety requirements the Carmel-by-the-Sea Fire Department is aware of, in terms of street addresses, that may or should affect Carmel-By-The-Sea residents or structures? • Answer from Chief Panholzer:

The California Fire Code (adopted by Carmel) has a section requiring addresses for all buildings (see below). This has been brought up in the past. Carmel did not amend the Fire Code when it was adopted to exclude this section; it has just not been enforced. 505.1 Address identification. New and existing buildings shall be provided with approved address identification. The address identification shall be legible and placed in a position that is visible from the street or road fronting the property. Address identification characters shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numbers or alphabetical letters.

Numbers shall not be spelled out. Each character shall be not less than 4 inches (102 mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 1 /2 inch (12.7 mm). Where required by the fire code official, address identification shall be provided in additional approved locations to facilitate emergency response. Where access is by means of a private road and the building cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other sign or means shall be used to identify the structure.

Address identification shall be maintained.

Attachment 1
Attachment 1

4. Does the Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Department keep any data or notes on delay of response times due to not initially finding the correct house/building (due to lack of street address)? Also, does the department keep any data/notes/info on police response to house alarms going off and whether there's any recorded difficulty or delay in identifying the correct house with the sounding alarm? The Police Department does not log or record data specific to delayed response times and street addresses. While there may be individual address notes within the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, the correlation of any delayed response times due to lack of street addresses is not a factor that can be pulled from the data set as currently maintained by the CBTS Police Department.

5. Community members have provided staff with examples of other cities that have street addresses/house numbers but have their mail delivered to a PO Box at their local Post Office.

Staff has researched how other cities may have received a designation for USPS PO Box delivery and pick-up at a Post Office. The established delivery system would have been implemented with consideration to minimum workload availability by USPS, customer density, condition of roads, and the presence of gates/fences or other obstructions to delivery. Available information for specific cities provided as examples is limited, in reference to the details of the establishment of their mail delivery system. With online research into these specific cities and their mail delivery system being limited and uninformative, staff will attempt to gain insight and more information by communicating with staff from those cities.

6. If house numbers and building numbers have to be posted for street addresses, how will they look like? Will there be design requirements?
If building and house numbers will be posted, the appropriate design and presentation of those numbers would be discussed for approval in the context of the City’s design guidelines to fit the character of the City.

7. What about Google Plus Codes? Has staff looked into this and how does it work? Google describes the system as:
• Plus Codes are like street addresses for people or places that don’t have one. Instead of addresses with street names and numbers, Plus Codes are based on latitude and longitude, and displayed as numbers and letters. With a Plus Code, people can receive deliveries, access emergency and social services, or just help other people find them. • In rural United States, the Rural Utah Project is using Plus Codes to help members of the Navajo Nation register to vote, and to help emergency services reach residents faster.

Staff found that the system and the app is available to approved organizations that, “have the authority and resources to successfully deliver scaled addressing programs in their areas, and that there is a clear addressing need that can benefit from Plus Codes.” In order to access the Address Maker function as a governmental organization, the City has to “request access” by filling out an application that is, “reviewed based on the information provided and our [Address Maker’s] capacity to take on additional partners into this program.”
Staff recommends discussion and community engagement before submitting any application for the Address Maker as an organization.

Attachment 1
Attachment 1

Questions for the Plus Codes Address Maker application include:

Questions Continued on Next Page
Attachment 1
Attachment 1

8. What about the What3Words App?
The app uses a system that converts GPS coordinates into 3 word addresses, for example it takes the latitude and longitude entered into the app and converts it to “///geese.mirror.arrives”. The process explains that you’re given a what3words location, you can open it in the what3words app, then tap ‘Navigate’ and select ‘Google Maps’ to open the exact location in Google Maps and get directions.

Staff downloaded the app and used the built-in map service to locate City Hall for an example of a three word address. The system assigned, “///sketchbook.fiercer.regenerate” as a possible three word address for City Hall. The app works as a navigation tool but it is unclear whether the generated addresses are verifiable through any financial or governmental organizations.

9. What happens if someone incorrectly sends USPost to our “physical addresses”? Where does this go? Can the post office intercept this postal mail and put it in our PO Box? A precise answer as to whether the Post Office can intercept incorrectly addressed postal mail (addressed to physical address) and place it in a PO Box is a question for USPS that staff can relay.

Currently, postal mail addressed to a residents’ geographic or descriptive address is processed as “undeliverable” and sent back to sender.

10. How long (estimate) does it take to get the online databases for Google/Apple Maps etc to have our new physical addresses so they show up in all of the right places - online etc? Staff does not have an estimated timeline for this process and completion.

11. What anticipated actions do all of us have to do to update our personal records with our new addresses? Or is this optional?
Residents and community members could continue to use their PO Box addresses for what they consider appropriate and workable for their needs but staff has not outlined specific anticipated actions at this point.

Attachment 1

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
TO: Chip Rerig, City Administrator and Maxine Gullo, Assistant City Administrator FROM: Emily Garay, Administrative Analyst
DATE: September 16, 2022
SUBJECT: Street Addresses in the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea

SUMMARY
In its 106-year history, Carmel-by-the-Sea has not implemented a formal street address system.

Tradition and preservation of the City’s charm, unique look, and culture have been at the forefront of its governing body and residents’ preference in the past to reject implementing a street addressing system have maintained the absence of house street numbers until this day.

Based on community feedback and the placement of street addresses on City Council’s 2022- 2023 priority project list, City staff presents historical context, residents’ and Council’s approach in consideration of street addresses in the past, and reasons to reconsider the issue out of contemporary necessity. With the presentation of its preliminary research, City staff looks for direction from City Council on how to proceed with the topic of street addresses in Carmel-bythe-Sea.

BRIEF HISTORY TIMELINE
1888 Santiago Duckworth begins promoting “Carmel City” as a (Catholic) retreat 1892 Santiago Duckworth works with Abbie Jane Hunter to promote Carmel-by-the-Sea 1902 Partners J. Franklin Devendorf and Frank Powers form the Carmel Development Company and begin to develop Carmel-by-the-Sea
1904 The City gets its first Post Office; L.S. Slevin becomes the first Postmaster of Carmelby-the-Sea; A.F. Horn was the first mail-carrier between Carmel and Monterey 1916 City of Carmel-by-the-Sea was incorporated
1925 Postmaster asks for houses to be numbered
1925 Citizens form resolution against houses being numbered 1925 Trustees direct house numbering map to be prepared 1926 Trustees pass house numbering ordinance (Ord. 68)
1926 Postal inspector rejects idea of home mail delivery in Carmel 1940 House number ordinance repealed (by Ord. 228)
1953 Council protests potential state bill for house numbers 1953 Carmel threatens to secede from the state of California when the state considered insisting on house numbers in every community
2000 Council receives staff report and votes to table discussion on street delivery 2021 Council and staff discuss the need to start discussion and process related to assigning addresses
Attachment 2

BACKGROUND
Carmel’s Beginnings
In 1888, Santiago J. Duckworth acquired 324 acres from landowner Honor Escolle with the intention of developing Carmel City into a Catholic summer retreat.1 Duckworth had the land surveyed by Monterey city engineer, W.C. Little and a map of the City was filed in May of 1888.2 Little’s map divided 135 blocks into four tracks and Duckworth began advertising lots for sale in July of 1888 for $20.00 and $25.00 for corner lots.3 Working with San Francisco businesswoman Abbie Jane Hunter, Duckworth continued advertising the lots for sale and in 1892 Hunter mailed promotional postcards advertising the City as “Carmel-by-the-Sea” for the first time.4 By late 1892, Duckworth prioritized his political aspirations and consequently ending his involvement with the promotion and development Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Carmel Development Company
In 1901, “two far-seeing idealistic men”, James Franklin Devendorf and Frank Powers arrived in Carmel City and soon purchased Escolle and Duckworth’s land holdings in the City.5 The pair founded the Carmel Development Company in 1902, with Powers providing financial backing and legal work and Devendorf managing the company and development of the land.6 They were “lovers of natural beauty and it meant more to them to get settlers who were interested in its preservation than to seek profitable expansion.”7 Devendorf and Powers envisioned a unique community next to the Pacific Ocean, “a seaside town on Carmel Beach in the pine forest alongside Carmel Mission.”8
Devendorf and Powers have long been considered the visionaries that developed the land in Carmel-by-the-Sea and along with it built a unique make up of residents with a penchant for the outdoors and community involvement. They sought to bring in residents “of small means who were interested in the arts”, the makeup of the residency was integral to Devendorf’s vision, so much so that the company sold lots for “nothing down, pay-when-you-can” to artists and performers wanting to live in Carmel-by-the-Sea.9 After a devastating earthquake and fire in San Francisco “left a group of artists, writers, and musicians homeless…many of them decided to settle in Carmel…their coming was set the future for the development of Carmel as a cultural 1 “Carmel-by-the-Sea Historically Speaking…,” Game & Gossip Magazine, December 7, 1966, 8-10. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid.
4 Harold Gilliam, Ann Gilliam, Creating Carmel: The Enduring Vision, (Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books, 1992) 16, 185–186. 5 “Unlike Most Subdivisions – Carmel Was Not Started as a Place to Make Money,” Monterey Peninsula Herald, August 27, 1949. 6 Harold Gilliam, Ann Gilliam, Creating Carmel: The Enduring Vision, (Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books, 1992) 16, 185–186. 7 “Unlike Most Subdivisions – Carmel was Not started as a Place to Make Money,” Monterey Peninsula Herald, August 27, 1949. 8 James Franklin Devendorf to School Teachers of California and other Brain workers at in-door employment, Carmel-by-the-Sea, May 21, 1903. 9 “First Subdivision Map for Carmel Filed in 1902,” Monterey Peninsula Herald, June 1, 1970.

Attachment 2

community inhabited by persons of vision who wished to preserve the natural beauty of their surroundings and the unique charm of a village in a forest above a white sand beach.”10 City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea was incorporated in 1916, the same year voters chose members of the City’s first governing body.11 That first governing body focused on framing laws to protect the new City of Carmel-by-the-Sea with special attention to the protection of City trees.12 Political and cultural battles between residents and a growing business presence were common for years, the need to preserve the culture and character of Carmel-by-the-Sea was a driving motivation for residents and elected trustees. In 1929, a zoning law was passed stating that “business development should forever be subordinate to the residential character of the community,” still a concept today guarded deeply by residents and the City’s governing body. 13 The uniqueness and charm of Carmel has been credited to resident and its governing body for preserving that vision of a town in a pine forest, after incorporation there was the notion that “Carmel belonged to the people…it was theirs to develop as they saw fit” with some wanting to keep Carmel “a simple village with as few earmarks of a city as possible.”14 The concept of preserving the City’s character, with that 1929 ordinance, can be lauded as the impetus for Carmel keeping residential streets free of sidewalks, street lights, no “high rise buildings to mar the outline of these pines against the sky,” forbidding of neon signs, and no street addresses or mailboxes lining the streets.15
Street Addresses
Walking down almost any street within the one-square-mile of Carmel-by-the-Sea something becomes obvious, there are no street addresses. There are no numbers on the exterior walls of houses, no displayed numbering system identifying a particular house or building. The absence of street addresses is perhaps more obvious when one attempts to have their GPS route their car to a particular house or building in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Modern GPS systems do not recognize the “descriptive” street addresses that Carmel-by-the-Sea residents use to identify their house; a mobile phone or car’s GPS will not recognize “Monte Verde 3 SE of Ocean”. Even though GPS devices do not recognize the descriptive street addresses residents use, residents and business owners often use signs to make their house or building identifiable by someone on the street.

The signs in front of houses with a particular phrase, “name” of the house, or residents’ last names are also something that becomes obvious to anyone walking a residential street in Carmelby-the-Sea. The topic of the City adopting a formal addressing system has been considered before and met with varying degrees of opinions, such as former mayor and trustee Perry Newberry 10 Marjory Lloyd, “The History of Carmel,” The Carmel Pine Cone, February 3, 1975. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. 14 Carol Card, “Memory Lane Through The Years With Ocean Avenue,” The Carmel Pine Cone, April 8, 1949. 15 Marjory Lloyd, “The History of Carmel,” The Carmel Pine Cone, February 3, 1975.

Attachment 2

(“arguably [Carmel’s] best known, and certainly most outspoken, citizen”) firmly against numbering houses and keeping Carmel-by-the-Sea “different from every other small town.”1617 Throughout its history in consideration of street addresses Carmel-by-the-Sea residents and its governing body have responded with varied support or opposition to implementing street addresses. In 1926, City trustees passed an ordinance for house numbering of Carmel-by-the-Sea properties.1819 The ordinance made it unlawful for the owner of any real property in the City to “maintain any house, building, or structure…without posting securely…visible to passerby…a number plate showing in legible figures the number of said premises.”20 The ordinance was passed by a unanimous vote but the City did not implement or enforce the posting of house numbers, in 1940 the house number ordinance was officially repealed.21 In 2002, when the issue of mail delivery was at the center of attention, Council Member Barbara Livingston advocated to pass an ordinance to “specifically ban street addresses.”22 In its 106 year history, Carmel-by-theSea has not assigned or displayed street addresses, it is one of the more unique attributes of the City that has been considered for discussion throughout the years. The issue of street addresses was brought up again in the July 2021 City Council meeting with Council Members stating a “need to start the discussion and process relating to assigning addresses.”23 Carmel-the-Sea has not always been alone in not implementing street addresses after seemingly most of the country adopted a numbering address system. Until the early 2000’s, some rural towns in West Virginia remained without street addresses with a house numbering system only instituted in 2001 based in the concept of security and referred to as the “911 addressing system.”24 In places like McDowell County, West Virginia, residents picked up their mail at the local post office and had Amazon packages delivered to City Hall or the local bank.25 Unsurprisingly, not everyone wanted a house number assigned to their property, some residents expressed not necessarily wanting to be “found” or that they did not mind their current workarounds in not having a street address as it had become a part of everyday life.26 The need to be findable in emergencies proved a crucial aspect in implementing a house numbering system with accounts of firefighters’ “chaotic attempts to locate frantic callers who can’t give an address.”27
16 Neal Hotelling, “Perry Newberry’s final editorial is unfinished,” The Carmel Pine Cone, February 14, 2020. 17 Neal Hotelling, “For a successful, thoroughly modern city, don’t vote for Perry,” The Carmel Pine Cone, February 7, 2020. 18 Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cal., Ord. 68. 19 Ordinance 68 stated, “house numbering system for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is hereby adopted as and for the house-numbering Map Book of said City.” 20 Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cal., Ord. 68 §2. 21 Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cal., Ord. 228. 22 Kevin Howe, “Carmel Residents Adapt to Mail Delivery,” The Carmel Pine Cone, March 29, 2002. 23 Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council Regular Meeting, July 6, 2021. 24 Anton Tantner, House Numbers (London: Reaktion Books, 2005), 28. 25 Deirdre Mask, “Where the Streets Have No Name,” The Atlantic, January/February 2013. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid.

Attachment 2

Consideration for Street Addresses
As times change, as financial and governmental institutions change their requirements for filing paperwork, as the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a turn to online ordering and delivery of essential necessities, the notion of exploring a street address system has made its way to the City Council’s 2022-2023 priority project list. The reasoning behind making this a priority item comes from the changing times and residents expressing difficulties in opening or maintaining financial accounts, securing loans, obtaining a REAL ID Driver’s license or passport, activating or changing basic utilities like wireless internet, having packages delivered to the correct house, or being “findable” in an emergency as a matter of public safety. Some Carmel-by-the-Sea residents have expressed frustration with the difficulty in establishing financial accounts or records without a traditional street address to provide to financial institutions who will not accept a PO Box as the address on record. Increased due diligence requirements for United States financial institutions post 9/11 have affected the information financial institutions are required to collect. 28 Staying in
compliance with federal law requires banks to “collect and verify customer-provided information, such as birth dates, addresses and copies of drivers’ licenses or passports.”2930 For matters not involving financial records requirements, Carmel-by-the-Sea residents provide new neighbors with workarounds and look out for each other’s packages when a new UPS or FedEx driver accidentally delivers a package to the wrong house. The current descriptive address system, the use of unique house “names” on a sign outside of residents’ houses, and use of the US Post Office’s physical address for vendors that do not ship to PO Boxes can prove to be efficient and straightforward to many Carmel-by-the-Sea residents. The City’s proposal of exploring the idea of street addresses for its one square mile is rooted in listening to residents who have exhausted the workarounds and expressed the need to be findable in emergencies, to have an address to which they can reliably receive packages containing medical necessities, and maintain financial affairs in order.

Exploring Street Addresses for Carmel-by-the-Sea, What It Means for the Local Post Office The City administration recognizes the topics of implementing street addresses and at-home mail delivery as two separate issues with the intention of exclusively exploring consideration of the former. At-home mail delivery for all residents in Carmel-by-the-Sea by the US Postal Service is not an action City staff will advocate for or pursue with the possible implementation of street addresses. The local post office has a long history in Carmel-by-the-Sea as being a local hub to where residents can make a daily visit to check their PO boxes, pick up packages from the friendly faces at the counter who many residents know by name, and catch up with other neighbors making the visit that day. Carmel-by-the-Sea’s downtown post office is one of about 4,400 independent post offices in the United States that do not have carrier delivery and not a status the City wants to change.31 City staff has established a line of communication with the Carmel Postmaster and plans to continue the discussion and communication of the City’s hardline stand 28 Richard Newman, “9/11 and Patriot Act Changed the Way You Bank”, APP, September 8, 2016, https://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2016/09/08/911-patriot-act-banks/90003828/. 29 Ibid. 30 Section 312 and Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act required financial institutions to establish heightened due diligence and verification of identification procedures. 31 Patricia Lee Brown, “Fighting for a Carrier-Free Zone,” The New York Times, September 6, 2000.

Attachment 2

of not wanting at-home mail delivery for Carmel-by-the-Sea and maintaining the downtown post office open and operational.

Tradition Considered in Street Address Project Exploration Since Duckworth’s arrival and later Devendorf and Powers’ visionary development of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, the absence of street addresses has been intentional. Throughout its 106- year history, the City and its resident have expressed a sense of pride in the idiosyncrasies that make Carmel-by-the-Sea unique and unlike any other, at the center is often the storied absence of street addresses within the City limits. Changing the longstanding tradition is not an idea to take lightly as plenty of Carmel-by-the-Sea residents have expresses in the past, stating “we don’t like numbers on our homes, neon signs, and we like to get our mail at the post office.”32 With attention to tradition, the challenges that come with the absence of street addresses should be weighed against the changing world and the need for street addresses for ease-of-access to essential necessities and public safety issues identified by Carmel-by-the-Sea residents.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Priorities in exploring a street address development process would include ensuring and maintaining the downtown post office in operation, a clear stand against implementing at-home mail delivery, and any consideration of street address signs would be subject to specifically developed design standards. Additionally, there is the possible consideration of implementing street addresses solely for purpose of being findable on a map or GPS device without exterior display of house numbers, a choice for residents to decide, or approaching the system with the expectation of design standards-approved street number signs outside every house and building in Carmel-by-the-Sea. At Council’s direction, City staff can meet with the Carmel Postmaster, research different options for a street address program, including non-traditional systems of street addressing such as Google Plus codes or varying alpha numeric addressing systems. The implementation of street addresses has been considered by City Council before and with a wide spectrum of opinions on the topic, City staff looks to Council for direction to begin exploring a street address implementation process or maintain the status quo. 32 Frank Bruno, “Whither the Carmel post office?,” The Carmel Pine Cone, July 5, 1973.

Attachment 2
Update Notice
Postal Operations Manual, POM Issue 9
July 2002
Postal Operations Manual, POM Issue 9, was last printed in July 2002. To inform you of changes since that time, we periodically update this online edition of the POM. We use vertical bars (i.e., revision bars) in the margin to indicate text changed since July 2002.

This online version of the POM has been updated with changes through April 30, 2022, as follows:

This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Entire
handbook
Postal Operations Manual  updated to provide current
references to the Domestic Mail
Manual.
 updated to change Express
Mail® to Priority Mail Express®.
 updated to change Bulk Mail
Centers to Network Distribution
Centers.

N/A 8-30-19
Entire
handbook
Postal Operations Manual updated to replace Standard Mail with USPS Marketing Mail™.

N/A 10-30-17
Chapter 1, Retail Management
123.11 Post Offices revised to include provisions on
Remotely Managed Post Offices
and Part-Time Post Offices.
22344 8-23-12
123.12 Other Retail Units updated with a new heading title. 123.122 Post Offices updated to clarify definition of Post Offices.
123.124 Stations updated to clarify definition of
station.
123.125 Branches updated to clarify definition of
branches.
123.128 Nonpersonnel Units updated to define nonpersonnel units.
123.129 Village Post Office added to provide definition of Village Post Office.
123.242 Requirements updated to change “the contract” to “any contracts.”
123.41 Postal Service-Operated
Retail Facility Names
updated to change the heading title.
123.413 Designations of Stations,
Branches, Community
Post Offices, and Other
Named Facilities
updated with revised items b and e.
123.42 Contractor-Operated
Retail Facilities
revised to change title of heading.

Attachment 3
123.5 through
123.8
Reporting Requirements
for Change in Post Office,
Station, or Branch and
ZIP Code Status
revised to remove the
discontinuance procedures, to
delete 123.6 through 123.8, and to
renumber 123.9 as 123.6.
22314 6-30-11
123.6 and
123.7
Discontinuation of Post
Offices, and Emergency
Suspension of Service
revised to include recent policy
changes to the approval/
disapproval authority for Post Office
closing final determinations.
22124 3-18-04
123.622 ZIP Code Assignment revised to include recent policy changes related to ZIP Code
retention at discontinued facilities.
22124 3-18-04
123.72 Suspension Review Team added to revise emergency suspension procedures.
22124 3-18-04
123.81 Notice to Postal Officials revised to correct the approval authority for the discontinuance of
Post Offices.
22130 6-10-04
124.532 Smoking revised to clarify the definition of
smoking.
22388 05-01-14
124.6 Nondiscrimination revised to update policy on
nondiscrimination.

NA 1-31-21
125.22 National Holidays revised to update USPS level of service on holidays.
22313 6-16-11
Exhibit 125.22a Holiday Service Levels revised to update USPS level of service on holidays.
22313 6-16-11
Exhibit 125.22b Holidays Not Widely
Observed
revised to update USPS level of
service on holidays.
22313 6-16-11
125.341 General revised to replace the reference to
Poster 76 with Poster 37.
22348 10-18-12
Exhibit 125.342 Mandatory Lobby
Displays
revised to replace the reference to
Poster 76 with Poster 37.
22348 10-18-12
Exhibit 125.343 Mandatory Public
Information to be
Available
revised to reflect signage language
in Post Offices.
22187 8-17-06
revised to update mandatory
information to be made available to
the public.
22289 7-15-10
126.41 through
126.46
Nonholiday Weekdays revised to update guidance for retail hours.
22289 7-15-10
126.41 General updated to reflect changes in hours
of service and staffing for retail units
previously classified as EAS Level
16 or below Post Offices.
22344 8-23-12
126.412 Saturdays updated to clarify service hours on
Saturdays.
22344 8-23-12
126.413 Sundays updated to clarify approval for
service hours on Sunday.
22344 8-23-12
126.46 Consolidation of Retail
Counter Service
updated to replace Customer
Service and Sales with area office.
22344 8-23-12
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
131.3 Forms of Identification added to specify the acceptable forms of identification when
applying for certain products and
services.

N/A 8-30-19
132.14 Purchase Receipts revised to update the form used for purchase receipts.
22266 8-27-09
136.3 Business Reply Mail and
Merchandise Return
Service
revised to update information on
merchandise return service.

N/A N/A
136.6 Information-based Indicia
postage Paid Labels
added to include information on IBI
postage paid labels.
22269 10-8-09
137.426 Package Services revised to provide reference to Publication 52.

N/A 8-30-19
137.5 Priority Mail Express
Acceptance
revised to describe Priority Mail
Express and give DMM references.

N/A 8-30-19
138.225 Customer Inquiry of
Name on Postal Service
List
updated to provide new address for
the Prohibitory Order Processing
Center.
22361 4-18-13
139.116 Authorized Mailability
Decisions
revised to clarify that certain duties
assigned to postmasters may be
performed by subordinate
personnel under a postmaster’s
supervision.
22325 12-1-11
139.118 Return to Sender with
Report to PCSC
revised to update procedures on
undeliverable mail
22584 11-4-21
141.421
through
141.425
General revised to update standards of Post
Office Box service.
22289 7-15-10
143 INTELPOST Service deleted to reflect the fact that
INTELPOST (international electronic
post) service is no longer available.
22124 3-18-04
144 through
147
Photocopy Service renumbered as 143 through 146. 22124 3-18-04 145.11 Authorizing Refunds revised to add item k. 22321 10-6-11 146.1 Processing Refunds for
Postage Stamps on
Business Reply Mail,
Postage Meter Stamps,
Meter Impressions,
Permit Imprints or
Rejected Personalized
Envelopes
revised to allow all Post Offices to
process refunds for postage
requested.
22088 10-31-02
146.11 Customer Action revised to add new DMM
references.
22193 11-9-06
revised to clarify existing policies
and procedures for filing indemnity
claims.
22127 4-29-04
Exhibit 146.11 General Instructions for
Filing Claims
updated to provide instructions for
filing indemnity claims.
22127 4-29-04
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
146.111 Customer Action revised to add new DMM
references.
22193 11-09-06
revised to specify the material to be
sent directly to Claims Appeals at
the St. Louis Accounting Service
Center.
22127 4-29-04
146.112 Accepting Post Office revised to include a reference to the new PS Form 2856, Damage Report
of Insured Parcel and Contents.
22188 8-31-06
146.113 Claims and Inquiry
Employee
updated to specify copy 3 of PS
Form 1000.
22127 4-29-04
Exhibit 146.12 Processing Claims for
Damage or Partial Loss of
Contents
deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.121 Tendered updated to change section title to
“Loss of Numbered Insured or
Registered With Postal Insurance
Article” and to reflect the steps for
processing claims.
22127 4-29-04
Loss of Numbered
Insured or Registered
With Postal Insurance
Article
revised to add DMM reference. 22193 11-9-06
146.122 Loss of Unnumbered
Insured Articles
revised to reflect that locally
adjudicated claim forms will be
forwarded to St. Louis after
processing to ensure all claim data
are captured by the system.
22127 4-29-04
146.123 Loss of COD Articles (or
Nonremittance)
deleted. 22127 4-29-04
Loss of Priority Mail
Express Articles
deleted. Renumber current 146.126
“Damage claim Filed by Addressee”
as new 146.124
22127 4-29-04
146.124 Damage Claim Filed by
Addressee
updated to reflect revised PS Form
1000.
22193 11-9-06
revised to include a reference to the
new PS Form 2856, Damage Report
of Insured Parcel and Contents.
22188 8-31-06
Exhibit 146.124 Processing Claims for
Damage or Partial Loss of
Contents
revised to include a reference to the
new PS Form 2856, Damage Report
of Insured Parcel and Contents.
22188 8-31-06
146.125 Damage Claim Filed by
Sender
renumbered as section 146.123 and
updated to reflect new procedures.
22127 4-29-04
146.126 Damage Claim Filed by
Addressee
renumbered as section 146.124,
revised, and updated to add new
Exhibit 146.124.
22127 4-29-04
146.127 Damage Claims
Exceptions
deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.128 Replacement Shipments deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.129 Estimates and Appraisals renumbered as section 146.25. 22127 4-29-04 This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
146.13 Processing Claims
Received From Another
Office
deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.131 Time Limits revised to add new DMM reference. 22193 11-9-06 146.14 through
146.144
Inquiries and Duplicate
Claims
renumbered as new sections
146.13 through 146.134 and revised
to show new procedures.
22127 4-29-04
146.145 Registered Mail and
Priority Mail Express
deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.2 Reimbursements deleted. Renumbered 146.3 and
146.4 as new 146.2 and 146.3.
22266 8-27-09
146.22 Unused Meter Stamps updated to show change in
procedures.
22127 4-29-04
deleted. 22088 10-31-02
146.31 Damaged Article revised how an accepting employee documents damage to support
indemnity claims.
22188 8-31-06
146.4 through
146.425
Sample Claims deleted. 22127 4-29-04
146.5 through
146.52
Quarterly Review renumbered as sections 146.4
through 146.42.
22127 4-29-04
151.11 Stamps by Mail PS Forms
3227-A and 3227-B
revised to reflect updated policy for
Stamps by Mail service.
22194 11-23-06
151.12 Rural Delivery Areas —
PS Form 3227-R
revised to reflect updated policy for
Stamps by Mail service.
22194 11-23-06
151.13 Written and Telephone
Requests
added to reflect updated policy for
Stamps by Mail service.
22194 11-23-06
151.22 Postmasters of City/Rural
Delivery Offices
revised to clarify certain duties
assigned to postmasters.
22325 12-1-11
revised to reflect updated policy for
Stamps by Mail service.
22194 11-23-06
151.31 PS Form 3227 revised to reflect new title “General” and updated policy for Stamps by
Mail service.
22194 11-23-06
151.32 Clerical Downtime revised to reflect new title and updated policy for Stamps by Mail
service.
22194 11-23-06
151.321
through
151.326
General deleted. 22194 11-23-06
151.33 Centralized Fulfillment
Locations
added. 22194 11-23-06
151.34 Order Filling Clerks added. 22194 11-23-06
151.35 Registry Unit added. 22194 11-23-06
151.36 Receiving Delivery Unit added. 22194 11-23-06
151.37 Undeliverable as
Addressed Orders
added. 22194 11-23-06
151.38 Lost Orders added. 22194 11-23-06
revised to update procedures for
lost orders.
22266 8-27-09
153 Stamps on Consignment deleted 8-2-12
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
154 Stamps by Automated
Teller Machine
deleted 8-2-12
16 Consumer Services updated to replace Customer
Experience Measurement with
Customer Insights; to replace
Consumer and Industry Affairs with
Office of Consumer Advocate; and
add email as option for customer
complaint contact and remove
postcards as an option.

N/A 11-20-18
16 Consumer Services updated to align with the
standardized process for handling
complaints from receipt to
resolution, current business
requirements, and the PMG’s core
strategy to improve the customer
experience.

N/A N/A
164 Responsibility updated to replace eCC case with
C360 service request.

N/A 6-30-20
164.1 Headquarters
Management
updated to change management
instruction number referenced in
section.

N/A 4-30-2022
165 Procedure updated to replace eCC case with
C360 service request.

N/A 6-30-20
166 Complaint Escalation
Process
updated to replace eCC case with
C360 service request.

N/A 6-30-20
167 Customer Contact
Guidelines
updated to replace eCC case with
C360 service request.

N/AV 6-30-20
Chapter 2, Philately
2 Philately revised to reflect updated policy
governing the release, sale, and
discontinuance of postage stamps
and postal stationery.
22155 5-26-05
212 through
212.4
Stamp and Stationery
Subjects
revised to add new criteria for the
selection of stamp subjects
n/a 10-20-11
212.2 Criteria for Eligibility revised to update the criteria to determine the eligibility of subjects
for commemoration on U.S. stamps
and stationary.
n/a 10-15-20
212.2 Criteria for Eligibility revised to update the criteria to determine the eligibility of subjects
for commemoration on U.S. stamps
and stationary.
22224 1-17-08
222.223 Minimum Purchase
Requirements and Sales
Limitations
revised to change dollar amount
charged for the minimum purchase
requirements for plate number
blocks and marginal markings.

N/A 8-31-21
227 Guidelines for the
Purchase and Sale of
Local Commemorative
Envelopes
added to provide guidelines for the
local purchase and sale of
commemorative envelopes.
22235 6-19-08
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
23 Philatelic Postmarks revised to remove policy about
obliterators and add new policy
about first day of sale postmarks,
thematic postmarks, and philatelic
centers.
22237 7-17-08
231.1 Definition revised to delete “for collection
purposes.”
22237 7-17-08
231.21 Publicity updated to add information about
the Postal Bulletin.
22237 7-17-08
231.23 Staffing Availability and
Training
updated to give policy on staffing. 22237 7-17-08
231.31 Postmarks revised to change “canceled” to
“postmarked.”
22237 7-17-08
231.32 Special Attention updated to add new procedure. 22237 7-17-08 231.34 Hand-Stamped
Postmarks
updated to give new name of
Handbook PO-230.
22237 7-17-08
231.35 Philatelic Covers updated to add new procedure to avoid philatelic covers being
postmarked in the mailstream.
22237 7-17-08
231.36 Defacing Philatelic
Covers
revised to change terminology from
“canceled” to “postmarked.”
22237 7-17-08
231.4 Hand-Back and MailBack Servicerevised to update procedures. 22237 7-17-08 231.5 Permissible Postmarking
Devises and HandStamped Postmarking for
Collectors
updated to add new policy and to
replace exhibit 231.5 with new
exhibit.
22237 7-17-08
Exhibit 231.5 Hand-Stamped
Postmarks
revised to change to philatelic
service postmark and seasonal
postmark.
22285 5-20-10
22287 6-17-10
updated to replace item g. 22312 6-2-11
231.61 Date and Place of
Postmarking
updated to add policy on philatelic
postmarking services.
22237 7-17-08
231.62 Preparation
Requirements
updated to remove “postal cards.” 22237 7-17-08
231.63 Special Materials on
Which Postmarks May Be
Requested
updated to revise items d and g. 22237 7-17-08
231.7 through
231.9
Holding the Mail updated to add new policy. 22237 7-17-08 232 through
232.9
First Day of Issue revised to provide new policy on
first day of issue.
22237 7-17-08
233 through
236.4
First Day of Sale
Postmark
updated to add new policy. 22237 7-17-08
236.1 Philatelic Service
Postmarks
revised to remove the term
“philatelic center postmark.”
22285 5-20-10
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
236.1 through
236.24
Seasonal Postmarks revised to update information about
procedures for seasonal postmarks
and to replace the term “philatelic
center postmark” with Postmark
America service.”
22312 6-2-11
236.52 National Events revised to change the address for requests for national events.
22099 4-03-03
236.92 Special Requests revised to change the approving authority for requests to retain
special die-hub cancellations.
22099 4-03-03
Chapter 3, Collection Services — National Service Standards Chapter 3 Collection Service,
National Service
Standards
revised to simplify regulations by
rearranging them in logical order
and to add updates to operational
changes.
22313 6-16-11
311 Applicability revised to update the national
service standards for the collection
of mail.
22429 11-26-15
313.11 General updated to add new section.
313.12 Collection Location
Standards
313.13 Collection Schedule
Standards
313.21 At Postal Facilities
313.22 Residential Collection
Boxes
313.23 Business Area Collection
Boxes
313.24 Business Area 5:00 P.M.
or Later Boxes
313.3 Exceptions to Mandated
Service
313.31 General
313.32 Exception Documentation
313.33 Exception for Removal
313.4 through
313.52
Establishment of and
Changes in Collection
Box Schedules and
Locations
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
314.1 General revised to update procedures. 22429 11-26-15 314.2 Manual Collection Tests
314.3 Volume Density Tests
315.2 Appearance
315.3 Relocation Before
Removal
315.4 Immediate Removal
316 Collection Schedule
Decals
317.1 General updated to add four new sections.
317.2 Standard updated to add new section.
317.3 Large
317.4 Jumbo
317.5 Motorist Mailchute
(Snorkel) Boxes
318 Priority Mail Express
Collection Box
318.1 Priority Mail Express
Collection Boxes
318.2 Rural and Contract
delivery Service Boxes
318.3 Number of Boxes
312.2 Local Postmark Requests revised to change the obsolete requirement for a lobby drop for
local postmarks to an option.
22238 7-31-08
315.34 Business Area Collection
Boxes
revised to clarify policy about not
collecting business collection boxes
with low Saturday volume.
22322 10-20-11
321 Ordinary Deposit of Mail updated to revise title.
321.1 Post Office Lobby updated to add new section.
321.2 Rural and Contract
Delivery Service Boxes
321.3 Vertical Improved Mail
and Firm Mailrooms
322.23 through
322.233
Collection Schedules deleted. 22431 12-24-15
322.344 Widely Observed
Holidays
updated to clarify procedures for
advancing collections during the
holidays.
22350 11-15-12
322.344 Widely Observed
Holidays
added with text moved from old
323.43 that was deleted.
22322 10-20-11
323 through
323.42
Residential Collection
Boxes
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
324 through
324.4
Business Area Collection
Boxes
deleted 22431 12-24-15
325 through
325.4
Arterial Boxes Loacted on
Major Traffic
Thoroughfares
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
325.4 Collection Schedules revised to clarify that an Priority Mail Express shipment dropped in
an Priority Mail Express collection
box is a guaranteed product.
22237 7-17-08
326 through
326.3
Motorist Mailchute
(Snorkel) Boxes
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
327 through
327.5
Priority Mail Express
Collection Boxes
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
33 Mail Deposit and
Collection
deleted. 22431 12-24-15
331 through
333.5
Collection Times deleted. 22431 12-24-15
Chapter 4, Mail Processing Procedures
439.1 (item d) Definitions revised to update the definition of Post Office discontinuances.
22325 12-1-11
439.45 Postal Facility Status
Change
revised to add language used in
Handbook PO-101, Postal-Service
Operated Retail Facility
Discontinuance Guide.
22325 12-1-11
439.51 General revised to provide new mailing
address for proposals sent to the
Office of Address Management.
22361 4-18-13
443.32 Local Postmarking revised to remove the obsolete requirement for a lobby drop for
local postmarks.
22238 7-31-08
459 Dispatch and Routing
Concepts
revised to simplify regulations by
rearranging them in logical order
and to add updates to operational
changes.
22313 6-16-11
46 Plant Load Operations added with text from 327 and
numbered accordingly.
22313 6-16-11
491.523 Detention of Mail revised to clarify the chain of reference for suspected abuse of
franked mail privileges.
22273 12-3-09
492 Political Campaign Mail updated references to PS Forms 3602, Publication 417, and Mailing
Standards of the United States
Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual.
22186 8-03-06
492.74 Identification revised to delete the 02
Congressional Primary and Runoff
Dates table.

N/A N/A
Chapter 5, Mail Transportation
511 Objectives updated to add two conditions
related to policy.

N/A 11-30-18
511 Objectives updated to delete the conditions
previously specified.

N/A 3-1-15
512.11 Network Operations updated to change to Network
Operations.

N/A 3-1-15
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
512.122 Manager of Distribution
Networks
updated to add item d, information
about contracting officer’s role.

N/A 11-30-18
512.122 Managers of Distribution
Networks
revised to define the responsibilities
of the distribution networks.

N/A 3-1-15
512.2 Network Distribution
Centers
added to include information about
NDCs providing the master route
file report.

N/A 11-30-18
531 Authorization updated to add references to
regulations for procuring
transportation contracts.

N/A 11-30-18
531 Authorization revised to include reference to the
Supplying Principles and Practices.

N/A 3-1-15
531.11 through
531.14
Types of Service added to include sections on types
of highway transportation contracts.

N/A 11-30-18
532 Basic Service Records/
Regular Service
Exception
added to include information about
PS Forms 5398 and 5399 as
documentation for transportation
service.

N/A 11-30-18
532.1 General updated to define transportation
services contracts.

N/A 3-1-15
533.1 Contracting Officer revised to change contracting officer to CO.

N/A 3-1-15
533.2 Administrative Official updated to specify the role and duties of the administrative official.

N/A 3-1-15
534.3 Exceptional Service
Types/Extra Trips
added to include policy for
additional trips performed by a
contractor.

N/A 11-30-18
535.1 PS Form 5500 updated to delete "SCF" before
postmasters.

N/A 3-1-15
52 Air Transportation Service revised to replace the terms contractor and contractors with the
terms supplier and suppliers,
respectively.
22117 12-11-03
53 Highway Contract Service revised to replace the terms contractor and contractors with the
terms supplier and suppliers,
respectively.
22117 12-11-03
531 Authorization revised to change the last sentence
by replacing the first word
(“Policies”) and the verb “are” with
“Procedural guidance” and the verb
“is”.
22110 9-04-03
532.1 General revised to change the last sentence
by deleting the last four words (“in
sparsely populated areas”).
22110 9-04-03
532.2 Regular revised to reflect current practices
in the administration of mail
transportation contracts.
22117 12-11-03
536.2 Omitted Service
Deductions
revised to reflect current practices
in the administration of mail
transportation contracts.
22117 12-11-03
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
55 Water Route Service revised to replace the terms
contractor and contractors with the
terms supplier and suppliers,
respectively.
22117 12-11-03
556.2 Omitted Service
Deductions
revised to reflect current practices
in the administration of mail
transportation contracts.
22117 12-11-03
574.32 General Uses updated to change bulk mail
centers to network distribution
centers.

N/A 11-30-18
581.3 Private Mailer Usage updated to change bulk mail
centers to network distribution
centers.

N/A 11-30-18
584.11 Primary Procedure updated to change BMC to NDC. N/A 11-30-18 584.75 Network Distribution
Centers (NDCs)
updated to change bulk mail
centers to network distribution
centers.

N/A 11-30-18
585.1 through
588.6
Processing and
Distribution Center and
NDC Supply Plans
updated to change bulk mail
centers to network distribution
centers.

N/A 11-30-18
Chapter 6, Delivery Services
612.12 Commercial Mail
Receiving Agency
updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
612.13 Procedures for Delivery to
CMRA
updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
612.13 Procedures for Delivery to
CMRA
updated to reflect that the age
requirement for minors is eliminated
from PS Form 1583, Application for
Delivery of Mail Through Agent.
22127 4-29-04
612.41 Delivery revised to specify procedure and
extend hold time for mail that is
addressed to a deceased person
and is not being picked up.
22105 6-26-03
617.1 Delivery in Multiple-Floor
Buildings
revised to update the process of
actual delivery in multiple-floor or
multiple-unit buildings.
22445 7-7-16
617.22 Delivery to Other Than the
Addressee or Mail
Receptacle
revised to standardize the language
and procedures for the Carrier
Release Program.
22305 2-24-11
617.31 Someone Normally
Available to Receive
Parcel
revised to standardize the language
and procedures for the Carrier
Release Program.
22305 2-24-11
revised to define ordinary parcels
and to remove language about
unnumbered Insured Mail parcels.
22211 7-19-07
617.32 No One Usually Available
to Receive Parcels
revised to standardize the
language and procedures for
the Carrier Release Program.
22305 2-24-11
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
617.33 Parcel Not Called For revised to standardize the Notice Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
617.34 Perishable Parcel revised to standardize the Notice Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
619.231 Customer Action updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
619.251 Procedure revised to standardize the Notice
Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
619.252 Parcels and Accountable
Mail
revised to standardize the Notice
Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
623.1 Suitable Receptacles revised to update mail receptacle policy.
22426 10-15-15
623.22 Delivery to Mailbox Inside
of a Screen or Storm Door
revised to update mail receptacle
when storm door is entrance to
house.
22426 10-15-15
623.5 Vacant Delivery Points added new section about vacant delivery points.
22426 10-15-15
631 Modes of Delivery revised policy related to modes of delivery.
22492 4-26-18
631.1 General revised to make reference to
631.24
22426 10-15-15
revised to permit USPS to direct the
mode of delivery deemed necessary
by the USPS to provide adequate
and necessary service.
22334 4-5-12
631.2 Business Areas revised to establish modes of
delivery in preference for USPS in
providing adequate and necessary
services for business areas.

Updated language to remove outof-date references to equipment (Neighborhood Delivery Collection
Box Units-NDCBU).
22334 4-5-12
631.2 through
631.23
Centralized Delivery updated to re-order the sections
that cover modes of delivery.
22456 12-8-16
631.2 through
631.244
Door Delivery new sections added to provide
policy on door delivery services.
22426 10-15-15
631.3 Business Areas updated to state options for door
delivery.
22426 10-15-15
631.31 General revised to establish modes of
delivery in preference for USPS in
providing adequate and necessary
services for residential areas.
22334 4-5-12
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
631.32 Curbside Delivery revised to permit curbside delivery where prior approval is authorized
by USPS as opposed to previous
practices of builder-directed
curbside delivery.
22334 4-5-12
631.33 Sidewalk Delivery revised to permit sidewalk delivery where prior approval is authorized
by USPS as opposed to previous
practices of builder-directed
curbside delivery.
22334 4-5-12
631.4 Residential Housing
(except Apartment
Houses and Transient
Mobile or Trailer Homes
revised to make reference to policy
provided in part 615.
22426 10-15-15
631.41 Extension of Service
Within an Existing Block
revised to allow for postmaster
approval of exceptions after
considering operational needs.
22334 4-5-12
631.43 Local Ordinances revised to add broader language of where service may be available.
22334 4-5-12
631.441 Delivery Requirements revised to change references to equipment and to clarify language
about access to mailboxes for
carriers and customers.
22334 4-5-12
631.442 Central Delivery
Addresses
revised for clarity. 22334 4-5-12
631.451 General revised to more narrowly define
apartment houses and to remove
ambiguous descriptions and to
clarify USPS broad scope in
defining its infrastructure.
22334 4-5-12
631.452 Exceptions revised to more clearly define USPS
ability to define infrastructure and
direct services types it deems
necessary to provide adequate and
necessary service. More clearly
defines USPS responsibility to
coordinate with builders of
apartment houses on changes.
22334 4-5-12
631.461 Options revised to clarify USPS
determination of permanency.
22334 4-5-12
631.462 and
631.463
Permanent Developments revised to clarify re-ordering modes of delivery without removing any
from use; to clarify that curbside
mailboxes may be grouped two to a
property line; to add terminology
"short-term" with seasonal; and to
add language to reinforce current
obligation of property management
for final distribution of mail where
necessary.
22334 4-5-12
631.51 Administration Buildings revised to more clearly define administration buildings.
22334 4-5-12
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
631.51 Extension of Service
Within an Existing Block
updated to include new policy
about extension of service.
22426 10-15-15
631.52 Dormitories or Residence
Halls
revised to clarify and further
describe student housing reflected
in today's environments and
building of student housing and to
more clearly articulate USPS and
property management and school
administrators responsibility once
the USPS has determined what is
needed to provide adequate and
necessary service.
22334 4-5-12
631.52 Hardship Cases revised with the addition of item e. 22426 10-15-15 631.53 Local Ordinances updated to change reference to
631.23.
22426 10-15-15
631.53 Married Student Housing revised to more fully describe physical surrounding in student
housing.
22334 4-5-12
631.542 Exceptions updated to change reference to
631.941.
22426 10-15-15
631.552 Permanent Developments updated to add reference to part 631.
22426 10-15-15
631.56 Forwarding of Mail revised for clarity. 22334 4-5-12 631.57 Noncity Delivery Offices revised to remove rent from phrase and replace with obtain as it applies
to PO Box service.
22334 4-5-12
631.6 Conversion of Delivery
Mode
revised to provide clarity where
agreements are sought prior to
converting modes of delivery.
22334 4-5-12
631.62 Dormitories or Residence
Halls
updated policies for mail delivered
to dormitories and residence halls.

N/A 4-30-2022
631.63 Married Student Housing updated to add reference to 631.54 22426 10-15-15 631.7 Conversion of Mode of
Delivery
updated policy about delivery to
mixed use delivery area.
22426 10-15-15
631.81 General updated to change number of days
for advance notice.
22426 10-15-15
updated to include information on
improper delivery times.

N/A 4-30-2022
631.82 Refusal by Customer updated with new section. 22426 10-15-15 632.11 Responsibilities revised to include updated
language and citing USPS
standards describing USPSapproved equipment and its use and to clarify USPS limits on
approval authority for nonapproved
equipment to enhance customer/
employee safety.
22334 4-5-12
updated items a, b, and c. 22426 10-15-15
updated the references in items b
and c.
22445 7-7-16
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
632.12 Exception revised for clarity. 22334 4-5-12
632.13 Receptacles Not
Required
revised to provide for exceptions of
door slot delivery vs. the default of
single point delivery.
22334 4-5-12
updated policy on when mail
receptacles are required.
22426 10-15-15
632.21 General updated to add a new heading. 22426 10-15-15 632.22 Locks and Keys updated to add new section about
keys and locks.
22426 10-15-15
632.61 General revised to include updated
language and to give USPS
standards describing USPS
approved equipment and its use.
22334 4-5-12
632.62 through
632.63
Installation revised to include the term multiunit dwelling; to more clearly illustrate what buildings may use
USPS-approved equipment and the
need for equipment maintenance;
and to clarify locations of
equipment and need for USPS
approval and cooperation with
buildings management on locations
and equipment type to sustain
necessary and adequate service,
security, and customer access.
22334 4-5-12
632.622 Location and
Arrangement
revised to update the process of
actual delivery in multiple-floor or
multiple-unit buildings.
22445 7-7-16
revised to change number of parcel
locker to one for every five
customer mail compartments.

N/A 7-31-20
641.2 Requirements updated to reduce the percentage
of building lots improved with
houses or places of business
necessary to establish city delivery
from 50 percent to 10 percent
22306 3-10-11
revised to clarify USPS approval of
locations for door slots or mail
receptacles.
22334 4-5-12
642.2 Requirements revised to include updated
language and citing USPS
standards for CBU's.
22334 4-5-12
642.3 Out-of-bounds
Customers
revised to clarify USPS approval of
locations of mail receptacles along
the carrier line of travel.
22334 4-5-12
644 through
644.2
Conversions deleted 22204 4-12-07
646 Management revised to incorporate pivoting
language.
22124 3-18-04
652.421 Review and Approval revised for clarity. 22334 4-5-12 This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
653.1 Definition revised the note to include updated
language and to give USPS
standards for CBU's.
22334 4-5-12
665 Postmaster Duties revised to clarify certain duties of postmasters.
22305 12-1-11
674 Priority Mail Express Next
Day Service
revised to update the policy and
procedures for Priority Mail Express
Next Day Service.
22234 6-5-08
674.2 Post Office to Addressee
Service
revised to update the standards for
Priority Mail Express and return
receipt requested items with Waiver
of Signature requested.
22239 8-14-08
681.53 Nonmailable and
Nonstandard Pieces
revised to state that nonmailable
and nonstandard pieces are
forwarded, returned, or referred to
the Inspection Service as applicable
under 138 and 139.
22584 11-4-21
681.81 General Provisions revised to add a reference to138 and 139 for nonmailable matter.
22584 11-4-21
682.3 Additional Postage for
Forwarding
revised to change Delivery
Confirmation to Confirmation
Services.
22100 4-17-03
682.4 Directory Service revised to change Delivery
Confirmation to Confirmation
Services.
22100 4-17-03
683.23 Registered, Certified,
Insured, COD, Return
Receipt for Merchandise,
and Confirmation
Services Mail
revised to change Delivery
Confirmation to Confirmation
Services.
22100 4-17-03
683.24 Priority Mail Express
Items
revised to add Items to the title. 22100 4-17-03
683.25 Return of Priority Mail
Express and Registered,
Numbered Insured, COD,
Certified, Return Receipt
for Merchandise, and
Confirmation Services
Mail
revised to change Delivery
Confirmation to Confirmation
Services.
22100 4-17-03
683.26 Other Mail revised to include Confirmation
Services mail among the kinds of
mail being discussed.
22100 4-17-03
691.1 Definition revised to state that matter is
nonmailable and subject to
139.117.
22584 11-4-21
691.2 Opening and Examination revised to update information on mail processed at the Mail
Recovery Center.

N/A 8-31-21
revised to add reference to the
ASM.
22428 11-12-15
revised to update standards for
treatment of unidentified items.
22277 1-28-10
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
691.31 Holding Period revised to update standards for
treatment of unidentified items.
22277 1-28-10
691.45 Unidentified Items revised to allow the Postal Service to be a better environmental
neighbor and reduce waste costs.
22088 10-31-02
revised to update standards for
treatment of unidentified items.
22277 1-28-10
691.522 Noninjurous Items revised to update item b. 22428 11-12-15 revised to allow the Postal Service
to be a better environmental
neighbor and reduce waste costs.
22088 10-31-02
691.53 Institutions revised to allow the Postal Service to be a better environmental
neighbor and reduce waste costs.
22088 10-31-02
691.531 Food revised to include a reference to PS
Form 6011.
22182 6-8-06
691.582 Priority Mail Express revised to reflect a change in procedure related to the disposition
of undeliverable Priority Mail
Express items.
22245 11-6-08
691.584 Abandoned or Unclaimed
Nonmailable Matter –
Inspection Service
added to provide procedures about
abandoned or unclaimed
nonmailable mail.
22428 11-12-15
691.592 Makeup revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
691.593 Labeling and Addressing
for Dispatch
revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
691.595 MRC Search revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
692 Mail Recovery Centers revised to update MRCs and to restructure sections.
22248 12-18-08
692.11 Addresses revised to update the addresses for
administrative and undeliverable
mail processing.
22082 8-8-02
revised to update the list of MRC
service areas.
22082 8-8-02
revised to update standards for
treatment of unidentified items.
22277 1-28-10
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
692.12 Opening Letters revised to clarify procedures at the Mail Recovery Center.

N/A 08-31-21
MRC Service Areas deleted 22277 1-28-10
revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
revised to reflect a change in Mail
Recovery Center service areas.
22215 9-13-07
revised to correct three of the ZIP
Codes in the list of MRC service
areas.
22083 8-22-02
692.14 Opening Parcels revised to clarify processes and procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
692.16 Books and Sound
Recordings
deleted 22277 1-28-10
692.17 Postal Service Employee
Ineligibility
revised to clarify that Postal Service
employees may not directly or
indirectly buy any dead mail
material.
22343 8-9-12
692.2 Postal Inspection or
Office of Inspector
General Use
revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
692.22 Addresses revised to update the addresses for
parcel mail.
22088 10-31-02
692.23 Service Areas revised to reflect a change in Mail Recovery Center service areas.
22215 9-13-07
revised to update the service areas
for parcel mail.
22088 10-31-02
692.25 Books and Sound
Recording
updated to reflect new DMM
references and change Business
Mail Acceptance manager to
Business Mail entry manager.
22195 12-7-06
692.3 Postal Service Systems
and Training Use
revised to clarify processes and
procedures at the Mail Recover
Center.
22352 12-13-12
Chapter 7, Postal Vehicle Service
711.1 through
711.3
Scope of Material added to describe what the chapter
and fleet operations encompasses.

N/A 11-30-18
712.2 Fleet Maintenance added to describe fleet
maintenance.

N/A 11-30-18
713 through
716.4
Vehicles Used by USPS added to describe types of vehicles used by USPS
N/A 11-30-18
72 through 726 Responsibilities updated with new sections that address responsibilities, drivers
and driving requirements, driver
licensing, driving rules, and driver’s
training.

N/A 11-30-18
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
731 through
731.13
Vehicle Operations/
Requests for Vehicles
updated with new sections added
that address types of vehicles in
service.

N/A 11-30-18
732.1 Postal Vehicle Service
Versus Highway Contract
Service
added to state postal vehicle
service and contract service.

N/A 11-30-18
735 Vehicle Reassignment
and Disposal
revised to reflect updated policy
and procedures for vehicle
disposal.
22106 7-10-03
734 through
743.2
Inspections and Reports updated to add new sections about vehicle dispatching; inspections
and reports; accident investigation;
equipment, supplies, and fuel;
vehicle maintenance; vehicles
serviced; types of maintenance; and
policies and practices.

N/A 11-30-18
Chapter 8, Special Services
811.1 General updated with the term Priority Mail
Express.

N/A 2-1-16
revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.
22217 10-11-07
811.4 Retrieval of Delivery
Records
updated with information on
retention of delivery records.

N/A 2-1-16
revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.
22217 10-11-07
811.5 Forms of Identification added to include a reference to 131.3.

N/A 8-30-18
812.1 Fees and Liability updated with reference to Notice 123.

N/A 2-1-16
revised to update the DMM
reference.
22217 10-11-07
updated to add new DMM
reference.
22193 11-9-06
812.21 Value revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.22217 10-11-07 revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.
22217 10-11-07
812.264 Indemnity updated with new DMM reference. N/A 2-1-16 updated to add new DMM
reference.
22193 11-9-06
812.42 Notice of Arrival revised to standardize the Notice Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
812.43 Registered Mail updated with addition of Registered Mail.

N/A 2-1-16
812.51 Who May File updated with procedures for
claims.

N/A 2-1-16
updated to add new DMM
reference.
22193 11-9-06
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
812.521 Original Inquiry updated with inquiry information. N/A 2-1-16 812.522 Duplicate Inquiry updated with removal of use of PS Form 1000.

N/A 2-1-16
813.1 How to Mail updated with revised items b, c,
and f.

N/A 2-1-16
813.21 Procedure updated with addition of Notice
123.

N/A 2-1-16
813.33 Delivery to Military
Installations
revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.
22217 10-11-07
813.41 Individual Mailings updated with revised item b. N/A 2-1-16 814.21 General Provisions updated with insured dollar amount. N/A 2-1-16 revised to reflect changes in the R06 rate case.
22217 10-11-07
815.217 Handling Collection of
Charges
updated to include electronic funds
transfer.

N/A 2-1-16
815.22 Collection of Charges updated to add a reference to 131.3 N/A 8-30-19 815.22 Collection of Charges updated with addition of electronic funds transfer.

N/A 2-1-16
815.5 Priority Mail Express updated to Priority Mail Express. N/A 2-1-16 816.1 How to Mail updated with revised options for
deliver confirmation service.

N/A 2-1-16
816.21 Procedure revised with addition of USPS
Tracking.

N/A 2-1-16
816.22 Rural Delivery N/A 2-1-16
816.23 Highway Contract Route
Delivery
N/A 2-1-16
816.24 Delivery Status revised to 45 days for delivery
status information.

N/A 2-1-16
816.25 Notice of Arrival revised with addition of USPS
Tracking.

N/A 2-1-16
816.26 Delivery at Post Office N/A 2-1-16
816.31 Assignment N/A 2-1-16
816.32 Delivery to Military
Installations
N/A 2-1-16
816.33 Undeliverable N/A 2-1-16
816.41 Retail Customers N/A 2-1-16
816.42 Large-Volume Mailings N/A 2-1-16
817.11 Service Options updated to add Signature
Confirmation Restricted Delivery.

N/A 2-1-16
817.12 Signature Waiver Option deleted. 22217 10-11-07
817.21 Procedure revised to update the standards for
Priority Mail Express and return
receipt requested items with Waiver
of Signature requested.
22239 8-14-08
817.25 Notice of Arrival updated to add new DMM
reference.

N/A 2-1-16
821.111 Mailer Preparation revised to include POS acceptance process.

N/A 2-1-16
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
821.12 After Mailing updated to add reference to PS
Form 3817.

N/A 2-1-206
822.111 Delivering Employee revised to add the word
“barcoded”.

N/A 2-1-16
823.42 Identification updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
824.73 Delivery to Military
Installations
revised to add insured dollar
amount.

N/A 2-1-16
824.81 Individual Mailings updated to add PS Form 3804. N/A 2-1-16 825.4 Reference updated to add new DMM
reference.

N/A 2-1-16
826 Change-of-Address
Orders
updated with deletion of telephone
change of address.

N/A 2-1-16
revised to add information on
options for filing a change of
address order.
22234 6-5-08
826.2 Split Forwarding Policy deleted. 22234 6-5-08
831.15 Inoperable Imprinter
Procedures
updated to change to Priority Mail
Express.

N/A 2-1-16
831.25 Issuance to Highway
Contract Route
Customers
revised to update form used for
receipt of funds.
22266 8-27-09
831.32 Procedures revised to allow the box customer or
other persons listed on PS Form
1093, Application for Post Office Box
or Caller Service, for a Residential
Group E Post Office box to file an
individual change-of-address order.
22212 8-2-07
Surrendered Boxes revised to update the procedures
for spoiled or incorrectly prepared
money orders.
22081 7-25-02
832.2 Identification of Payee updated to add a reference to 131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
841.122 Verification updated to reflect that the age
requirement for minors is eliminated
from PS Form 1093, Application for
Delivery of Mail Through Agent.
22127 4-29-04
841.22 Verification updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
841.31 Calculation of Amount revised to reflect change in procedures for refunding an unused
portion of fee for Post Office box
service.
22151 3-31-05
841.33 Boxes Not Surrendered revised to allow the box customer or other persons listed on PS Form
1093, Application for Post Office
Box or Caller Service, for a
Residential Group E Post Office box
to file an individual change-ofaddress order.
22212 8-2-07
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
841.41 Fee revised to update information about
fees for Post Office boxes.

N/A 4-30-19
841.46 Refund of Key Fee revised to eliminate the limit of two keys for which a customer can
receive a deposit refund.
22118 12-25-03
841.63 Verification updated to add reference to Notice
123.

N/A 2-1-16
841.71 through
841.751
Standards — PO Box
Service
revised to update standards and
conditions of PO Box service.
22289 7-15-10
841.751 Standard Procedure for
Facilities Without a
Central Mark-Up System
renumbered as 841.752. 22212 8-2-07
Who May File revised to allow the box customer
or other persons listed on PS Form
1093, Application for Post Office
Box or Caller Service, for a
Residential Group E Post Office box
to file an individual change-ofaddress order.
22212 8-2-07
841.752 Flag Boxes renumbered as 841.753. 22212 8-2-07
841.753 Who May File renumber as 841.751. 22212 8-2-07
841.76 Vacant Boxes revised to change wording of
“rates” to “prices” and update DMM
reference.

N/A 2-1-16
841.82 Termination of Service revised to update criteria for closing a PO Box.
22289 7-15-10
841.832 Content revised to reflect new procedures
for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
841.841 Procedure revised to reflect new procedures
for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
841.842 Effective Date revised to reflect new procedures for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
841.85 Surrender of Service deleted. 22212 8-2-07
841.86 Mail Addressed to Closed
Box
renumbered as 841.85. 22212 8-2-07
842.112 Group 2 Noncity Delivery revised to update DMM references. N/A 2-1-16 842.116 Permitted Uses revised to update DMM references. N/A 2-1-16 842.122 Verification of Application
for Destination Caller
Service
updated to add a reference to
131.3.

N/A 8-30-19
842.241 Discontinued Number revised to update DMM references. N/A This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
842.41 Refusal to Provide
Service revised to update DMM references. N/A 2-1-16
842.432 Content revised to reflect new procedures
for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
842.441 Procedure revised to reflect new procedures
for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
842.442 Effective Date revised to delete Chief Counsel
reference.

N/A 2-1-16
revised to reflect new procedures
for handling appeals from denial of
Post Office box service or
termination of Post Office box
service.
22189 9-14-06
843.1 Delivery revised to update policy about
general delivery for persons with no
fixed address.
22375 10-31-13
843.2 Retention revised to add reference to the
Domestic Mail Manual.
22375 10-31-13
revised to standardize the Notice
Left operations for ordinary parcels,
accountable mail, and other extra
services mailpieces.
22189 9-14-06
845 Firm Holdout revised to update DMM reference. N/A 2-1-16 Forms Index
1096 Receipt revised to delete sections that
reference this form.
22266 8-27-09
This chapter,
subchapter,
part, or
section... titled... was...
in Postal
Bulletin
issue
number...
with an issue
date/
effective
date of...

Attachment 3
Postal Operations Manual Transmittal Letter
Issue 9 July 2002
The Postal Service’s Transformation Plan serves as a blueprint to the activities we are pursuing to enable us to carry out our long-standing mission of providing affordable, universal service to the people of America. Many of the subjects covered in the Postal Operations Manual are also the subject of strategies discussed in the Transformation Plan. It is more important than ever that each of us be aware of the latest policies, regulations, and procedures that affect postal operations so that we can effectively implement the elements of the Transformation Plan. This latest revision of the Postal Operations Manual will help you do that.

A. Purpose. The Postal Operations Manual (POM) sets forth the policies, regulations, and procedures of the Postal Service governing retail, philatelic, collection, mail processing, transportation, delivery, and vehicle operations.

B. Explanation. Issue 9 is a complete revision. It replaces Issue 8 and contains all of the revisions to the manual published in the Postal Bulletin from July 30, 1998, through July 11, 02. In addition, new language has been added where appropriate. Recycle Issue

8. C. Summary of Changes and Change Bars. The Summary of Changes contains a description of the changes made to the manual since Issue 8. A change bar (a vertical line in the margin) signals that the adjacent text has been revised.

D. Forms Index. In the Forms Index, each form mentioned in the manual is cross-referenced to each section that contains a reference to that form. By using the Forms Index, if you know the title or number of a form, you will be able to find each section of the manual that contains a reference to that form.

E. Distribution. This revision is being distributed to all Postal Service facilities. If you need additional copies, please use the following procedures:
 Touch Tone Order Entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317, choose option 1, then option 2.
 You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, choose option 8, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registering before you place your first order).
 E-mail: Complete PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition (manually or by F3Fill), and send it as an attachment to the e-mail address MDC Customer Service or to [email protected].
 Mail: Mail a completed PS Form 7380 to the MDC at the following address:

SUPPLY REQUISITIONS

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR
TOPEKA KS 66624-9702
Attachment 3
F. Sale to the Public. Nonpostal users should write or call:

PUBLIC ORDERS

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR
TOPEKA KS 66624-9702
TELEPHONE: 800-332-0317
G. Comments and Questions. If you cannot find or do not understand certain material or discover that topics were omitted, send a memorandum outlining the problem through management channels to:

ATTN POSTAL OPERATIONS MANUAL

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES INFORMATION

US POSTAL SERVICE
475 L’ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 5540
WASHINGTON DC 20260-5540
H. Effective Date. This manual is effective July 02.

Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President
Public Affairs and Communications
Attachment 3
POM Issue 9, July 2002 iii
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Contents
Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lv 1 Retail Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 12 Retail Facility Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121 Retail Analysis Program (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121.1 Purpose and Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121.2 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121.21 Headquarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121.22 Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 121.23 Districts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 121.231 District Manager, Customer Service and Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 121.232 District Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 121.3 RAP Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 121.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 121.32 Survey Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 121.321 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 121.322 Determine Survey Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 121.323 Collect Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 121.324 Prepare and Process Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 121.325 Analyze Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 121.326 Make Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 122 Types of Retail Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 123 Post Offices, Stations, Branches, Contract Postal Units, and Nonpersonnel Units . . . . 5 123.1 Definitions and Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.11 Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.12 Other Retail Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.121 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.122 Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.123 Classified Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.124 Stations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.125 Branches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.126 Contract Postal Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 123.127 Community Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.128 Nonpersonnel Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.129 Village Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.13 Military Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.131 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.132 Establishment and Discontinuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Attachment 3
Postal Operations Manual
iv POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
123.2 Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.22 Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 123.23 Classified Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.24 Contract Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.241 Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.242 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.243 Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.244 Bonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.245 Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 123.3 Location of Postal Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.32 Prohibited Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.4 Names and ZIP Code Assignments and Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.41 Postal Service–Operated Retail Facility Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.411 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.412 Changes in Names of Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.413 Designations of Stations, Branches, Community Post Offices, and Other Named Postal Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 123.42 Contractor-Operated Retail Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 123.5 Reporting Requirements for Change in Post Office, Station, or Branch and ZIP Code Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 123.6 Reporting Requirements for Community Post Office or Contract Postal Unit Discontinuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124 Conduct on Postal Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.2 Admission to Postal Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.21 Inspection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.22 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.3 Preservation of Postal Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 124.4 Conformity With Signs and Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.41 Pedestrian Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.42 Vehicular Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.5 Specific Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.51 Disturbances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.52 Gambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 124.53 Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 124.531 Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 124.532 Smoking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 124.54 Soliciting, Electioneering, Collecting Debts, Vending, and Advertising . . . . . . 13 124.55 Prohibited Postings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 124.56 Authorized Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 124.57 Seasonal Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 124.58 Photographs for News, Advertising, or Commercial Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 124.59 Dogs, Other Animals, and Weapons and Explosives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Attachment 3
Contents
POM Issue 9, July 2002 v
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
124.6 Nondiscrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 124.7 Enforcement and Violations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.71 Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.711 Postal Police Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.712 Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.72 Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.721 Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 124.722 Fines and Imprisonment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 125 Lobby Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 125.1 Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 125.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 125.12 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 125.2 Service Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 125.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 125.22 National Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 125.3 Space Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 125.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 125.32 Furnishings and Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 125.321 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 125.322 Writing Tables and Customer Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 125.323 Checking Retail Scales for Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 125.33 Queuing Systems Criteria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 125.34 Lobby Displays and Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 125.341 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 125.342 Lobby Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 125.343 Mandatory Public Information to be Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 125.35 Scheduled Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 125.351 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 125.352 Terms and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 125.36 Unscheduled Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 125.361 Bulletin Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 125.362 Voting Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 125.37 Blind Vendor Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 125.4 Lobby Director Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.42 Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.43 Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.431 Notify Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.432 Encourage Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.433 Provide Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.434 Uniforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 125.435 Obtain Supplies and Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 125.5 Articles Found in Lobbies or Public Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 126 Retail Services Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 126.1 Purpose and Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 126.2 Stamps and Accountable Stock Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Attachment 3
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126.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 126.22 Requisitioning Stamps and Accountable Stock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.23 Counting Stamps and Accountable Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.24 Protecting Stamps and Accountable Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.25 Destroying Stamps and Accountable Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.3 Financial Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.31 Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 126.32 Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 126.321 Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 126.322 Money Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 126.323 Advance Deposits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 126.33 Daily Financial Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 126.4 Retail Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.41 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.411 Main Post Office and Units in Business Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.412 Saturdays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.413 Sundays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.414 Signs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.42 Change in Retail Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 126.43 Lobby Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 126.44 Local or State Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 126.45 Self-Service Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 126.46 Consolidation of Retail Counter Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 126.47 Specified Postal Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 13 Retail Services at Counters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131.1 Counter Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131.2 High-Volume Retail Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131.3 Forms of Identification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131.31 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 131.32 Products and Services Requiring Forms of Acceptable Identification. . . . . . . 31 131.33 Acceptable Primary Forms of Photo Identification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 131.34 Acceptable Secondary Forms of Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 131.35 Unacceptable Forms of Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 132 Stamp and Postal Stationery Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.1 Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.12 Types of Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.13 Types of Stamp Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.131 Loose Stamps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.132 Panes or Partial Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 132.14 Purchase Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.2 Postal Stationery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Attachment 3
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132.22 Rejection of Personalized Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.221 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.222 Purchase Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.223 Postal Service Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.224 Replacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.225 Returning Envelopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 132.3 Bulk Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.32 Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.33 Bulk Sales to Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.4 Unlawful Use of Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.41 By Postal Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 132.42 Counterfeit Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 133 Postal Money Order Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 133.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 133.2 Domestic Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 133.3 International Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 134 Packaging Products Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 135 Postal-Related Merchandise Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 135.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 135.11 Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 135.12 Licensees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 135.13 Unit Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 135.14 Local Markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 135.2 Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 135.3 Postal-Related Merchandise Revenue Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 136 Methods of Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 136.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 136.2 Prepaid Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 136.3 Business Reply Mail and Merchandise Return Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 136.4 Official Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 136.5 Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 136.6 Information-based Indicia Postage Paid Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 137 Mail Acceptance and Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.1 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.11 Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.12 Retail Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.13 Mail Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.14 Commercial Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.15 Endorsements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 137.2 Size and Packaging Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.21 Size Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.22 Packaging Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.3 Addressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Attachment 3
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137.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.32 Simplified Addressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.4 Domestic Mail Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.41 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.411 Jurisdiction and Service Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.412 Nonmailable Matter and Hazardous Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 137.42 Classes of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.421 Priority Mail Express. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.422 Priority Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.423 First-Class Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.424 Periodicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.425 USPS Marketing Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.426 Package Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.427 Mixed Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 137.43 Other Categories of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.431 Mail for the Blind or Other Handicapped Persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.432 Official Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.44 Accountable Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.441 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.442 Certified Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 137.443 Registered Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.444 Collect on Delivery (COD) Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.445 Insured Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.45 Special Services Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.451 Certificate of Mailing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.452 Special Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.453 Delivery Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.454 Signature Confirmation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 137.46 Mailable Matter Not Bearing Postage Found in or on Private Mail Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.47 Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.5 Priority Mail Express Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.51 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.52 Priority Mail Express Next Day Service® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.521 Acceptance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.522 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 137.53 Priority Mail Express Second Day Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 137.531 Acceptance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 137.532 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 137.54 Priority Mail Express Military Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 137.541 Acceptance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 137.542 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 137.6 International Mail Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 137.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 137.62 Classes of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 137.63 Suspension of International Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 137.7 Mailhandling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Attachment 3
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137.71 Access to Mail and Mailhandling Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 137.72 Recall of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 137.73 Requests for Surrender of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 138 Nonmailable Matter — Written, Printed, and Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 138.1 Advice to Mailers — Mailability Decisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 138.11 General Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 138.12 Mailer’s Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 138.13 Certain Mailability Decisions Not Authorized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.14 Referral to Inspection Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.15 Opening or Inspecting Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.16 Applicability to Military Postal System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.2 Sexually Oriented Advertisements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.21 Application for Listing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.211 Completion of Postal Service Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.212 Authorized Filers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.213 Weekly Transmission of Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.214 Entry on Postal Service List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 138.215 Five-Year Retention on List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.216 Separate Applications for Different Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.22 Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.221 Partial Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.222 Compliance With Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.223 Customer Reporting of Unsolicited Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 138.224 Postal Service Employee Reporting of Unsolicited Advertisement . . . . . 51 138.225 Customer Inquiry of Name on Postal Service List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139 Nonmailable Matter — Articles and Substances: Special Mailing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.1 General Provisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.11 Rules and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.111 Mailer’s Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.112 Dangerous Materials Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.113 Procedure for Acceptance Clerks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 139.114 General Advice to Mailers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 139.115 Other Laws and Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 139.116 Authorized Mailability Decisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 139.117 Referral to Inspection Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 139.118 Referral to PCSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 139.119 Administrative Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 139.2 Firearms, Knives, and Sharp Instruments (18 U.S.C. 1715, 1716) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 14 Other Retail Services Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141 Delivery Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.2 General Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.3 Firm Holdout Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.4 Post Office Box and Caller Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.41 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 141.42 PO Box Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Attachment 3
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141.421 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 141.422 Standards for PO Box Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 141.423 PO Box Service Up-Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 141.424 Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 141.425 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 141.43 Caller Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142 Metered Postage Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.11 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.12 Security of Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.13 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.2 Customer-Operated Metered Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 142.3 Postal Service-Operated Metered Postage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 142.4 On-Site Meter-Setting Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 143 Photocopy Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 143.1 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 143.2 Noncompetitive Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 144 Self-Service Vending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 144.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 144.11 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 144.12 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.13 Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.14 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.2 Stamp Vending Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.3 Booklet Vending Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.4 Booklet/Stamp Combination Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 144.5 Postal Commodity Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 144.6 Self-Service Postal Centers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 144.61 Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 144.62 Equipment Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 145 Exchanges and Refunds for Payment of Excess Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 145.1 Processing Refunds for Postage Stamps on Business Reply Mail, Postage Meter Stamps, Meter Impressions, Permit Imprints, or Rejected Personalized Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 145.11 Authorizing Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 145.12 Disbursements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 145.121 Standard Field Accounting Procedures (SFAP) and Statement of Account (SOA) Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 145.122 Standard Accounting for Retail (SAFR) Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 145.2 Processing Refunds for Metered Postage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 145.21 Meters Checked Out of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 145.22 Evidence of Unused Meter Stamps at Office of Meter Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 145.23 Computing Fraction of Cent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 145.3 Refund Application for Retail Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 146 Indemnity Claims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Attachment 3
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146.1 General Instructions for Filing Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 146.11 How to File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 146.111 Customer Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 146.112 Accepting Post Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 146.113 Claims and Inquiry Employee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 146.12 Processing Claims at the Post Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 146.121 Loss of Numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail With Postal Service Insurance, COD, or Priority Mail Express Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 146.122 Loss of Unnumbered Insured Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 146.123 Damage Claim Filed by Mailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 146.124 Damage Claim Filed by Addressee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 146.125 Estimates and Appraisals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 146.13 Inquiries and Duplicate Claims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.131 Time Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.132 Customer Filing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.133 Claim Form Copy Not on File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.134 Completing Duplicate Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.2 Disposition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.21 Damaged Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 146.22 Disposition of Recovered Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 146.3 Quarterly Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 146.31 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 146.32 Survey Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 15 Easy Stamp Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 151 Stamps by Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 151.1 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 151.11 Stamps by Mail PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 151.12 Rural Delivery Areas — PS Form 3227-R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 151.13 Written and Telephone Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.2 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.21 Managers, Customer Service Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.22 Postmasters of City Delivery Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.23 Postmasters of Rural Delivery Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.24 Order Filling Clerks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 151.25 Registry Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 151.26 Receiving Delivery Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 151.3 Filling Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 151.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 151.32 Clerical Downtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 151.33 Centralized Fulfillment Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 151.34 Order Filling Clerks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 151.35 Registry Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 151.36 Receiving Delivery Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 151.37 Undeliverable as Addressed Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 151.38 Lost Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Attachment 3
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152 Stamps by Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 16 Consumer Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 161 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 162 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 163 Source of Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 164 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 164.1 Headquarters Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 164.2 Field Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 164.3 Consumer and Industry Contact Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 164.4 Postmasters and Station or Branch Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 165 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 165.1 Required Time for Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 165.2 Exception to Final Response Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 165.3 Maintaining Customer Complaint Control Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 165.4 Complaint Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.41 Complaints Resolved Immediately. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.42 Further Investigation Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.5 Processing Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.51 Complaints Made in Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.52 Processing a Written Complaint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 165.53 Processing a Complaint Made by Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 165.54 Processing USPS.com and 800-ASK-USPS Complaints via C360 . . . . . . . . . 85 165.6 Headquarters to Field Referrals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 165.7 Government Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 166 Complaint Escalation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 167 Customer Contact Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 167.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 167.2 Receiving Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 167.21 In Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 167.22 By Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 167.23 By Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 167.3 Resolving Customer Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 167.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 167.32 In Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 167.33 By Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 167.34 By Letter or Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 168 Measurement of Effectiveness and Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 168.1 Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 168.2 Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 169 Other Consumer Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 169.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 169.2 Reporting Postal Offenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 169.3 Requests for Information Regarding the Mistreatment of Mail, Claims and International Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Attachment 3
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169.4 Other Requests for Information (Inquiries and Claims) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 17 Public Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 171 Voter Registration, Polling, and Absentee Balloting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 171.1 Voter Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 171.2 Polling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 171.21 Approval and Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 171.22 Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 171.3 Absentee Balloting Materials Not to Be Detained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 172 Selective Service Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 172.1 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 172.2 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 172.3 Request for Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 172.4 Registration Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 173 Assistance to Government Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 173.1 Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 173.2 Types of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 18 Postage Meters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181 Licensing and Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181.1 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181.2 Approved Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181.3 Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181.4 Meter Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 181.5 Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 182 Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 182.1 General Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 182.2 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 2 Philately. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 21 Philatelic Policies and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 211 Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 212 Stamp and Stationery Subjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 212.1 Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 212.2 Criteria for Eligibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 212.3 Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 212.4 Approval and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 213 Distribution and Requisition of Accountable Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 213.1 Stamp Distribution Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 213.2 Accountable Paper Custodians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 22 Retail Sales Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 221 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 221.1 Sales Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 221.2 First Day of Issue Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 221.3 Withdrawal From Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Attachment 3
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221.4 Stamps for Philatelic Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 221.5 Exceptions to Sales Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 222 Regular Stamp Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 222.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 222.2 Sales Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.21 Commemorative Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.22 Plate Number Blocks and Marginal Markings (All Stamps) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.221 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.222 Setting Aside Plate Number Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.223 Minimum Purchase Requirements and Sales Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 222.23 Coil Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 222.24 Precanceled Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 222.25 Meter Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 223 Dedicated Philatelic Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 223.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 224 Philatelic Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.2 Sales Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.21 Plate Number Blocks/Marginal Markings (All Stamps). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.22 Coil Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.23 Precanceled Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.24 Meter Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 224.25 Stamp Credit (Accountability). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 224.251 Stock Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 224.252 Special Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 224.253 Stamp Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 225 Temporary Philatelic Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 225.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 225.2 Requests for Temporary Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 225.21 First Day of Issue Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 225.3 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.4 Ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.5 Announcement and Publicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.51 Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.52 Press Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.6 Participation in Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.61 Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 225.62 Stamp Stock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.63 Philatelic Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.64 Sales Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.65 Security and Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.66 Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.67 Prompt Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 225.68 Sales Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Attachment 3
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226 Mail Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 227 Guidelines for the Purchase and Sale of Local Commemorative Envelopes . . . . . . . . . 109 227.1 Event Criteria for Producing Commemorative Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 227.2 Responsibilities for Producing Commemorative Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 227.21 Postmaster Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 227.211 Request to Produce Commemorative Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 227.212 Items to Include With Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 227.213 Administrative Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 227.22 Supplier Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 227.23 District Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 227.24 Headquarters (Stamp Services) Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 227.3 Legal Issues and Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 227.31 Use of Third-Party Images and Artwork on Philatelic Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 227.32 Refuse Purchase Orders Requiring the Postal Service to Obtain Rights. . . . . 116 227.4 Financial Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 227.41 Postmaster’s Accounting Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 227.42 Post Office Accounting Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 227.5 POS Instructions for Local Commemorative Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 227.51 Renaming AIC 083 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 227.52 Receipt of Item Into the Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 227.53 Retail Product Inventory Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 227.54 Default List of Items that Can Be Edited for Local Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 23 Philatelic Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.2 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.21 Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.22 Backdating and Predating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.23 Retail Associate Availability and Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.3 Cooperation With Collectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.31 Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 231.32 Special Attention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.33 Postmarking Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.34 Hand-Stamped Postmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.35 Philatelic Covers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.36 Defacing Philatelic Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.4 Hand-Back and Mail-Back Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 231.5 Permissible Postmarking Devices and Hand-Stamped Postmarking for Collectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 231.6 Philatelic Postmark Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 231.61 Date and Place of Postmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 231.62 Preparation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 231.63 Special Materials on Which Postmarks May Be Requested . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 231.7 Holding the Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Attachment 3
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231.8 Machine Postmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 231.9 Hand-Stamped Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 232 First Day of Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 232.1 First Day of Issue Sales Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 232.2 Notification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 232.3 First Day of Issue Postmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 232.4 Ordering Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 232.5 Bulk Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 232.6 Hand-Stamped Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 232.7 Hand-Back Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 232.8 Unacceptable Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 232.9 Postmarking Deadlines and Unofficial First Day Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 233 First Day of Sale Postmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 233.1 First Day of Sale Postmark Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 233.2 Notification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 233.3 First Day of Sale Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 233.4 Ordering Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 233.41 Hand-Back Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 233.42 Mail-Back Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 233.5 Servicing Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234 Pictorial Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234.1 Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234.2 Postmarking Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234.3 Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234.4 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 234.5 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 234.51 Required Information and Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 234.52 Approved Subject Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 234.53 Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 234.54 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 234.55 Service Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 234.56 Use and Disposition of Hand Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 234.57 Special Requests to Retain Hand Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 235 Special Mail Processing Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 236 Other Special Philatelic Postmarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 236.1 Seasonal Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 236.2 Postmark America Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 236.21 Postmark Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 236.22 Approval Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 236.23 Ordering Rubber Hand Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 236.24 Postmark Servicing Support and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 236.3 Military Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 236.4 Special Requests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Attachment 3
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24 Autographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 241 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 25 Philatelic Cover Servicers and Cachet Makers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 251 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 252 First Day Cover Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 253 Mail-Back Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 253.1 Service Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 253.2 Payment Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 253.3 Acceptable Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 254 Damaged or Missing Covers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 254.1 Requests for Replacements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 254.2 Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 254.3 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 254.4 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 254.5 Damaged or Loss of Cachet Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 26 Philatelic Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 261 Special Philatelic Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 27 Promotions or Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 271 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 272 Obtaining Stock Locally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 273 Obtaining Stock Through Stamp Fulfillment Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 28 Copyright of Stamp Designs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 281 Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 282 Permission for Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 283 Reproduction of Designs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 284 Requests for Licenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 3 Collection Service — National Service Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 31 Applicability and General Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 311 Applicability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 312 Local Postmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 312.1 Local Postmark Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 312.2 Local Postmark Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 313 Collection Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 313.1 Collection Schedules and Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 313.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 313.12 Collection Location Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 313.13 Collection Schedule Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 313.2 Specific Schedule and Location Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 313.21 At Postal Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 313.22 Residential Collection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 313.23 Business Area Collection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 313.24 Business Area 5:00 p.m. or Later Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Attachment 3
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313.3 Exceptions to Mandated Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 313.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 313.32 Exception Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 313.33 Exception for Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 314 Collection Point Management System, Collection Tests, and Density Tests . . . . . . . . (Volume Reviews) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 314.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 314.2 Manual Collection Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 314.3 Volume Density Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 315 Collection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 315.1 Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 315.2 Number, Location Type, and Box Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 315.3 Relocation Before Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 315.4 Immediate Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 316 Collection Schedule Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 317 Collection Box Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 317.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 317.2 Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 317.3 Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 317.4 Jumbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 317.5 Motorist Mailchute (Snorkel) Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 318 Priority Mail Express Collection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 318.1 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 318.2 Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 318.3 Number of Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 32 Mail Deposit and Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 321 Ordinary Deposit of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 321.1 Post Office Lobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 321.2 Rural and Contract Delivery Service Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 321.3 Vertical Improved Mail and Firm Mailrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 322 Mailchutes and Receiving Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 322.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 322.2 Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 322.21 Determination of Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 322.22 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 322.3 Installation, Specification, and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 322.4 Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 322.5 Bulk Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 4 Mail Processing Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 41 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 42 Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 421 Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Attachment 3
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422 Area Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 423 Area Distribution Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 423.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 423.2 Feedback Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 424 Processing and Distribution Center/Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 424.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 424.2 Operating Plan Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 424.3 Area Distribution Centers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 424.4 Automated Area Distribution Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 424.5 Associate Office Distribution Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 425 Air Mail Center/Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 426 Network Distribution Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 43 ZIP Codes and the ZIP+4® System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 431 ZIP Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 432 ZIP+4®Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 433 Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 434 Employee Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 435 Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 436 Unique. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 437 Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 438 Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 439 ZIP Code Authorization and Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 439.1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 439.2 Assignment Criteria for New ZIP Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 439.21 Delivery ZIP Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 439.211 Establish Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 439.212 Split Delivery ZIP Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 439.22 Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 439.23 Shared ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 439.231 Review and Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 439.232 Address and Mail Type Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 439.233 Revenue Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 439.24 Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 439.241 Review and Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 439.242 Elimination of One Piece Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.243 Addressing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.244 Revenue Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.245 Mail Acceptance by Firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.3 Postal Facility Status Change and Boundary Realignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.31 Postal Facility Status Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.311 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.312 Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.313 Post Office Discontinuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 439.32 Boundary Realignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 439.321 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Attachment 3
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439.322 Minor Realignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 439.323 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 439.4 Required Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 439.41 Delivery ZIP Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 439.42 Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 439.43 Shared ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 439.44 Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 439.45 Postal Facility Status Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 439.46 Boundary Realignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 439.5 Authorization and Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 439.51 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 439.52 District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 439.53 Network Distribution Center (NDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.54 Priority Mail Processing Center (PMPC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.55 Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.56 Headquarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.6 Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.611 District Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 439.612 Local Mail Processing Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 439.613 ZIP Code System Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 439.614 File Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 439.615 Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 439.62 Three-Digit Realignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 44 Mail Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 441 Mail Preparation Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 442 Mail Preparation Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 443 Endorsing, Canceling, and Postmarking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 443.1 Endorsing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 443.2 Canceling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 443.3 Postmarking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 443.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 443.32 Local Postmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 443.33 Backstamping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 443.34 Backdating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 444 Equipment and Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 444.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 444.2 Canceling Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 444.3 Altering or Substituting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 444.4 Black Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 445 Requisitioning Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 45 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 451 Outgoing and Incoming Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 452 Authorized Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Attachment 3
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452.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 452.2 Outgoing Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 453 Distribution Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 454 Centralized and Decentralized Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 455 Types of Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 455.1 Manual Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 455.2 Mechanized Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 455.3 Automated Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 456 Managed Mail Processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 457 Scheme Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 457.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 457.2 City Schemes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 458 National Color Code Policy for USPS Marketing Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 458.1 Purpose of this Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 458.2 General Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 458.3 Color-Coding Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 458.31 Network Distribution Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 458.311 Application of Color Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 458.312 Outgoing USPS Marketing Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 458.313 Area Distribution Center or Sectional Center Facility Function . . . . . . . . 193 458.32 Processing and Distribution Centers, Processing and Distribution Facilities, Mail Processing Facilities/Centers, and Customer Service Mail Processing Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 458.33 Delivery Distribution Centers/Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 458.34 Delivery Units, including Post Offices, Stations, and Branches. . . . . . . . . . . . 197 459 Dispatch and Routing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 46 Plant Load Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 461 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 461.1 Plant Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 461.2 Expedited Plant-Load Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.3 Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.4 Mailer’s Plant and Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.41 Mailer’s Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.42 Detached Mail Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.43 Plant-Loaded Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.44 Mixed Classes of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 461.5 Transportation Service Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.51 First-Class Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.52 Periodicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.53 USPS Marketing Mail and/or Package Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.54 Intra-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.55 Inter-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.6 Transportation Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.61 Highway Transportation Vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Attachment 3
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461.62 Rail Transportation Vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.7 Transportation Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.71 Bobtailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.72 Deadheading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.73 Waiting/Holding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 461.74 Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462 Procedures for Authorization of Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.1 Filing Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.2 Action by District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.22 Intra-District Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.23 Inter-District Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.3 Action by Area Manager, Distribution Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.31 Intra-District Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 462.32 Inter-District Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.4 Notification of Action to Mailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.41 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.42 Appeal Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.43 Appeal to Higher Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.5 Commencement of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 462.6 Failure to Meet Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463 Requirements for Approval of Plant-Load Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463.1 Intra-District Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463.12 Transportation Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463.13 Net Cost-Savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 463.14 Periodic Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 463.2 Inter-District Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 463.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 463.22 Transportation Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 463.23 Net Cost-Savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 463.24 Periodic Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464 Verification and Collection of Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.2 Verification of Intra-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.22 Verification at the Mailer’s Plant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.23 Verification at Postal Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 464.24 Placarding Requirements for Verification at Postal Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 464.25 Corrective Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 464.3 Verification of Inter-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 464.31 Detached Mail Unit Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 464.4 Payment of Postage and Fees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Attachment 3
Contents
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
465 Preparation Requirements for Plant-Loaded Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 465.1 Intra-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 465.2 Inter-District Area Plant Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 465.21 Vehicles Containing One Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 465.22 Vehicles Containing Two or More Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 465.3 Determination of Vehicle Makeup Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 465.4 Corrective Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 466 Reimbursement for Non-Postal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.2 Detention of Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.22 Request to Detain Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.23 Nonreimbursable Detention Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 466.24 Determination of Reimbursable Detention Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 466.25 Calculation of Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 466.3 Bobtailing, Deadheading, and Waiting/Holding Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 466.4 Damage Charges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 466.5 Spotting Charges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 466.6 Nonreimbursable Charges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 466.61 Detention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 466.62 Other Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 467 Mailer Expedited Plant-load Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 467.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 467.2 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 467.3 Mailer Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 467.4 Verification and Collection of Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 467.41 Detached Mail Unit Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 467.42 Destination Postal Facility Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 467.5 Liability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 467.6 Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468.1 Selection of Mode of Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468.2 Mailer Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468.3 Holding, Storing, or Delaying Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468.4 Relocation of Trailers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 468.5 Service Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 47 Platform Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 471 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 472 Contract Mail Handling Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 473 Transportation Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 473.1 Overall Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 473.2 Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 473.3 Highway Contract Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Attachment 3
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473.4 Rail and Intermodal Contract Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 473.5 Posting Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 473.6 Maintaining Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 473.7 Schedule Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 473.8 Schedule Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 473.9 Extra Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 474 Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 474.1 Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 474.2 Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 474.3 Managing the Vehicle Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 474.4 Cost for Overweight Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 474.5 Attaching Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 475 Visual Aids on the Platform (Dock) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 475.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 475.2 Inbound Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 475.21 Arrival Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 475.22 Special Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 475.3 Outbound Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 475.31 Loading Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 475.32 Dispatch Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 476 Sealing Program and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 476.1 General Requirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 476.2 Exemptions and Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 476.3 Disseminating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 476.4 Necessary Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 476.5 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 476.51 Numbered Seals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 476.52 Sealing Discrepancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.521 General Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.522 Special Cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.6 Multidoor Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.7 Twisted Wire Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.71 Applying Wire Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 476.72 Removing Wire Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.8 PS Form 5398-A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.81 Applicability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.82 Automatic Imprinting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.83 Dispatching Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.84 Defective Seals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 476.85 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 476.86 Receiving Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 476.87 Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 476.9 Registered Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 477 Mail and Empty Mail Vehicle Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Attachment 3
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477.1 Recording Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 477.2 PS Forms 4460 and 5398 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 477.3 PS Form 5201, Mail Van Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 477.4 Unloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 477.41 Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 477.42 Removing Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 477.43 From Air Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.431 Responsible Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.432 Air Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.5 Platform Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.51 Registered Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.52 Preferential Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.53 Transfer Failures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 477.54 Missent Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 478 Mail and Empty Mail Vehicle Departures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 478.1 Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 478.2 PS Form 5201, Mail Van Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 478.3 Scheduling Extra Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 478.31 Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 478.32 Highway Contract Route Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 478.4 To Air Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 479 Special Mailer Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 479.1 General Explanation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 479.2 Cross Dock Pallets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 479.3 Specialized Cartons and Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 479.4 Trayed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 479.5 ZIP Code Sequence (Riffle) Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 479.6 Destination Entry Mail (PVDS-Plant Verified Drop Shipment) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 479.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 479.62 Prior Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 479.63 Plant-Verified Drop Shipment Seal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 479.7 Staging for Scheduled Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 48 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 481 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 482 Work Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 483 Fire Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 484 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 49 Congressional and Political Campaign Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491 Congressional Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.11 Basic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.12 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.13 Postage Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Attachment 3
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491.14 General Types of Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.15 USPS Marketing Mail Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 491.16 Simplified Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.161 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.162 Definition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.163 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.164 Simplified Address Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.2 Handling of Mass Congressional Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.21 Preparation and Deposit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.211 Packaging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 491.212 Pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 491.213 Deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 491.22 Processing and Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 491.221 Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 491.222 Opening at Delivery Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 491.223 Selective Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 491.224 Delays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 491.225 Bulk Drop Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 491.226 Excess and Insufficient Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 491.3 Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 491.31 Postmasters or Subordinate Unit Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 491.32 Congressional Mailings Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.4 Congressional District Deliveries Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.41 Delivery Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.42 Database Responsibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.43 Congressional District Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.44 Delivery Statistics Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.441 Up-to-Date Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 491.442 Database Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.5 Accounting for Franked Mail Entered at Post Offices Outside Washington, DC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.51 Mass Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.52 Individual Piece Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.521 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.522 Notification of Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.523 Detention of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 491.6 Handling Mail With Ancillary Service Endorsements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.62 Proper Address Correction Placement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.63 Return of Address Correction Requested/Return Postage Guaranteed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.7 Orange Bag Service — Expedited Congressional Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.71 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 491.72 Types of Pouches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 491.73 Material Used for Expedited Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 491.74 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Attachment 3
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491.741 Congressional Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 491.742 Postal Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 492 Political Campaign Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 492.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 492.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 492.12 Postal Service Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 492.13 Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 492.2 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 492.21 Political Campaign Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 492.22 Registered Political Candidate or Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 492.23 Qualified Political Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 492.3 Premailing Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.32 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.33 Identification of Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.34 Political Campaign Information Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.35 Equal Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.36 Premailing Contact Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 492.37 Mail Preparation and Handling Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 492.4 Processing and Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.41 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.42 Area Political Campaign Mail Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.43 Late Deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.44 Reports of Delays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.45 Handling of Undeliverable as Addressed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.5 Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.51 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.52 Premailing Assistance Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.53 Processing and Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 492.6 Answering Requests for Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.62 Field Managing Counsel Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.63 Questionable Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.7 Revenue Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.71 Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.72 Mailings Ineligible for Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 492.73 Application of the Cooperative Mail Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 492.731 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 492.732 Maintaining Committee Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 492.733 Endorsements on Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 492.74 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Attachment 3
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5 Mail Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 51 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 511 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.1 Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.11 Network Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.12 Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.121 Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.122 Managers of Distribution Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 512.2 Network Distribution Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 52 Air Transportation Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 521 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 522 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 522.1 System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 522.2 Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 522.3 Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 522.4 Air Taxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 523 Contract Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 524 Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 525 Irregularities Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 526 Certification and Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 53 Highway Contract Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 531 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 531.1 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 531.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 531.12 Regular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 531.13 Temporary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 531.14 Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 532 Basic Service Records/Regular Service Exceptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 533 Contract Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 533.1 Contracting Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 533.2 Administrative Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 533.3 Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 534 Irregularities Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.1 PS Form 5500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.2 Administrative Officials’ Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.21 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.22 Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.221 Persistent Irregularities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.222 Memorandum for the File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.23 Written Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.24 Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 534.3 Exceptional Service Types/Extra Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Attachment 3
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535 Certification and Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 535.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 535.2 Omitted Service Deductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 54 Rail Transportation Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 541 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 542 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 542.1 Trailer and Container-on-Flatcar Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 542.11 Railroad Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 542.12 Trailer Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 542.2 Passenger Train Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 543 Contract Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 543.1 Contracting Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 543.2 Administrative Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 544 Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 545 Irregularities Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 545.1 Rail Management Information System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 545.2 Contracting Office’s Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 545.3 PS Form 5179, Notification/Record of Mail Irregularity, Amtrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 546 Certification and Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 546.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 546.2 Noncontract Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 546.3 Electronic Data Interchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 546.4 PS Form 5186, Mail Movement Routing Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.5 Misroutings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.51 Misroutings Caused by Rail Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.511 Rail Payment Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.512 Receipt of Claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.513 Contract Segment Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.514 Carrier Misrouted Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.52 Exceptional Misroutings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 546.6 Noncompliance Deductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 546.61 Penalty Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 546.62 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 55 Water Route Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 551 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 552 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 552.1 Domestic Inland Water Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 552.2 Domestic Offshore Water Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 552.3 International Ocean Contract. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 552.4 International Ocean Per Pound Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 553 Contract Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 553.1 Domestic Inland Water Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 553.2 Domestic Offshore Water Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 553.3 International Ocean Contract. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Attachment 3
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553.4 International Ocean Per Pound Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 554 Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555 Irregularities Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.1 PS Form 5500, Contract Route Irregularity Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.2 Administrative Officials’ Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.21 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.22 Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.221 Irregularities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.222 Memorandum for File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 555.23 Written Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 555.24 Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 556 Certification and Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 556.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 556.2 Omitted Service Deductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 56 International and Military Mail Transportation Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 561 International Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 561.1 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 561.2 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.21 Airmail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.22 Surface Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.23 International Surface Air Lift™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.24 International Priority Airmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.3 Transportation Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.31 Airmail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 561.32 Surface Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 562 Military Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 57 Mail Transport Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 571 Policy Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 572 Organizational Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 572.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 572.2 Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 573 Principles of Containerization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 573.1 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 573.2 Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 573.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 573.22 Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 574 Mail Transport Equipment Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.1 Multipurpose Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.2 Tray Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.21 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.22 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.3 Bulk Mail Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 574.31 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Attachment 3
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574.32 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.4 Platform Trucks/Trailers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.41 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.42 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.5 Hampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.51 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.52 Authorized Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 574.6 Special Purpose Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 574.7 In-Plant and Surface Trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 574.71 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 574.72 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 574.8 Pallets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 574.81 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 574.82 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 574.9 Sacks and Pouches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 574.91 Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 574.92 Pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575 Locks and Closures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.1 Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.11 General Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.12 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.13 Specific Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.2 Closures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.21 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 575.22 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 58 Mail Transport Equipment Handling Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581 Loan of Mail Transport Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.1 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.2 Uses and Abuses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.3 Private Mailer Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.4 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.41 Authorized Lenders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 581.42 Authorized Borrowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 582 Mail Found in Supposedly Empty Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 582.1 Finder’s Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 582.2 Written Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 583 Defective or Damaged Mail Transport Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 583.1 Damaged Wheeled Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 583.11 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 583.12 Common Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 583.13 Condemning and Scrapping Wheeled Containers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.2 Defective Sacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.21 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Attachment 3
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583.22 Defective Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.221 Canvas Sacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.222 Nylon Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.223 Plastic Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 583.23 Condemning Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 583.3 Defective Fiberboard or Plastic Trays, Lids, and Sleeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 583.31 Common Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 583.32 Condemning Fiberboard or Plastic Trays and Lids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 584 Sack/Pouch Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 584.1 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 584.11 Primary Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 584.12 Alternate Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.2 Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.3 Bundling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.4 Labeling Empty Bundles of Serviceable Sacks/Pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.5 Packing Empty Bundles of Defective Sacks/Pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.6 Labeling Empty Bundles of Defective Sacks/Pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.7 Empty Foreign-Owned Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.71 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 584.72 Receiving Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.73 Delivery Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.74 Processing and Distribution Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.75 Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.76 Airport Mail Centers (AMCs) and Airport Mail Facilities (AMFs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.8 Returned Empty U.S. International Mail Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.81 Receipt at Nonexchange Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 584.82 Processing of Empty Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 584.83 Disposition of Empty Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 584.84 Returned Plastic Sacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585 Inventory Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585.1 Processing and Distribution Center and NDC Supply Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585.11 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585.12 Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585.13 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 585.14 Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 585.2 Inventory Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 586 Functional Responsibilities and Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 587 U.S. Postal Service Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 587.1 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 587.2 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 587.21 EIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 587.22 Empty MTE Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.3 Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Attachment 3
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587.31 Adequate Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.32 Review of Storage and Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.4 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.5 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.6 Audits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 587.7 Supply and Operating Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 588 Distribution Networks Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.1 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.2 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.3 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.4 Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.5 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.6 Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.7 Operating and Supply Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.71 DN Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.72 Shortages or Surplus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 588.73 Plan Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.8 Plant Management Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.81 MTE Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.82 Correcting Deficiencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.83 Management Oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.84 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.85 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.851 Use of EIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.852 Within the DN Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.853 AMTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.854 Disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 588.86 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.87 Audits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.88 Operating and Supply Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.881 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.882 Central Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.883 Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.884 Hoarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.885 Customer Services Equipment Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.886 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 588.887 Audits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 588.888 Other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 589 Operational Managers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 59 Equipment Inventory Reporting System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 591 Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 592 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 593 Report Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 593.1 Move Orders Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 593.2 Inventory Alert Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Attachment 3
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593.3 Failed/Late Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.4 Audit Change Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.5 “As Needed” Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.51 Inventory Standards Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.52 Current Status Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.53 Totals by Equipment Type Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.54 Transaction History Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.55 Forecast Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 593.56 Equipment Value Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 594 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 594.1 Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 594.2 Area Mail Transport Equipment Specialists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 594.3 Distribution Networks (Area Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 6 Delivery Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 61 Conditions of Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 611 Delivery, Refusal, and Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 611.1 Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 611.2 Delivery to Persons With Similar Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.3 Mail Delivered to Wrong Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.4 Checks Issued by Federal Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.41 Recipient. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.42 Delivery Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.43 Immediate Return of Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.44 Treasury Checks Without Delivery Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 611.45 Treasury Checks With Delivery Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.5 Checks Issued by State and Local Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.6 Mail Marked “In Care Of” Another. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.7 Restricted Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.8 Mail Marked “Personal”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.9 Holding Mail at Addressee’s Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.91 Ordinary Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 611.92 Priority Mail Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 612 Delivery of Addressee’s Mail to Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 612.1 Delivery to Addressee’s Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 612.11 Designation of Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 612.12 Commercial Mail Receiving Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 612.13 Procedures for Delivery to CMRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 612.14 OBC Acting as a CMRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 612.15 Procedures for an Abandoned CMRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 612.16 Compliance With Proper Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 612.2 Mail Addressed to Minors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 612.3 Mail Addressed to Incompetents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 Attachment 3
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612.4 Mail Addressed to Deceased Persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 612.41 Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 612.42 Mail That Can Be Forwarded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 612.43 Mail That Must Be Returned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 613 Jointly Addressed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 613.1 Delivery of Jointly Addressed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 613.2 Delivery of Mail Addressed to Husbands or Wives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 614 Delivery to Individuals at Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 614.1 At Organization Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 614.2 Not at Organization Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 615 Delivery to Persons at Hotels, Institutions, and Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 615.1 Mail Addressed to Patients or Inmates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 615.2 Mail Addressed to Persons at Hotels, Schools, and Similar Places . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 615.3 Registered Mail Addressed to Persons at Hotels and Apartment Houses . . . . . . . 307 616 Conflicting Orders by Two or More Parties for Delivery of Same Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.1 Delivery to Receiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.2 Receiver in Dispute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.21 Steps for Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.22 Holding of Disputed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.23 Returned Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 616.3 Delivery of Mail According to Court Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 617 Other Delivery Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.1 Delivery in Multiple-Floor Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.2 Delivery of Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.21 Heavy or Bulky Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.22 Delivery to Other Than the Addressee or Mail Receptacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.3 Additional Attempts to Deliver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.31 Someone Normally Available to Receive Parcel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.32 No One Usually Available to Receive Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 617.33 Parcel Not Called For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 617.34 Perishable Parcel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 618 Delivery to Military Organizations and Naval Vessels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 618.1 Units Not Operating Military Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 618.2 Units Operating Military Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 618.3 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 618.4 Return Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619 Mail Claim Check System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.11 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.12 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.121 Notice of Arrival and Claim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.122 Definition of Carrier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.123 Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.124 Post Office Box or General Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 Attachment 3
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619.125 Delivery Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 619.2 Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.21 Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.211 PS Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.212 Privately Printed Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.22 Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.221 Receipt for Registered, Numbered Insured, Certified, and Other Signature Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 619.222 Notification of Mail That Cannot Be Delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.223 Reminder or Notice of Second Attempted Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.224 Notice of Arrival of COD Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.23 Claiming Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.231 Customer Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.232 Without Claim Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.233 Postal Service Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.24 Disposition of Forms 3849 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 619.25 Storage of Mail Awaiting Customer Pickup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 619.251 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 619.252 Parcels and Accountable Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 619.3 Overprinting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 62 Delivery Schedules and Trip Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 621 Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 621.1 Priority Mail Express, First-Class Mail, and Priority Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 621.2 Periodicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 621.3 USPS Marketing Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 621.4 Package Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 622 Trip Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 623 Withdrawal of Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 623.1 Suitable Receptacles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 623.2 Blocked Mail Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 623.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 623.22 Delivery to Mailbox Inside of a Screen or Storm Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 623.3 Safety or Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 623.4 Travel Obstructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 623.5 Vacant Delivery Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 63 Modes of Delivery, Mail Receptacles, and Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 631 Modes of Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 631.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 631.2 Centralized Delivery (Preferred Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 631.21 Curbside Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 631.22 Sidewalk Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 631.23 Door Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 631.24 Newly Established or Extended Delivery Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 631.241 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Attachment 3
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631.242 Newly Established or Extended Centralized Delivery Points (Preferred Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 631.243 Newly Established or Extended Sidewalk or Curbside Delivery Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 631.244 Newly Established or Extended Door Delivery Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 631.3 Business Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 631.4 Residential Housing (Except Apartment Houses and Transient Mobile or Trailer Homes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 631.5 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 631.51 Extension of Service Within an Existing Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 631.52 Hardship Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 631.53 Local Ordinances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 631.54 Apartment Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 631.541 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 631.542 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 631.55 Mobile or Trailer Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 631.551 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 631.552 Permanent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 631.553 Transient Developments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 631.6 Colleges and Universities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 631.61 Administration Buildings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 631.62 Dormitories or Residence Halls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 631.63 Married Student Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 631.64 Fraternity and Sorority Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 631.65 Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 631.66 Forwarding of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 631.67 Noncity Delivery Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 631.7 Conversion of Mode of Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 631.8 Correction of Improper Mode of Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 631.81 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 631.82 Refusal by Customer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 631.9 Military Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 631.91 Family Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 631.92 Other Services -Agreement With the Military. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 631.93 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 632 Mail Receptacles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.1 Customer Obligation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.11 Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.12 Exception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.13 Receptacles Not Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.14 Approach to Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 632.2 Keys to Customer’s Private Mail Receptacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 632.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 632.22 Locks and Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 632.3 Door Slot Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 Attachment 3
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632.4 Receptacles Purchased by Postal Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.5 Curbside Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.51 Specifications for Manufacturers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.511 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.512 Approved Manufacturers and Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.52 Installation and Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.521 Custom-built Curbside Mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.522 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 632.523 Posts and Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 632.524 Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 632.525 Grouping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 632.526 More Than One Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 632.527 Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 632.528 Unstamped Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 632.529 Newspaper Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 632.53 Nonconforming Mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.54 State and Local Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.6 Apartment House Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.61 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.62 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.621 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.622 Location and Arrangement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 632.623 Access to Rear-Loading of Horizontal-Type Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 632.624 Installation With Telephone Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 632.625 Key and Record Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 632.626 Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 632.627 Maintenance and Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 632.628 Approved Manufacturers and Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 632.63 New or Remodeled Apartment Buildings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 633 Mail Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 633.1 Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 633.2 Personnel to Whom Keys Are Issued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.21 LA Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.22 Rotary Lock Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.23 Other Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.3 Obtaining Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.31 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.32 LA and Rotary Lock Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.4 Safekeeping Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.41 In Installations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.411 LA Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.412 Rotary Lock Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.42 Arrow Lock Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 633.5 Record of Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.51 Where to Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.52 Keys Assigned to Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Attachment 3
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633.53 Keys Assigned to Other Employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.6 Keys Lost, Stolen, Missing, or Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.7 Keys From Discontinued Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.8 Unserviceable Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 633.9 Receipt and Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 64 City Delivery Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 641 Establishment of City Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 641.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 641.2 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 642 Extensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 642.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 642.2 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 642.3 Out-of-bounds Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 643 Requests for Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 643.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 643.2 Labor Strikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 644 Carrier Duties, Responsibilities, and Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 645 Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 645.1 Pivoting Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 645.2 Pivoting Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 646 Reporting Local Ordinances and State Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 65 Rural Delivery Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 651 Types of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 651.1 Regular and Auxiliary Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 651.2 Intermediate Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 651.3 Seasonal Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 651.4 Triweekly Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 651.5 Nonpersonnel Rural Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 651.51 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 651.52 Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 652 Establishment of Rural Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 652.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 652.2 Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 652.3 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.31 Customer Density. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.32 Minimum Workloads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.33 Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.331 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.332 Road Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.4 Submission and Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.41 Postmasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.42 District Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.421 Review and Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 652.422 Delivery Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 Attachment 3
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652.423 Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 652.424 Customer Notification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653 Extensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.2 Eligibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.3 Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.4 Customer Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.5 Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.6 Multiple Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 653.7 Submission and Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 654 Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 654.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 654.2 Conversions From Rural Delivery to Other Delivery Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 654.21 Full Development Not Adequate Justification for Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 654.22 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 654.23 Other Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 655 Duties, Responsibilities, and Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 655.1 Rural Carriers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 655.2 Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 655.21 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 655.22 Suspension of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 655.3 Reporting Local Ordinances and State Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656 Rural Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656.1 Street Names and House Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656.2 Box Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656.21 Existing Delivery Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656.22 Newly Established Delivery Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 656.3 Correction of Address Errors Due to Postal Service Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 66 Highway Contract Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 661 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 662 Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 662.1 New Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 662.2 Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 663 Box Delivery and Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 663.1 Service Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 663.2 Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 663.3 Mail Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 663.4 Mail Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 664 Mailbox Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 665 Postmaster Duties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 666 Carrier Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 666.1 Contract Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 666.2 Sale of Stamps and Stamp Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Attachment 3
Contents
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
67 Priority Mail Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 671 General Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 672 Priority Mail Express Next Day Service®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.1 Hold For Pickup Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.11 Acceptance Facility (Retail Location) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.111 POS Terminal User Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.112 IRT User Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.113 Manual Sites User Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 672.12 Priority Mail Express Hold For Pickup, Mailing Label 11-HFPU, Customer Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 672.13 Priority Mail Express Hold For Pickup Label 11-HFPU, Postal Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 672.14 Destination Facility Scanning Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 672.15 Destination Facility Customer Pickup Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 672.2 Post Office to Addressee Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 673 Priority Mail Express Second Day Service® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 673.1 Post Office to Addressee Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 674 Priority Mail Express Military Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 674.1 To APO/FPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 674.2 From APO/FPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 68 Undeliverable Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 681 Mail Undeliverable as Addressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 681.1 General Provisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 681.2 Specific Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 681.3 Undeliverable Due to Postal Service Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 681.31 Types of Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 681.32 Change Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 681.33 Mail Disposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 681.34 Time Limit for Retention of Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.4 Endorsements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.5 Treatment of Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.51 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.52 Official Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.53 Nonmailable and Nonstandard Pieces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.6 Processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 681.7 Removal From Postal Service Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 682 Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 682.1 Change-of-Address Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 682.11 Forwarding Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 682.12 Guarantee to Pay Forwarding Postage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 682.13 Time Limit of Change-of-Address Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 682.2 Forwardable Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 682.21 Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 Attachment 3
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
682.22 Change in Post Office Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 682.23 Persons in U.S. Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 682.24 Reforwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 682.3 Additional Postage for Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 682.4 Directory Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 683 Address Correction Service, Address Change Service, and Return. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 683.1 Address Correction Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 683.11 Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 683.12 Address Change Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.13 Endorsement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.14 Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.2 Sender Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.21 Return Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.22 Endorsements Not to Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.23 Registered Mail, Certified Mail, Insured Mail, COD Mail, Return Receipt for Merchandise Mail, and Confirmation Services Mail Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 683.24 Priority Mail Express Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 683.25 Return of Priority Mail Express Items and Registered Mail, Numbered Insured Mail, COD Mail, Certified Mail, Return Receipt for Merchandise Mail, and Confirmation Services Mail Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 683.26 Other Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 683.27 Return of USPS Marketing Mail and Package Services Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 684 Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRAs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 69 Dead Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 691 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 691.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 691.2 Opening and Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 691.3 Insured and COD Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.31 Holding Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.32 Articles Endorsed “Destroy” or “Abandon” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.33 Refusal of Article by Sender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.4 Items Loose in the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.41 Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 691.42 Uncanceled Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.421 Uncanceled Stamps Fallen Off Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.422 Uncanceled Stamps Not Lost From Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.43 Other Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.44 Articles Separated From Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.45 Unidentified Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 691.5 Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 691.51 Undeliverable Merchandise to Manufacturer or Distributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 691.52 Perishable Items, Drugs, and Cosmetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 691.521 Injurious Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 691.522 Noninjurious Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 Attachment 3
Contents
POM Issue 9, July 2002 xliii
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
691.53 Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 691.531 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 691.532 Periodicals and Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 691.533 Merchandise and Product Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 691.54 Government Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 691.55 Foreign Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.551 Canadian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.552 Other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.56 Matter Mailed in Violation of Law or Treaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.57 Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.58 Disposition of Undeliverable Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.581 First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, and Package Services. . . . . . . . 376 691.582 Priority Mail Express. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.583 Postcards and Postal Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 691.584 Abandoned or Unclaimed Nonmailable Matter — Inspection Service. . . 376 691.59 Makeup and Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 691.591 Marking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 691.592 Makeup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 691.593 Labeling and Addressing for Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 691.594 Listing and Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 691.595 MRC Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692 Mail Recovery Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.1 Dead Letter and Parcel Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.11 Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.12 Opening Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.13 Letters With Nonmailable Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.131 Nonmailable Lottery Matter Except Nonmailable Unsealed Foreign Lottery Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.132 Unsealed Foreign Nonmailable Lottery Matter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 692.133 Other Nonmailable Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 692.14 Opening Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 692.15 Disposal of Parcels Containing Firearms and Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 692.16 Disposal of Other Dead Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 692.17 Postal Service Employee Ineligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 692.2 Postal Inspection or Office of Inspector General Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 692.3 Postal Service Systems and Training Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 692.4 Treatment of Mail Forwarded From MRCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 692.41 General Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 692.42 Registered Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 7 Postal Vehicle Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 71 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 711 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 711.1 Scope of Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 711.2 Purpose and Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Attachment 3
Postal Operations Manual
xliv POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
711.3 Scope of Fleet Management/Fleet Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 712 Policies and Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 712.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 712.2 Fleet Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 712.3 Warranties and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 712.4 Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 712.5 Vehicle Appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 712.6 New Product Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 713 Vehicles Used By USPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 713.1 Postal Vehicle Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 713.2 Highway Contract Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 714 Motor Vehicle Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 715 Vehicle Personnel/Perimeter Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 716 Vehicle Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 716.1 Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 716.2 Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 716.3 Manager, Fleet Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 716.4 Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 72 Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 721 Headquarters and Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 721.1 Headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 721.2 Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 722 Drivers and Driving Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 722.1 Driver Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 722.11 Vehicle Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386 722.12 Equipment Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 723 Driver Licensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 723.1 Applicability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 723.2 Minimum Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 723.3 Driving Privileges/General Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 724 Driving Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 724.1 Vehicle Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 724.2 Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 724.3 Repair Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 724.4 Emergency Kits/Fire Extinguishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 724.5 Accident Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725 Driver’s Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725.1 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725.2 Types of Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725.3 Driver Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725.4 Motor Vehicle Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 725.5 Fuel Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 725.6 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 726 Driver Contest and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 Attachment 3
Contents
POM Issue 9, July 2002 xlv
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
73 Vehicle Types, Safety, and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 731 Vehicle Operations/Requests for Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 731.1 Types of Vehicles in Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 731.11 Cargo Vans, Tractors, Spotters, and Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 731.12 Hired Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 731.13 New Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 732 Driving and Safety Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 732.1 Postal Vehicle Service versus Highway Contract Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 732.11 Types of Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 732.12 Vehicle Care and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 732.13 National Agreement Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 732.2 Traffic Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 732.3 Safe Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 732.4 Vehicle Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 732.5 PVS Accident Investigations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 733 Vehicle Dispatching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 733.1 Vehicle Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 733.2 Two-Way Radio Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734 Inspections and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.1 Vehicle Reassignment and Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.11 Inspection of Hired Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.111 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.112 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.2 Reassigning Excess Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 734.21 Utilization Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 734.22 Disposing of Excess Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 735 Accident Investigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 735.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 735.11 Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 735.12 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 735.13 Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 736 Equipment, Supplies, and Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 736.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 736.2 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 736.3 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 737 Fleet Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 738 Vehicle Maintenance Objective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 739 Maintenance Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 739.1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 739.2 Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 739.3 Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 74 Vehicles Serviced (or Vehicle Service Policy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 741 USPS-Owned Vehicles-Full Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 Attachment 3
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741.1 Contract Vehicles-Emergency Service Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 741.2 Private Vehicles-No Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 742 Types of Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 742.1 Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 742.2 Repair Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 742.3 Commercial Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 742.31 Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 742.32 Restriction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 743 Policies and Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 743.1 Modification Restriction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 743.2 Vehicle Appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 8 Special Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 81 Special Mail Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 811 Delivery Records for All Signature Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 811.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 811.2 Filing of Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 811.3 Retention of Delivery Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 811.4 Retrieval of Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 811.5 Forms of Identification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 812 Registered Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.1 Fees and Liability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.2 Sender’s Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.21 Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.22 Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.23 Official Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.24 Underdeclaration of Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 812.25 Merchandise Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.26 Mail Registered Without Prepayment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.261 Official Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.262 Merchandise Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.263 Other Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.264 Indemnity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.3 Mailing Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 812.4 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.41 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.42 Notice of Arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.43 Registered Mail Restricted Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.44 When Not Delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.45 Rural Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.46 Highway Contract Route Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.47 Bad Condition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 812.5 Inquiries on Uninsured Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 812.51 Who May File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Attachment 3
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812.52 How to File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 812.521 Original Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 812.522 Duplicate Inquiry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 813 Certified Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 813.1 How to Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 813.2 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 813.21 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 813.22 Rural Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 813.23 Highway Contract Route Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 813.24 Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 813.25 Notice of Arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 813.26 Delivery at Post Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 813.3 Carrier Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 813.31 Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 813.32 Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 813.33 Delivery to Military Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 813.34 Filing Delivery Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 813.35 Undeliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 813.4 Verified Mailing Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 813.41 Individual Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 813.42 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 814 Insured Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.1 Inquiry About Contents and Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.2 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.21 General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.22 At Letter Carrier Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.221 Holding Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.222 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.23 At Offices Without Carrier Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 814.24 Rural Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.25 On Highway Contract Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.26 Damaged Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.27 Spoiled Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.28 Examination of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.3 Delivery Receipts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.31 Unnumbered Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 814.32 Numbered Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 814.4 Internal Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 814.41 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 814.42 Filing of Delivery Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 814.5 Check of Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 814.6 Dispatch From Post Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 815 Collect on Delivery (COD) Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 815.1 Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 Attachment 3
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815.11 Individual Receipts for Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 815.12 Temporary Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 815.13 For Three or Fewer Parcels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 815.14 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 815.15 Postmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.16 Registered COD Articles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.17 Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.2 Delivery and Payment Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.21 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.211 Observing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.212 Restricting Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 815.213 Obtaining Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 815.214 Returning Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 815.215 Holding Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 815.216 Attempting Second Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 815.217 Handling Collection of Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 815.218 Allowing Reading of Return Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 815.219 Obtaining Receipt From Sender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 815.22 Collection of Charges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 815.23 Issuance of Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416 815.231 Preparing Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416 815.232 Remitting to Sender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416 815.233 Missing or Illegible Name of Sender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.24 Payment by Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.241 Accepting and Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.242 Remitting to Sender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.243 Missing or Illegible Name of Sender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.25 Returned Money Orders and Checks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 815.26 Claims and Inquiries on Nonreceipt of Checks or Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.261 PS Form 1000, Domestic Claim or Registered Mail Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.262 Payment Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.263 Disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.3 Special Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.31 Mail Opening Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.32 Assignment and Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.321 Window Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.322 Other Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.323 Firm Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.324 Undelivered Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 815.325 Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.326 Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.33 Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.34 Remitting Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.341 Completion of PS Form 3822 in Duplicate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.342 Carrier and Window Deliveries at Same Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.343 Systems A and B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 815.35 Main Office Retail Window Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 Attachment 3
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815.36 Separation of Duties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 815.37 Examination of COD Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 815.4 Registered COD Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 815.41 Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 815.42 Receipts and Office Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 815.43 Dispatch From Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 815.44 Handling and Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 815.5 Priority Mail Express COD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 816 USPS Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 816.1 How to Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 816.2 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 816.21 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 816.22 Rural Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 816.23 Highway Contract Route Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 816.24 Delivery Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 816.25 Notice of Arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 816.26 Delivery at Post Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 816.3 Carrier Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.31 Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.32 Delivery to Military Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.33 Undeliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.4 Verified Mailing Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.41 Retail Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 816.42 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 817 Signature Confirmation Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 817.1 How to Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 817.11 Service Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 817.2 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 817.21 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 817.22 Rural Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 817.23 Highway Contract Route Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 817.24 Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 817.25 Notice of Arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 817.26 Delivery at Post Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 817.3 Carrier Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 817.31 Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 817.32 Delivery to Military Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 817.33 Undeliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 817.4 Verified Mailing Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 817.41 Retail Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 817.42 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 82 Supplemental Mail Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 821 Certificates of Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 Attachment 3
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821.1 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 821.11 At Time of Mailing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 821.111 Mailer Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 821.112 Rural Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 821.12 After Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 821.13 Certificate of Bulk Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 821.131 Retail RSS and POS Offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 821.132 Manual Post Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 821.133 BMEU/DMU Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 822 Return Receipts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 822.1 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 822.11 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 822.111 Delivering Employee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 822.112 Clearing Employee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 822.2 Signature Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 822.21 Federal or State Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 822.22 Large Companies or Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 823 Restricted Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 823.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 823.2 Special Circumstances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 823.3 Agent Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 823.31 Standing Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 823.32 PS Form 3849 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 823.4 Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 823.41 Addressed to Two or More Persons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 823.42 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824 Return Receipt for Merchandise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.1 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.2 Rural Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.3 Highway Contract Route Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.4 Delivery Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.5 Notice of Arrival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 824.6 Delivery at Post Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440 824.7 Carrier Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440 824.71 Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440 824.72 Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440 824.73 Delivery to Military Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.74 Filing Delivery Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.75 Undeliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.8 Acceptance Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.81 Individual Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.82 Large-Volume Mailings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 824.83 Filing an Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 824.84 Delivery Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Attachment 3
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825 Mailing List Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 825.1 Correction of Mailing Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 825.2 Furnishing Address Changes to Election Boards and Registration Commissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 825.3 Address Card Arrangement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 825.4 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 826 Change-of-Address Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 83 Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831 Issuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831.1 Issuance Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831.12 Imprinter Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831.13 Imprinting Money Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 831.14 Completing Transaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 831.15 Inoperable Imprinter Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 831.16 Owner Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 831.2 Issuance to Rural Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 831.21 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 831.22 Mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.23 PS Form 6387 for Rural Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.24 Nonpersonnel Rural Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.25 Issuance to Highway Contract Route Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.3 Spoiled or Incorrectly Prepared Money Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.31 Issuance of New Money Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 831.32 Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446 831.33 Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 832 Cashing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 832.1 Examination of Order by Postal Employee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 832.11 Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 832.12 ASC Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 832.2 Identification of Payee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 832.3 Disposition of Paid Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 832.4 Foreign Money Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 833 Photocopy or Replacement of Paid Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 834 Wrong Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 834.1 Through Error Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 834.2 Through Alleged Forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 835 Nonpostal Money Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 835.1 By Postal Employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 835.2 By Contract Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 836 Payments to Banks Through Federal Reserve System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 836.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 836.2 Presentation for Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.3 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 Attachment 3
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836.31 Money Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.32 Federal Reserve Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.33 Presenting Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.34 Reclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.35 Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.36 Stolen Money Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.4 Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.5 Endorsements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 836.6 Reclamation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 84 Other Delivery Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841 Post Office Box Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841.1 Purpose and Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841.12 Obtaining Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841.121 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 841.122 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452 841.123 Changing Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 841.124 Minors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 841.13 Restrictions on Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 841.131 Permissible Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 841.132 Mail Accumulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 841.133 Unlawful Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.134 Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.135 Holding Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.2 Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.21 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.211 Date of Placement in Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.212 Release to Government Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.22 Past-Due Box Fee Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 841.3 Refund of Box Fee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 841.31 Calculation of Amount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 841.32 Surrendered Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 841.33 Boxes Not Surrendered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.34 Boxes in Discontinued or Relocated Postal Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.35 Reassignment of Closed or Surrendered Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.4 Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.41 Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.42 Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.43 Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 841.44 New Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.45 Worn or Broken Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.46 Refund of Key Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.47 Acceptance of Orders for Additional or New Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.48 Key Inventory Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.49 Notice to Return Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 Attachment 3
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841.5 Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.51 Broken Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.52 Changing Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.53 Changing Combinations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.6 Record of Box Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.61 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 841.62 Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 841.63 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 841.7 Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 841.71 Standards — PO Box Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 841.72 PO Box Service Up-Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 841.73 PO Box Mail Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 841.74 Withdrawal of Mail from PO Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 841.75 Change-of-Address Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 841.751 Who May File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 841.752 Standard Procedure for Handling Change-of-Address Orders . . . . . . . . 460 841.753 Flagging PO Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461 841.76 Vacant Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461 841.8 Refusal to Provide Service, Termination of Service, and Surrender of Service . . . 461 841.81 Refusal to Provide Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461 841.82 Termination of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.83 Postmaster’s Determination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.831 Basis for Issuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.832 Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.833 Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.84 Petition by Applicant or Box Customer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.841 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 841.842 Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 841.85 Mail Addressed to Closed Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 842 Caller Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 842.1 Purpose and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 842.11 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 842.111 Assignment of Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 842.112 Group 2 Noncity Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 842.113 Client Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 842.114 No Physical Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 842.115 Local Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 842.116 Permitted Uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 842.117 When Provided to Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 842.118 Accelerated Reply Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 842.12 Obtaining Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 842.121 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 842.122 Verification of Application for Destination Caller Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 842.123 Verification of Application for ARM (Origin Caller Service). . . . . . . . . . . . 467 842.2 Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.21 Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 Attachment 3
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842.211 Payment Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.212 Fees Paid in Advance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.213 Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.214 Change of Payment Period Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.215 Renewal of Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.216 Adjustment for Midmonth Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 842.217 Record of Callers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.22 Notice of Payment Due . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.23 Past-Due Caller Fee Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.231 Holding Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.232 Delivery to Street Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.233 Accelerated Reply Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 842.24 Refund of Caller Service Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 842.241 Discontinued Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 842.242 Caller Numbers in Discontinued or Relocated Postal Facilities . . . . . . . . 470 842.243 Accelerated Reply Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 842.3 Mail Pickup Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 842.4 Refusal to Provide Service, Termination of Service, and Surrender of Service . . . 470 842.41 Refusal to Provide Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 842.42 Termination of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.43 Postmaster’s Determination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.431 Basis for Issuance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.432 Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.433 Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.44 Petition by Applicant or Caller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.441 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 842.442 Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 842.45 Surrender of Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 842.46 Disposition of Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 842.461 Destination Caller Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 842.462 Accelerated Reply Mail (Origin Caller Service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 843 General Delivery for Transients and Customers Not Permanently Located . . . . . . . . . . 472 843.1 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 843.2 Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 844 Other Deliveries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 845 Firm Holdout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 Forms Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479 Attachment 3
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibits
Exhibit 121.31
RAP Surveys and Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Exhibit 123.245
Payment Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Exhibit 125.22a
Holiday Service Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Exhibit 125.22b
Holidays Not Widely Observed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Exhibit 125.342
Mandatory Lobby Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Exhibit 125.343
Mandatory Public Information to be Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Exhibit 131.32
Products and Services Requiring Forms of Acceptable Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Exhibit 131.33
Acceptable Primary Forms of Photo Identification for Products and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Exhibit 146.11
General Instructions for Filing Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Exhibit 146.11 (p. 2)
General Instructions for Filing Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Exhibit 146.124
Processing Claims for Damage or Partial Loss of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Exhibit 146.3
Quarterly Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Exhibit 165.3
Customer Complaint Control Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Exhibit 169.3
Mistreated Mail Reference Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Exhibit 227
Local Purchasing and Sale of Commemorative Envelopes Check-Off Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Exhibit 227.212
Cost Benefit Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Exhibit 227.22
Sample Commemorative Envelope Supplier Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Exhibit 227.41
Sample Unit Sales Activity Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Exhibit 231.5
Hand-Stamped Postmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Attachment 3
Postal Operations Manual
lvi POM Issue 9, July 2002
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Exhibit 439.211
PS Form 5401, Documentation to Establish a Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Exhibit 439.211 (p. 2)
PS Form 5401, Documentation to Establish a Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Exhibit 439.211 (p. 3)
PS Form 5401, Documentation to Establish a Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Exhibit 439.211 (p. 4)
PS Form 5401, Documentation to Establish a Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Exhibit 439.211 (p. 5)
PS Form 5401, Documentation to Establish a Delivery ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Exhibit 439.22
PS Form 5402, Documentation to Establish a Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Exhibit 439.22 (p. 2)
PS Form 5402, Documentation to Establish a Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Exhibit 439.22 (p. 3)
PS Form 5402, Documentation to Establish a Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Exhibit 439.22 (p. 4)
PS Form 5402, Documentation to Establish a Post Office Box ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Exhibit 439.231
PS Form 5403, Documentation to Establish a Shared ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Exhibit 439.231 (p. 2)
PS Form 5403, Documentation to Establish a Shared ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Exhibit 439.231 (p. 3)
PS Form 5403, Documentation to Establish a Shared ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Exhibit 439.241
PS Form 5404, Documentation to Establish a Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Exhibit 439.241 (p. 2)
PS Form 5404, Documentation to Establish a Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Exhibit 439.241 (p. 3)
PS Form 5404, Documentation to Establish a Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Exhibit 439.241 (p. 4)
PS Form 5404, Documentation to Establish a Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Exhibit 439.241 (p. 5)
PS Form 5404, Documentation to Establish a Unique ZIP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Exhibit 439.323
PS Form 1362, Status Change Request/Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Exhibit 458.313
One-Day Clearance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Exhibit 458.320b
One-Day Clearance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Exhibit 458.320e
Two-Day Delivery Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Exhibit 458.33b
One-Day Clearance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Attachment 3
Exhibits
POM Issue 9, July 2002 lvii
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibit 458.33c
Two-Day Delivery Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Exhibit 458.34a
One-Day Clearance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Exhibit 458.34d
Two-Day Delivery Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Exhibit 464.24
Sample Verification Required Placard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Exhibit 474.3
Safely Loading Pallets into Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Exhibit 584.11
Mailbag Responsibilities of Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Exhibit 612.12
PS Form 1583-A, Application to Act as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Exhibit 612.12 (p. 2)
PS Form 1583-A, Application to Act as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Exhibit 612.13
PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 Exhibit 612.13 (p. 2)
PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Exhibit 619.125
Listing of Electronic Record Management (ERM) and Manual Record Management (MRM) Sites . . 312 Exhibit 811.5
Electronic Delivery Record Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399 Exhibit 822.111
Postmarking Corrections Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 Exhibit 841.22b
Plugging Post Office Box Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Attachment 3
Postal Operations Manual
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Attachment 3
POM Issue 9, July 2002 1
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
1 Retail Management
11 Introduction
The mission of the United States Postal Service is to provide quality products and services at a reasonable cost. Most retail products and services are purchased at postal facilities. In the past, that has meant local Post Offices.

Today, however, there are a variety of innovative channels for selling Postal Service products and services. This chapter outlines the basic types of retail Postal Service outlets and purchasing methods. It also provides an overview of services, from accepting mail at retail service counters to providing temporary philatelic stations at first-day-of-issue stamp ceremonies. 12 Retail Facility Management
121 Retail Analysis Program (RAP)
121.1 Purpose and Scope
The Retail Analysis Program (RAP) is the primary method for determining the staffing of postal retail facilities. It is an operations research and marketing tool that helps local managers make better decisions regarding staffing of postal retail outlets to meet customer needs. Requests to Area Operations management for approval of retail facility establishments, relocations, expansions, consolidations, or discontinuances must be based on data developed from RAP surveys.
121.2 Responsibilities
121.21 Headquarters
Retail Operations, Marketing and Operations Systems Support, Operations Support, Headquarters, develops and refines the retail analysis methods and supports implementation in the field by providing technical support. 121.22 Areas
Area RAP managers develop area programs, approve and coordinate implementation, and monitor results.

Attachment 3
121.23 Postal Operations Manual
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121.23 Districts
121.231 District Manager, Customer Service and Sales
Each district manager, Customer Service and Sales, has the following responsibilities:
a. Designates and supports a knowledgeable member of the supervisory staff as the district coordinator. Larger Post Offices within the district may require their own coordinator.
b. Reviews the progress and results of local surveys and is responsible for their success.
121.232 District Coordinator
District coordinators manage the RAP surveys for their areas. Coordinators ensure that data are gathered, processed, analyzed, and presented to management. Coordinators supervise the development of local implementation plans and may also help to implement them. 121.3 RAP Surveys
121.31 General
All district surveys are conducted on a full district basis; that is, all Post Offices within the district are included in the survey. Each district must perform the following tasks:
a. Conduct a full RAP survey at least once every 5 years. A full RAP survey covers all areas of postal service as listed in Exhibit 121.31. b. Conduct scheduling and staffing surveys (that is, survey of retail transactions) in all Management Operating Data System (MODS) I and II offices at least once every 2 years.
c. Conduct RAP surveys more frequently on an as-needed basis where there has been a significant change that affects revenues, workload, and/or customers (such as establishment of a contract postal unit in the service area).

Note: Some regions of the country may require more frequent surveys because of growth or decline in population.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 121.322
POM Issue 9, July 2002 3
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibit 121.31
RAP Surveys and Reports
Survey Purpose Reports
Retail Service Counter
Transactions
To relate staff utilization
to workload, adequacy
of service, and feasibility
of self-service
equipment.

1. Queuing analysis.

2. Service evaluation.

3. Product mix.

Customer Origin and
Destination
To determine the proper
location of retail outlets.

Maps showing shopping
patterns of postal
customers.

Post Office Boxes To determine the need
and locations for Post
Office boxes.

Maps showing where
customers open and
process their mail.

Meter Customers To determine meter
demand in high density
areas.

Maps showing meter
holder locations and
meter setting
frequencies.

Vending Equipment To determine if vending
equipment is in the best
location for the benefit of
customers.

Maps showing areas
customers travel from to
use vending equipment.

Customer Attitude To find out what
customers think of the
service they receive.

Tabulations of clerk
courtesy, housekeeping
efficiency, and aspects
of service viewed by
customers.

Projections of 5-Year
Growth
To help plan for future
growth.

Maps of projected
demand.
121.32 Survey Steps
121.321 General
The steps involved in conducting a RAP survey are as follows:
a. Determine survey plan (timetable).
b. Collect data.
c. Prepare and process data.
d. Analyze data.
e. Recommend where retail facilities should be located. f. Determine projected savings.
g. Determine projected revenue.
121.322 Determine Survey Plan
District management determines survey priorities that depend on immediate needs, and the district coordinator develops a timetable based on these priority decisions. The timetable, when approved, serves as the district survey plan.

When the district survey plan (timetable) has been developed and approved, local postmasters describe the intended surveys and their purposes to the press and other media in accordance with applicable regulations governing such announcements (see Administrative Support Manual (ASM) 33).

Attachment 3
121.323 Postal Operations Manual
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
121.323 Collect Data
A profile of each Post Office, station, and branch is determined from the existing Post Office and community records. This information includes population served, revenue (meter, bulk mailings, and walk-in), the number of Post Office boxes assigned, and other pertinent data. Data on population growth trends, building and construction permits, and so forth are obtained from local municipal and governmental authorities. Official maps for locating customer demand and postal facilities are obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey. This information is used to identify facility sites. 121.324 Prepare and Process Data
See Exhibit 121.31, which identifies the various RAP surveys, their purposes, and the reports resulting from each.
121.325 Analyze Data
Two major analyses are conducted in a RAP survey:
a. One analysis uses data on customer shopping patterns and future growth both to support planning for the retail outlets that will meet future customer needs and to adjust the current retail network to improve its effectiveness.
b. The other model uses data on the transactions conducted at each retail facility to assess retail service counter scheduling and staffing requirements.
121.326 Make Recommendations
Generally, the recommendations are made to district and Post Office management in two major presentations — one on facility deployment and the other on scheduling and staffing.
a. Deployment. RAP surveys show where facilities are needed to meet customer demand. RAP lets local managers begin actions to establish, close, consolidate, relocate, or enlarge postal retail facilities. b. Staffing. RAP surveys may indicate the need for additional personnel, or the need for a reduction in workhours in certain facilities. Local managers should take appropriate action in accordance with Handbook EL-901, Agreement Between United States Postal Service and American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, and National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (1994–1998).
122 Types of Retail Facilities
The Postal Service operates numerous types of retail facilities. Part 123 contains the definitions of each type of facility and the procedures for their establishment, naming, and discontinuance.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 123.126
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123 Post Offices, Stations, Branches, Contract Postal
Units, and Nonpersonnel Units
123.1 Definitions and Classification
123.11 Post Offices
Post Offices are established and maintained at locations deemed necessary to ensure that regular and effective postal services are available to all customers served by named geographic places. As of October 1 of each year, Post Offices are categorized through a cost ascertainment grouping (CAG) process based on allowable postal revenue units for the second proceeding fiscal year as follows:
a. CAG A–G, Post Offices having 950 or more revenue units. b. CAG H–J, Post Offices having at least 190 but fewer than 950 revenue units.
c. CAG K, Post Offices having at least 36 but fewer than 190 revenue units. d. CAG L, Post Offices having fewer than 36 revenue units.

A Remotely Managed Post Office (RMPO) is a Post Office that offers parttime window service hours, is staffed by a Postal Service employee under the direction of a postmaster, and reports to an Administrative Post Office. A Part-Time Post Office (PTPO) is a Post Office that offers part-time window service hours, is staffed by a Postal Service employee, and reports to a district office. Unless otherwise specified, all references to “Post Office” include RMPOs and PTPOs.
123.12 Other Retail Units
123.121 General
Stations, branches, contract postal units (CPUs), and nonpersonnel units are subordinate units located within main Post Offices’ service areas to provide one or more services at sites more convenient to customers. 123.122 Post Offices
Post Offices are offices operated by postal employees.
123.123 Classified Units
Classified units are stations and branches operated by postal employees in quarters owned or leased by the Postal Service.
123.124 Stations
Stations are located within the corporate limits or city carrier delivery area of the city or town in which the Administrative Post Office is located. 123.125 Branches
Branches are located outside the corporate limits or city carrier delivery area of the city or town in which the Administrative Post Office is located. 123.126 Contract Postal Units
Contract postal units (CPUs) are stations, branches, and community Post Offices (CPOs) operated under contract by persons who are not postal employees. The quarters are provided by the contractor. Contracts to Attachment 3
123.127 Postal Operations Manual
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operate contract units provide that the contractor will transact specified postal business.
123.127 Community Post Offices
Community Post Offices (CPOs) are contract units that provide service in small communities where an independent Post Office has been discontinued.

A CPO bears its community’s name and ZIP Code™ as part of a recognized mailing address.
123.128 Nonpersonnel Units
Nonpersonnel units are small nonstaffed stations and branches that are serviced by a noncity delivery carrier. The contractor also furnishes custodial and security support. A nonpersonnel unit provides essential mail services such as the collection and delivery of mail and may provide self-service sale of stamps. Noncity delivery carriers, who are required to remain at nonpersonnel units for a minimum of 15 minutes each day their routes operate, provide other services such as the sale of Money Orders and the acceptance and delivery of Certified Mail®, Insured Mail, Registered Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, and COD Mail, and all other special services. 123.129 Village Post Offices
Village Post Offices are operated by local businesses, and offer stamp booklets and Priority Mail® Flat Rate packages and envelopes. 123.13 Military Post Offices
123.131 Description
A military Post Office (MPO) is a branch of a United States civil Post Office, operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps to serve military personnel aboard ships or overseas. The term includes Army and Air Force Post Offices (APOs) and Navy and Marine Corps Post Offices (FPOs). MPOs provide postal service for military personnel where the United States civil Postal Service does not operate and in other places where the military situation requires.
123.132 Establishment and Discontinuance
A military Post Office is established or discontinued only upon request of the military department by which it is operated. These units are authorized and discontinued by the Postal Service, and changes are published in the Postal Bulletin.
123.2 Establishment
123.21 General
Post Offices, stations, branches, and contract postal units are established and maintained for the convenience of postal customers and are operational as needed.
123.22 Post Offices
Although there is no fixed minimum population requirement for establishing a Post Office, new Post Offices are established only when the Postal Service cannot provide adequate service through the Post Offices, stations, branches, or CPUs currently serving the area; through a new station, branch, Attachment 3
Retail Management 123.245
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or CPU; or by an extension of city, rural, or highway contract delivery. Post Offices are not established solely for community identity. New offices must be recommended by the vice president, Area Operations, for final approval by the chief marketing/sales officer.
123.23 Classified Units
Vice presidents, Area Operations, or their designees have the authority to approve the establishment of classified stations and branches where needed within the service areas of Post Offices.
123.24 Contract Units
123.241 Authority
Vice presidents, Area Operations, or their designees have the authority to establish contract units; however, approval authority may not be delegated below the district manager level.
123.242 Requirements
Postmasters or installation managers identify the need and request approval to solicit contracts, evaluate business proposals submitted by offices, and supervise performance under any contracts.
123.243 Purchasing
Purchasing and material service centers (P&MSCs) solicit offers and award contracts for contract postal units. All contracts are awarded through negotiation and are for an indefinite period.
123.244 Bonds
Generally, contract postal unit bonds are required before a postal unit contract may be awarded, but in certain circumstances the contracting officer may waive this requirement.
123.245 Payment
Upon contract award of the contract postal unit, the contracting officer must send a completed Contract Unit Payment Authorization (see Exhibit 123.245) to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center, which will issue payments to the contractor.

Attachment 3
123.245 Postal Operations Manual
8 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibit 123.245
Payment Authorization
U.S. Postal Service Contract Unit Payment Authorization

1. Contract Number:
_______________________________________________________________________________

2. a.Issued by:

U.S. Postal Service
b.ACO Code:
c.For Information Call:

3. Performance Requirements:
a. Administrative Post Office: b. COR Name:
c. Telephone:

4. a.Payee/Owner:
b.Contract Name:
c.Telephone:
d.TIN:
e.Parent TIN:

5. Accounts Payable Data: (Completed by Contracting Office) Type of Action:

Budgetary Finance No:

Account No: 52301
Total Hours of Operation per Week:

Annual Rate:

Days of Operation per Week:

Hours of Operation each Day:

Contract Unit Name:

Remarks:

Unit Designation:

Begin Date:

End Date:
(Not) Minimum Wage
Location:

Completed by Accounting Service Center
FAC S Loc _______________________________________________________ VDF Code ______________________

6. Signature of U.S. Postal Service Contracting Officer:
_______________________________
Signature
_______________________________
Name
_______________________________
Date Submitted
This document may be issued at the time of award or later with a modification, if necessary, to inform the Accounting Service Center that operations have begun. The original document should be mailed to the Accounting Service Center, U.S. Postal Service, Attn: Rent and Lease Section, P.O. Box 80103, St. Louis, MO 63180-0103. Copies should be placed in the Contract File and mailed to the COR.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 123.413
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123.3 Location of Postal Units
123.31 General
The specific site for a new or relocated facility providing retail services to the public is determined, to the extent possible, through community current and projected needs and the RAP Facilities Deployment and Staffing Survey. The Customer Service Support manager at the district level should recommend location based on customer accessibility and convenience. 123.32 Prohibited Locations
Postal units may not be located in, or directly connected to, a room in which intoxicating beverages are sold for consumption on the premises. 123.4 Names and ZIP Code Assignments and Changes
123.41 Postal Service–Operated Retail Facility Names
123.411 General
A Post Office normally should bear the official name of the incorporated city, town, or borough in which it is located, as shown in its charter. A Post Office located in an unincorporated place should generally bear the approved name of the principal community served (normally the community in which located) or the approved name of the town or township, if it serves a number of communities within a town or township.
123.412 Changes in Names of Post Offices
Requests for a change to a Post Office name should be initiated by the local postmaster. This request should be submitted through the district manager, Customer Service and Sales, to the vice president, Area Operations, for transmittal with a recommendation to the manager, Address Management, at Headquarters.
123.413 Designations of Stations, Branches, Community Post Offices, and Other Named Postal Facilities
Community Post Offices, stations, branches, and other named postal facilities generally are given names recognized by the public that indicate their locations, using the following policies:
a. Station Designations. A station’s name should describe its location (neighborhood or section of city, for example) to the general public.

There must be no duplication of station names within a single city, county, or 3-digit ZIP Code area.
b. Community Post Office (CPO) and Branch Designations. CPO and classified branch names are valid mailing addresses. Therefore, each CPO or classified branch must bear the name of the principal community it serves. There must be no duplication among CPO, classified branch, and Post Office names within a state. Each contract branch also must bear the name of the principal community it serves.

Exceptions are historic sites, etc. (e.g., Grand Canyon Branch), which must be approved by the vice president, Area Operations. c. Permanent Numbers and Letters. The use of permanent number and letter designations for branches or classified stations is prohibited, unless the number or letter signifies a location, as in M Street Station, Attachment 3
123.42 Postal Operations Manual
10 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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3rd Avenue Station, or Fourth of July Plaza Station. Number and letter designations in use at the time of the establishment of this regulation may continue to be used permanently.
d. Temporary Numbers and Letters. Number and letter designations for branches and classified stations that do not signify locations, such as Station A or Branch #4, may be used for a period not to exceed 1 year.

These designations may be used beyond 1 year only by written approval of the vice president, Area Operations.
e. Facilities Named for Individuals. A postal facility may be named for an individual only with the approval of the Postmaster General and only if the individual has been deceased for at least 10 years, with the exception of former Postmasters General, former members of the Board of Governors, or deceased U.S. Presidents. Official commitments announced prior to the establishment of this regulation will be fulfilled. Occasionally, Congress honors an individual by passing a law naming a postal facility after that individual. For the procedures to be followed in such cases, see ASM 519.2.
f. Changes in Designations of Stations, Branches, or Other Named Postal Facilities. A local request for a change in the name of a station, branch, or other named postal facility must be submitted to the vice president, Area Operations. A request that results from an official change in the community’s name is handled as a change in the name of a Post Office (see 123.412). The vice president, Area Operations, has authority, subject to the policies established in this section, to approve all other changes in designations of facilities, except for those discussed in 123.413a.
123.42 Contractor-Operated Retail Facilities
Vice presidents, Area Operations, are responsible for the review of all ZIP Code assignments and changes within their respective areas. See 439 for procedural guidelines for the assignment of ZIP Codes. Postmasters and other field officials will not authorize or change ZIP Code numbers or boundaries without prior area and Headquarters approval. 123.5 Reporting Requirements for Change in Post Office, Station, or Branch and ZIP Code Status
Immediately upon approval of a change in status or a detection that a previous reporting was erroneous, areas will ensure that a PS Form 1362, Status Change Request/Report, is completed and submitted to Address Management, Operations Support, at Headquarters. Instructions for completion are on the reverse of the form. The actions to be reported are as follows:
a. Conversion of a postal unit from one type to another. b. A change in the name of a postal unit or the ZIP Code for a delivery area.
c. Establishment of city delivery service.
d. Relocation of a postal unit to a building with a different owner status (e.g., from a privately owned- to a Postal Service-owned building).

Attachment 3
Retail Management 124.3
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e. Detection that information reported from the National ZIP Code Information System files is in error.
123.6 Reporting Requirements for Community Post Office or Contract Postal Unit Discontinuance
Upon the discontinuance of a community Post Office or contract postal unit, a report of change in status must be made on PS Form 1362, Status Change Request/Report, as required by 123.5. Additionally, when a contract unit is discontinued, a contract modification must be completed to show the contract termination date and submitted to the following address:

ACCOUNTING SERVICE CENTER

US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 14678
ST LOUIS MO 63180-9400
124 Conduct on Postal Property
124.1 General
The rules and regulations outlined in 124.2 through 124.6 apply to all real property under the charge and control of the Postal Service, to all tenant agencies, and to all persons entering in or on such property, except as may be provided in the lease. Space leased to private tenants will be covered only to the extent that requirements are incorporated in the lease agreement.

Poster 7, Rules and Regulations Governing Conduct on Postal Property, sets forth these rules and regulations and must be kept posted at a conspicuous place on all such property.
124.2 Admission to Postal Property
124.21 Inspection
Purses, briefcases, and other containers brought into, while on, or being removed from the property are subject to inspection. However, items that are brought directly to the customer mailing acceptance area of a facility and that are properly mailed are not subject to inspection, except as provided by ASM 274. A person arrested for violation of this section may be searched incident to that arrest.
124.22 Identification
Except as otherwise ordered, properties must be closed to the public after normal business hours. Properties also may be closed to the public in emergency situations and at such other times as may be necessary for the orderly conduct of business. Admission to properties during periods when such properties are closed to the public may be limited to authorized individuals who may be required to sign the register and to display identification documents when requested by security force personnel or other authorized individuals.
124.3 Preservation of Postal Property
Improperly disposing of rubbish, spitting, creating any hazard to persons or things, throwing articles of any kind from a building, climbing upon the roof Attachment 3
124.4 Postal Operations Manual
12 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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or any part of a building, or willfully destroying, damaging, or removing any property or any part thereof is prohibited.
124.4 Conformity With Signs and Directions
124.41 Pedestrian Traffic
All persons in and on postal property must comply with official signs of a prohibitory or directory nature and with the directions of postal police officers or other authorized individuals.
124.42 Vehicular Traffic
Regulations for driving on postal property are as follows:
a. Drivers of all vehicles in or on property shall be in possession of a current and valid state or territory issued driver’s license and vehicle registration, and the vehicle shall display all current and valid tags and licenses required by the jurisdiction in which it is registered. b. Drivers who have had their privilege or license to drive suspended or revoked by any state or territory shall not drive any vehicle in or on property during such period of suspension or revocation. c. Drivers of all vehicles in or on property shall drive in a careful and safe manner at all times and shall comply with the signals and directions of security force personnel, other authorized individuals, and all posted traffic signs.
d. The blocking of entrances, driveways, walks, loading platforms, or fire hydrants in or on property is prohibited.
e. Parking without authority, parking in unauthorized locations or in locations reserved for other persons, or continuously in excess of 18 hours without permission, or contrary to the direction of posted signs is prohibited. This section may be supplemented by the postmaster or installation head from time to time by the issuance and posting of specific traffic directives as may be required. When so issued and posted such directives shall have the same force and effect as if made a part hereof.
124.5 Specific Restrictions
124.51 Disturbances
Disorderly conduct; loud and unusually noisy conduct; conduct that obstructs the usual use of entrances, foyers, corridors, offices, elevators, stairways, and parking lots; or conduct that otherwise tends to impede or disturb public employees while working or that impedes or disturbs the general public in transacting business on postal property is prohibited. 124.52 Gambling
Participating in games for money or other personal property, operating gambling devices, conducting a lottery or pool, and selling or purchasing lottery tickets are prohibited on postal premises. This prohibition does not apply to the vending or exchange of state lottery tickets at vending facilities operated by licensed blind persons where such lotteries are authorized by state law.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 124.54
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124.53 Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs
124.531 Restrictions
A person under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug that has been defined as a controlled substance may not enter postal property or operate a motor vehicle on postal property. The possession, sale, or use of any controlled substance (except when permitted by law), or the sale of or use of any alcoholic beverage on postal premises is prohibited (except as authorized by the Postmaster General or designee). The term controlled substance is defined in 21 U.S.C. 802.
124.532 Smoking
Smoking (having a lighted or activated electronic cigar, cigarette, pipe, or other smoking material) is strictly prohibited in all buildings or office space (including service lobbies).
124.54 Soliciting, Electioneering, Collecting Debts, Vending, and Advertising
These regulations apply to the following activities:
a. Soliciting alms and contributions, campaigning for election to any public office, collecting private debts, commercial and nonprofit soliciting and vending (including, but not limited to, the vending of newspapers and other publications), the display or distribution of commercial advertising and soliciting of signatures on petitions, polls, or surveys on postal premises (except as authorized by 39 CFR part 259) or impeding the access to or egress from Post Offices are prohibited. This prohibition does not apply to the following:
(1) Commercial or nonprofit activities performed under contract with the Postal Service or pursuant to the provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act.
(2) Posting notices on bulletin boards as authorized by 39 CFR 243.2(a).
(3) The solicitation of Postal Service and other federal military and civilian personnel for contributions by recognized agencies as authorized by the Manual on Fund Raising Within the Federal Service, issued by the Chairman of the United States Civil Service Commission under Executive Order 10927,
March 13, 1961.
b. Leafletting, picketing, demonstrating, and other similar conduct by members of the public is prohibited in lobbies and other interior areas of postal premises otherwise open to the public. Public assembly and public address, except when conducted or sponsored by the Postal Service, are also prohibited in lobbies and other interior areas open to the public.
c. Solicitations and other actions that are prohibited by 124.54a when conducted on Postal Service property should not be directed by mail or telephone to postal employees on Postal Service property. The Postal Service will not accept or distribute mail or accept telephone Attachment 3
124.55 Postal Operations Manual
14 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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calls directed to its employees when such contacts are believed to be contrary to 124.54a.
d. Except as part of postal activities or as permitted under 17, Public Services, no tables, chairs, freestanding signs or posters, structures, or furniture of any type may be placed in postal lobbies or on postal walkways, steps, plazas, lawns or landscaped areas, driveways, parking lots, or other exterior spaces.
124.55 Prohibited Postings
Except for official postal and other governmental notices and announcements, no handbills, flyers, pamphlets, signs, posters, placards, or other literature may be deposited on the grounds, walks, driveways, parking and maneuvering areas; exteriors of buildings and other structures; or on the floors, walks, stairs, racks, counters, desks, writing tables, window ledges, or furnishings in interior public areas on postal premises. This prohibition does not apply to posting notices on bulletin boards as authorized by 39 CFR 243.2 or to interior space assigned to tenants for their exclusive use. Bulletin boards and other posting space in Post Office lobbies and other public access areas may not be used for posting or display of the following:
a. Private business or nonprofit organization advertisements. b. Photographs of an incumbent or former U.S. President or Postmaster General.
c. Photographs or likenesses of any elected officials.
d. Political cartoons or other matter designed to influence an election. e. Religious symbols or matter including but not limited to nativity scenes and the Star of David. This section applies to seasonal displays by the Postal Services, its employees and agents, and nothing in this section prohibits the display of stamps and stamp art or use of secular holiday decorations such as evergreen trees (provided that only nonreligious ornaments are used), menorahs (when displayed in conjunction with other seasonal matter), wreaths, holly, candy canes, Santa Claus, dreidels, and Kwanzaa symbols such as mkeka (a straw mat), kikombe cha umoja (unity cup), or mishumaa saba (a seven-place candle holder with three red, three green, and one black candle). Printed expressions “Season’s Greetings,” and “Happy Holidays” must be used in lieu of “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.”
124.56 Authorized Actions
Postal Service employees are welcome to share the spirit of the season with customers, and may do so by extending appropriate greetings such as “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah,” “Happy Kwanzaa,” “Happy New Year,” etc.
124.57 Seasonal Displays
Seasonal displays on postal property concern events or seasons that have a substantive impact upon mailing patterns. The following guidelines apply to seasonal displays by the Postal Service, its employees, or agents:

Attachment 3
Retail Management 124.6
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a. Displays should relate to the business of the Postal Service, such as promoting the use of postal products and services and encouraging customers to send greetings and gifts.
b. The Postal Service must avoid the appearance of favoring any particular religion or religion itself.
c. Symbols identified with a particular religion, including but not limited to nativity scenes, crosses, or the Star of David, shall not be displayed on postal property. Examples of permissible displays include: stamps and stamp art, evergreen trees bearing nonreligious ornaments, menorahs (when displayed in conjunction with other seasonal matter), wreaths, holly, candy canes, Santa Claus, reindeer, dreidels, snowmen, stockings, candles, carolers, hearts, colored lights, and Kwanzaa symbols such as mkeka (a straw mat), kikombe cha umoja (unity cup), or mishumaa saba (a seven place candle holder with three red, three green, and one black candle).
d. Printed expressions “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays” should be used in lieu of “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.” 124.58 Photographs for News, Advertising, or Commercial Purposes Photographs for news purposes may be taken in entrances, lobbies, foyers, corridors, or auditoriums when used for public meetings, except as prohibited by official signs, the directions of postal police officers, other authorized personnel, or a federal court order or rule. Other photographs may be taken only with the permission of the local postmaster or installation head. 124.59 Dogs, Other Animals, and Weapons and Explosives
a. Dogs and other animals: Dogs and other animals, except those used to assist persons with disabilities (service animals), may not be brought on postal property for other than official reasons. A “service animal” may be any species, breed, or size and may or may not be licensed, certified, or marked as a service animal. Service animals can assist persons with a wide range of disabilities, whether a disability is visible or not, including physical and mental disorders.
b. Weapons and explosives: No one on postal property may carry or store firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, whether openly or concealed, for other than official reasons.

Note: All classified postal units must display in lobbies Poster 7, Rules and Regulations Governing Conduct on Postal Property. No other signage referring to dogs or service animals should be posted in lobbies or on entry doors. See 125.342.
124.6 Nondiscrimination
There must be no discrimination by segregation or otherwise against any person or persons because of 1) race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity including transgender status), national origin, religion, age (40 or over), genetic information, disability, or retaliation for engaging in an EEO-protected activity as provided by law, or 2) other non-meritorious factors such as political affiliation, marital status; status as a parent; and past, present or future military service in furnishing or by refusing Attachment 3
124.7 Postal Operations Manual
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to furnish to such person or persons the use of any facility of a public nature, including all services, privileges, accommodations, and activities provided thereby on postal property.
124.7 Enforcement and Violations
124.71 Enforcement
124.711 Postal Police Officers
Office of Inspector General Special Agents, and other persons designated by the Chief Postal Inspector are responsible for enforcing the regulations in this part in a manner that will protect Postal Service property. 124.712 Agreements
Pursuant to 40 U.S.C. 318b and with the approval of the Chief Postal Inspector or designee, local postmasters, installation heads, and postal inspectors may enter into agreements with state and local enforcement agencies to ensure that these rules and regulations are enforced in a manner that will protect Postal Service property.
124.72 Violations
124.721 Court
Alleged violations of these rules and regulations are heard and the penalties prescribed in 124.722 are imposed either in a federal district court or by a federal magistrate in accordance with applicable court rules. Questions regarding such rules should be directed to the Managing Counsel for the area involved.
124.722 Fines and Imprisonment
Anyone found guilty of violating the rules and regulations in this part while on property under the charge and control of the Postal Service is subject to a fine of not more than $50, or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both. Nothing contained in these rules and regulations is to be construed to abrogate any other federal laws or regulations or any state or local laws or regulations applicable to any area in which the property is situated. 125 Lobby Management
125.1 Image
125.11 General
The Post Office lobby is the principal business office of the Postal Service. For many customers, the lobby is their only close-up view of postal operations; therefore, its appearance, convenience, and efficiency directly affect the Postal Service’s public image. Consequently, to enhance corporate identity and continue the standardization process, lobbies must be maintained according to established postal guidelines (e.g., painting, redecorating, etc.). 125.12 Responsibility
To effectively manage lobbies, postal managers must allocate and use available resources as necessary to ensure that postal retail services are available and accessible to customers in a timely, efficient manner and in an orderly, clean, and attractive environment.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 125.22
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Lobby and retail services must be scheduled during hours most appropriate to the needs of the majority of customers in the local area. Postal units located in a business area normally will be open during hours maintained by that business community. Stations and branches are not required to maintain the same hours as main offices when the needs of their respective local customers are different.
125.2 Service Levels
125.21 General
It is not economically possible for the Postal Service to provide instantaneous service for each customer entering the lobby. Instead, the Postal Service goal is to provide a level of service that produces a waiting time of less than 5 minutes for those customers who cannot be served immediately. Postmasters achieve this goal through the following:
a. Proper training and staff scheduling.
b. Using procedures and equipment that expedite customer transactions, such as making maximum use of integrated retail terminals (IRTs), staff scheduling, the Lobby Director Program (see 125.4), vending equipment maintained in working order, and other line management techniques (see 125.43).
c. Using the retail analysis staffing and scheduling model to determine how many employees should be on duty during all periods to maintain service levels within these guidelines.
125.22 National Holidays
Post Offices are generally closed on holidays, except for specific facilities that include holiday service in their normal schedules (e.g., 24-hour retail offices and air mail facilities). Incoming mail may be distributed to Post Office boxes at some postal facilities. The Priority Mail Express network is also adjusted for limited holiday operations. Collections are generally not performed on holidays, but Post Offices may empty collection boxes to avoid overflow conditions, to secure mail deposited in the box, or to advance collections for the next processing day. The Postal Service observes the following holidays:
a. New Year’s Day.
b. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday.
c. George Washington’s Birthday.
d. Memorial Day.
e. Independence Day.
f. Labor Day.
g. Columbus Day.
h. Veterans Day.
i. Thanksgiving Day.
j. Christmas Day.

Attachment 3
125.22 Postal Operations Manual
18 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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Exhibit 125.22a
Holiday Service Levels
Widely Observed Holidays
(New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day)
Holiday Day of the Week Service Level
Friday Holiday
Friday Collection Schedule Decal
Saturday Normal
Sunday Collection Schedule Decal
Saturday Holiday
Friday Normal
Saturday Collection Schedule Decal
Sunday Collection Schedule Decal
Sunday or Monday Holiday
Saturday Normal
Sunday Collection Schedule Decal
Monday Collection Schedule Decal if
Holiday; If No Holiday then Normal
Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Holiday
Preceding Day Normal
Holiday Collection Schedule Decal
Attachment 3
Retail Management 125.31
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Exhibit 125.22b
Holidays Not Widely Observed
Holidays Not Widely Observed
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, George Washington’s Birthday, and Columbus Day are all Monday holidays. Veterans Day is observed on November 11.

Use service levels for a Monday holiday on Veterans Day.

Day of Week of Holiday Service Level
Saturday Normal (if not Veterans Day holiday;
Collection Schedule decal if
Veterans Day holiday)
Sunday Collection Schedule decal
Monday Collection Schedule decal
Note: Exceptions to these service levels must be approved by the appropriate functional manager at Postal Service Headquarters. Collections are made as shown on the collection schedule decal on each collection box, except as outlined below:

Local managers must assure that collections are made from all boxes as shown on the collection schedule decal. If necessary, Post Offices can make other collections to avoid overflow conditions, to secure mail deposited in the box, or to advance processing for the next day.

For territories with additional holidays, area and district managers will determine service levels for Post Offices within their jurisdiction.

Limited exceptions for modified collections on days adjacent to holidays when mail volume is expected to decline significantly (such as on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve) are allowed under the following conditions:
a. Postal Service Headquarters issues national advice for field offices about changes to collection schedules.
b. A prominent notice is placed in postal lobbies approximately 2 weeks prior to the day that collection operations will be modified, showing the last scheduled collection for that day, and the location of the closest collection point or Post Office with a 5:00 P.M. or later last collection on that date.

Local print and broadcast media have been advised of the changes and are asked to provide information to the public about the changes to collection operations.

Definition of Terms
Normal: Service normally provided on that particular day of the week.

Time Decal: Collections from boxes with last pickup-time decals identifying the boxes.

Limited: Service adjusted to meet the limited needs of a community on that particular day.
125.3 Space Utilization
125.31 General
The first priority for use of space in lobbies is to make postal services and products available to the public in an orderly, efficient, attractive, and convenient manner. It is also important to display postal services and products in a manner that effectively markets those services to customers, following standard established postal guidelines. Any space that is not needed for that purpose may be made available for purposes prescribed by law or for use by other government agencies under the conditions explained in this subchapter.

Attachment 3
125.32 Postal Operations Manual
20 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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125.32 Furnishings and Fixtures
125.321 General
Lobby furniture and fixtures aid customers in the conduct of their business, expedite their movements while in the lobby, and provide them with materials and information. Postmasters should ensure that the selection, placement, and daily maintenance of lobby furnishings conform to the lobby standards and enhance the overall appearance of the lobby. All lobby furniture and equipment must be properly secured to the floor to prevent them from tipping over.
125.322 Writing Tables and Customer Forms
Tables, ledges, and shelves are provided for customers to use while addressing mail and completing forms related to postal transactions.

Postmasters are responsible for obtaining the proper number and type of these items to serve customer needs at each unit. These items should be placed carefully within the lobby so that they do not impede the movement of customers to the queuing line, and they should be kept adequately lighted.

Tables, ledges, shelves, etc., must be securely anchored to the wall and/or floor. Publication 65, National Five-Digit ZIP Code and Post Office Directory, should be available for customer use in the lobby. Unit supervisors should ensure that pens are available and all required customer forms are available on the tables or in appropriate “Take One” racks. Such forms must be kept neatly arranged at all times and resupplied as necessary on a daily basis. 125.323 Checking Retail Scales for Accuracy
Retail Lobby Scales
Retail scales used to rate single piece mail: Verify scale accuracy each day and field calibrate using certified test weights if scale is not accurate. Follow current procedures for verifying and calibrating.

Repaired scales and new scales: Use certified test weights to field calibrate scales before placing into service.

Ascom Hasler/Triner electronic scales: Refer to the user’s operation manual for these units for verification and calibration procedures. The manufacturer or existing maintenance contract handles calibration for these units.

Mechanical scales: Refer to current maintenance management orders or visit http://www.mtsc.usps.gov for information on verification and calibration.

Retail Counter Scales
POS ONE: Refer to POS ONE web site at http://retail.usps.gov/posone or contact your Area/District POS ONE coordinator for verification and calibration procedures. Retail unit managers or their designees handle calibration for POS ONE units.

IRT, MOS, UNISYS: Refer to current maintenance management orders or visit http://www.mtsc.usps.gov for information on verification and calibration.

Your local field maintenance office handles calibration for these units. 125.33 Queuing Systems Criteria
Wherever possible, queuing systems should be used to ensure that an orderly flow of lobby traffic is maintained and that customers are served on a first-come, first-served basis. Queuing systems should be installed when two Attachment 3
Retail Management 125.342
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full-time and one or more part-time (4 hours per day) retail service counters are in operation. There are many variations in equipment design and quality.

District managers, Customer Service and Sales, should plan procurement of queuing systems to take advantage of price discounts for quantity purchases. A proper plan includes the following:
a. A parcel slide, if space permits.
b. An adequate number of stanchions and rope footage.
c. The proper number of correctly worded signs.
d. Sufficient queuing area for the number of peak-period customers. e. Installation of the system during nonbusiness hours. f. Placement of queuing systems to ensure free and unobstructed access to the principal entrance and exit doors used by the public. Also, ensure that all retail service counters have an unobstructed view of the head of the queue.
125.34 Lobby Displays and Promotions
125.341 General
The amount of lobby space suitable for posters and signs varies, and the total amount of space needed for all postings approved at any one time may exceed the amount of space available in some offices. Local managers should display postings according to the following priorities:
a. Mandatory Postal Service postings are Notice 107, Poster 7, Poster 37, Poster 158, Poster 296, and other forms on a space-available basis. b. Postal Service mailing forms to facilitate conduct of retail operations, including rate charts.
c. Specialized Postal Service displays, such as promotional material for revenue-generating products and services, packaging, and stamp collecting product displays.
d. Postal Service announcements and consumer information. e. Notices by members of Congress.
f. Postings for other government agencies.
125.342 Lobby Displays
Certain mandatory notices, posters, and signs must be posted clearly and continuously in the lobbies of all classified postal units. Some mandatory postings may be for temporary periods. Many optional posters and displays are also provided. A list of lobby displays is contained in Exhibit 125.342.

Offices must display the following decals, labels, notices, posters, publications, and signs. Except for those indicated with an asterisk, these items are available from the Material Distribution Centers (MDCs).

Attachment 3
125.343 Postal Operations Manual
22 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibit 125.342
Mandatory Lobby Displays
Poster 7 Rules and Regulations Governing Conduct on Postal Property Poster 37 Is Your Package Safe to Mail?
Notice 107 Let’s Keep The Mail Safe
Poster 158 Possession of Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons on Postal Property Is Prohibited by Law
Poster 296 Notice of Reward
125.343 Mandatory Public Information to be Available
Mandatory posters, notices, and signs must be available in Post Offices for customer access. These items may be placed in a binder or posted behind the counter. A list of information that must be made available is contained in Exhibit 125.343.

Exhibit 125.343
Mandatory Public Information to be Available
FBI Most Wanted Poster Kept in binder behind counter
Notice 123 Ratefold
Notice 4314-C We Want to Know
Poster SSS46 Selective Service Poster
PUB 201 Consumer’s Guide to Postal Services and Products Sign 145 Payment Policies
Signs1
1 Available through the direct vendor signage contract.  Hours of operation
 Time when all committed PO Box mail is normally
distributed
 Letter drops and collection point times
125.35 Scheduled Use
125.351 General
Retail Operations at Headquarters is responsible for policy guidance over the use of lobby floor and poster space for nonpostal purposes. Advertising and Promotion is responsible for scheduling and controls point of purchase advertising for the Postal Service as well as that of other agencies. All requests from government agencies for scheduled use of lobby space on a multiregional, statewide, or larger basis must be forwarded to the area manager, Sales and Account Management, for approval. Requests for scheduled use of space on a less-than-statewide basis must be forwarded to area Sales and Account Management for evaluation and final approval.

Scheduled use of lobby space by government agencies is provided in the following order:
a. Federal agencies.
b. State agencies.
c. County and municipal agencies.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 125.361
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125.352 Terms and Conditions
The scheduled use of available space in Post Office lobbies by other government agencies is subject to the following terms and conditions:
a. Each user must pay a fee, to be established by the Postal Service based on the cost and value of the space involved, plus any direct costs incurred by the Postal Service. The amount of the fee to be charged at each type of facility is published periodically in the Postal Bulletin.
b. The user agency must arrange for the distribution of any literature or display material to the facility with available space and must pay all costs involved.
c. Floor space is allotted in increments of eight square feet and for predetermined periods, normally one calendar month. Use of floor space is restricted to kiosks or other semipermanent display stands of stable construction, located where they will not impede normal customer traffic or pose a security problem and must meet safety requirements.
d. Examples of counter cards, posters, and other display material must be available for Headquarters, Advertising and Promotion review, as appropriate, at least 3 weeks before the distribution date.

Headquarters, Advertising and Promotion or Sales and Account Management will determine the suitability of the material for display in postal lobbies and will provide the user with specific distribution instructions on the available sites.
e. Counter cards must measure no more than 11 by 14 inches. f. Posters must be of standard dimension (24 by 36 inches,14 by 21 inches, or 11 by 14 inches), must be approved by Advertising and Promotion prior to printing, and must bear a printed expiration date, usually one month from the date of posting, unless specific exceptions have been granted by the approving office.
g. Displays or other dispensers for “Take One” brochures or forms must be accompanied by a life-cycle supply of those items. The facility manager ensures that the dispensers are replenished as needed from the supply of items.
125.36 Unscheduled Use
125.361 Bulletin Boards
The following guidelines apply to the use of bulletin boards:
a. Postmasters may install bulletin boards in public areas of Post Offices or set apart a convenient place to display official government notices, notices of public assemblies, judicial sales, official election notices issued by state or local government, and similar announcements.

These display privileges must be afforded without discrimination. b. Bulletin boards may not display private business advertisements; placards, cards, or notices; photographs or likenesses of any member of state legislature or Congress; or political pictures, cartoons, or other material designed to influence an election.

Attachment 3
125.362 Postal Operations Manual
24 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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c. Notices by members of Congress are limited to public announcements of pending competitive civil service examinations and pertinent information about application for appointment to the U.S. service academies. These notices are displayed only if current and within the district of the sponsoring representative or the state of the sponsoring senator. Such displays must conform to the specifications in this section. If a postmaster believes that a notice does not conform to these specifications, the postmaster may display the poster pending the decision of the area manager, Customer Service and Sales. Notices that include the member’s picture must be returned to the member with an explanation of why they cannot be displayed. Such displays must:
(1) Be no larger than 9 by 12 inches.
(2) Contain no photograph, picture, or likeness of the member of Congress.
(3) Contain no signature and/or printed name of the member of Congress larger than 1/2-inch (48-point) type.
(4) Contain the closing date for submission of applications. d. If space is available, one recruiting notice (no larger than 8-1/2 by 11 inches) of each branch of the armed services may be placed on bulletin boards.
125.362 Voting Information
The following guidelines apply to voting information:
a. Any notices posted regarding voting may not contain any partisan political messages or symbols designed to influence the outcome of an election, including, but not limited to, photographs or other likenesses of incumbents or candidates for any public office. The notices must be no larger than 8-1/2 by 11 inches. Names and addresses of federal legislators may not appear in larger than 1/4-inch (18-point) type. b. Such notices must be displayed in lobbies that have public bulletin boards. Each notice must remain posted only as long as it contains current information applying to customers served by the displaying postal facility and must be removed not more than 2 years from the date of receipt for posting. At locations where there is no public bulletin board or there is not enough space on the board for individual display, the notices should be assembled for public inspection in a binder or on a clipboard. Nothing in this section precludes postmasters from displaying additional material on public bulletin boards as space permits, as provided in 125.361.
125.37 Blind Vendor Facilities
The Randolph-Sheppard Act (20 U.S.C. 107-107f) requires that preference be given to certified blind persons for installing and operating vending facilities on postal property. A state licensing agency designated by the Department of Health and Human Services must apply on behalf of a blind vendor to the officer in charge of the postal facility where the space is desired. The Postal Service determines if a permit for the vending facility should be granted. Handbook EL-602, Food Service Operations, provides guidance for Postal Service compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Act.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 125.434
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125.4 Lobby Director Program
125.41 Description
The lobby director is a friendly, knowledgeable clerk in the lobby who greets customers, determines what they need, and assists them in selecting services and preparing paperwork before they reach the service counter.

Lobby directors perform the same duties as the clerks behind the counter, except that they do not handle money.
125.42 Purpose and Scope
The program’s objective is to reduce the average customer waiting time by assisting many customers before they reach the retail service counter. In addition, it aims to reduce customers’ perceived waiting time by demonstrating that the Postal Service intends to provide prompt, efficient, and courteous service. The lobby director should be used during peak traffic periods during the day.

The lobby director program is appropriate for high-traffic offices that:
a. Might otherwise have long lines at several periods of the day, month, or year.
b. Receive customer complaints about long lines, waiting time, or employee discourtesy.
c. Have two full-time and at least one part-time retail service counters in operation.

Note: To implement the lobby director program, there must be enough lobby space for an extra person to work the line. 125.43 Implementation
125.431 Notify Employees
Managers should provide all clerks with a program overview that describes the program and its objectives as well as benefits for customers, retail clerks, and employees acting as the lobby director.
125.432 Encourage Volunteers
All employees with retail responsibilities in a unit may volunteer for the lobby director program. Each volunteer will be given the opportunity to serve as a lobby director.
125.433 Provide Training
Each lobby director receives 8 hours of training that focuses on communications and human relations skills, salesmanship, and knowledge of Postal Service products and services.
125.434 Uniforms
Lobby directors must wear a standard retail clerk uniform blouse, slacks, skirt, or jumper, and black or navy blue shoes.

Attachment 3
125.435 Postal Operations Manual
26 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
125.435 Obtain Supplies and Equipment
Lobby directors may work from a mobile cart or a table. The following supplies should be available:
a. Letter scale.
b. Mailing forms and labels.
c. Tape.
d. Packaging products for sale to customers.
e. Bad check list.
f. Zone chart.
g. Rate charts (giveaways).
h. Publication 201, Consumer’s Guide to Postal Services and Products. i. Other brochures (giveaways).
125.5 Articles Found in Lobbies or Public Areas
When articles found in lobbies or in public areas around a Post Office are turned in to employees, the employees follow these procedures:
a. Ask the finder to write down on a Postal Service routing slip (Item 0-13) name, address, telephone number, and a description of the article.

Unless the article is Postal Service or government property or a money order, it can be returned to the finder if the loser does not claim it within 30 days.
b. If the finder does not leave a name, want the article, or claim the article within 30 days after being notified that it is available, dispose of it in the same manner as unidentified material found loose in the mail. Do not return government property or money orders to the finder. Dispose of government property as prescribed by 691.45. Money orders should be mailed to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center.
c. Note on the routing slip the date and disposition of the article. Also note the name of the employee handling the disposition. File the routing slip for 3 months, then destroy it. The postmaster should make sure that the article is not lost or damaged.
126 Retail Services Management
126.1 Purpose and Scope
In addition to operations involving direct contact with customers, retail clerks must report cash, sales of items, and stock on hand. They must also maintain records, complete data collection forms, and perform other related tasks as required. This section explains administrative responsibilities and applicable regulations.
126.2 Stamps and Accountable Stock Activities
126.21 General
The majority of all retail unit transactions involve the sale of stamps or postal stationery items. Therefore, all employees who provide or supervise retail service must have a thorough working knowledge of the accounting Attachment 3
Retail Management 126.31
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Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
instructions for these materials. Further, it is essential for these employees to understand the requirements for ordering accountable stock (see Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures).
126.22 Requisitioning Stamps and Accountable Stock
Retail units requisition stamp and accountable stock on schedules established by stamp distribution offices. Adjust requisitions whenever possible to permit ordering stamps in full sheets or packaged lots and postal cards or envelopes in full boxes or packaged lots. Detailed instructions are contained in Handbook F-1.
126.23 Counting Stamps and Accountable Stock
Retail employees count and verify stamp stock as it is received from the supply source and during audits. Recommended systematic methods for performing these tasks are described in Handbook F-1.
126.24 Protecting Stamps and Accountable Stock
Vaults, security containers of various types, and security cages are installed in postal facilities as needed for protective storage of accountable items. The Postal Inspection Service determines the amount and type of security equipment that is required. Details on the use and care of this equipment may be found in Handbook F-1.

Stamps, postal stationery, blank money orders, and other accountable items must be protected at all times. They may be stored in a locked cash drawer or cabinet for short periods during the duty day. At other times they must be stored in the main vault or security container that affords the best available protection. Detailed instructions for safeguarding accountable items are contained in Handbook F-1.
126.25 Destroying Stamps and Accountable Stock
During handling, postage stock items frequently become damaged or soiled to the extent that they are no longer salable. Retail employees turn in such items to the person who fills their stamp requisitions in return for full credit.

Periodically, all nonsalable postage items are sent to a designated committee at the stamp distribution office (SDO) or accountable paper depository for verification and destruction. Complete details on the destruction of postage stock are contained in Handbook F-1. 126.3 Financial Activities
126.31 Purpose and Scope
Window clerks must account on a daily basis for all funds received for the sale of stamps and other postal products and services.

This section highlights selected elements of cash management and bookkeeping activities for quick reference. Detailed instructions on required accounting procedures are contained in the Financial Management Manual (FMM) and in Handbook F-1.

Attachment 3
126.32 Postal Operations Manual
28 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
126.32 Security
126.321 Cash
The following procedures safeguard the security of Postal Service employees and the cash they handle:
a. Window employees’ cash drawers have compartments that separate the different denominations of coins and bills, blank money orders, and the postage stock items of highest demand. The drawers are designed to keep these items beyond the sight and reach of customers. They must be locked for security during temporary clerk absences from the retail service counter and must be removed from their cabinets for overnight storage in a vault or security container. Retail employees must never have access to one another’s cash drawers.
b. Postal Service policy on the deposit of retail cash receipts is based on requirements for employees’ safety, security of funds, availability of revenue, and retention of adequate change.
c. Retail clerks turn in cash periodically during the day to a designated employee to avoid keeping unnecessary amounts at the retail service counter, where the risk of loss is high.
d. Generally, funds retained overnight by clerks for use on the next business day must not exceed $100, or 10 percent of a clerk’s credit, whichever is the lesser amount.
e. Detailed instructions for disposition of postal funds are contained in Handbook F-1.
126.322 Money Orders
Retail personnel who issue money orders must have on hand a sufficient number of blank money orders to accommodate the expected daily volume of business. Further details concerning the maintenance of blank money orders may be found in Handbook F-1.
126.323 Advance Deposits
Guidelines for handling advance deposits are as follows:
a. The advance deposit system encompasses the acceptance, accounting, and file maintenance procedures applying to the operation of Trust Fund Accounts. A large percentage of all postal revenue is deposited in such accounts.
b. Each person involved in the maintenance and management of this complex system must be thoroughly familiar with the established procedures. In general, funds received for use in customers’ advance deposit accounts are handled as any other postal funds, subject to the same limitations, procedures, and accountability requirements. c. Details concerning the handling of advance deposits are contained in Handbook F-1.
126.33 Daily Financial Report
Individual retail clerks and all stations, branches, and main office retail units must report all financial transactions at the end of each business day on the appropriate version of PS Form 1412-A, Daily Financial Form, or PS Form Attachment 3
Retail Management 126.42
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1412-B, Daily Financial Report. The report shows the total amount received for each type of transaction conducted during the day and provides a running record of stamp accountability for each clerk and unit.

Each report is checked and verified by a designated employee other |than the person who prepared it. Information from the forms is used by the designated accounting unit in preparing the Statement of Account.

All retail employees must keep fully informed on current reporting procedures. The details are explained in Handbook F-1.
126.4 Retail Hours
126.41 General
The availability of retail services and lobby hours should reflect time periods that most appropriately meet the needs of the majority of customers in the local area. Stations and branches are not required to be open at the same scheduled hours as the main office. Stations and branches can adjust retail service hours to meet the needs of the local community. Units in suburban communities and/or large shopping centers may provide late evening service for customer convenience if approved by the district manager and area office.
126.411 Main Post Office and Units in Business Areas
Units located in a business area should typically maintain the operational hours of the business community.
126.412 Saturdays
Window service is provided on Saturdays if there is a demonstrated need; however, retail units offering Saturday delivery must continue to do so unless otherwise approved by Headquarters Retail Operations. At financial units serving business areas or facilities serving communities where residents leave on weekends, retail service may be closed if service is available at other postal units, at contract stations, or by self-service equipment.

Postmasters must post signage informing customers of locations and hours of such services.
126.413 Sundays
Window service is typically not provided on Sundays unless approved by the district manager and area vice president.
126.414 Signs
Postmasters must use available standard signage to publicize the services and hours at each postal unit.
126.42 Change in Retail Hours
Except as provided below, permanent changes in the hours of operation must be approved by the district and area offices. Once approved, the area retail office must notify Headquarters Retail Operations of the change in hours of operation at a minimum of 30 days in advance of the change. The notification is performed via e-mail, using the “Notification of Proposed Change in Office Hours” located at http://blue.usps.gov/wps/portal/ officehours.

Attachment 3
126.43 Postal Operations Manual
30 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Total daily hours of service for RMPOs and PTPOs on weekdays are determined by Headquarters Retail Operations. The actual hours of service each weekday and weekend are determined by district officials. Offices offering Saturday delivery must continue to do so unless otherwise approved by Headquarters Retail Operations.

The postmaster is responsible for informing customers 30 days in advance of any change in hours of operation by posting temporary signs on the entrance doors. These temporary signs should identify the nearest Post Office that can provide retail service outside of the new hours of operation. Offices must check with their district retail office for further information about appropriate temporary signage.

The postmaster must order a replacement for the mandatory “hours of operation” decal from the Direct Vendor Signage Catalog with sufficient time to receive the new decal prior to the change in hours. Apply the new decal to all entrance doors per the retail standardization guidelines.

The postmaster is also responsible for making changes to all databases containing unit hours of operation such as the facilities database. Review and update the lobby hours, window service hours, Priority Mail Express acceptance times, and passport acceptance times as necessary. 126.43 Lobby Hours
At a minimum, customers must have access to their PO Boxes during all retail service hours of operation. Separate PO Box lobbies should remain open when someone is on duty in the postal unit. At the postmaster’s discretion, lobbies may remain open 24 hours a day to allow customers access to PO Boxes and self-service equipment, provided that customer safety and security provisions are deemed adequate by the Inspection Service.
126.44 Local or State Holidays
Post Offices may not be closed solely for a local or state holiday. Window or other services may be reduced if warranted by lessened demand. Otherwise, customers must receive normal levels and types of service. 126.45 Self-Service Units
Where criteria and approval for placement are met, Automated Postal Centers® may be placed in lobbies to reduce retail transactions and for postal customers’ convenience when retail service is not available.

Postmasters must encourage their customers to use the self-service equipment by informing them of the availability, locations, advantages, and products available from equipment. All self-service equipment must be operable and available for customers when the lobby is open. 126.46 Consolidation of Retail Counter Service
Consolidate retail windows and services so that the use of each retail service counter is maximized. Windows offering specialized services are opened only if conditions warrant and if approved by the district manager and area office. All approved specialized retail service counters must also offer stamps and postal stationery.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 131.32
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126.47 Specified Postal Business
Contract stations and branches offer specified postal business during normal business hours or hours designated by the postmaster. Contractors on their own initiative may conduct postal business beyond those designated by the postmaster.
13 Retail Services at Counters
131 Overview
131.1 Counter Transactions
Counter transactions consist of the sale of postage stamps, postal stationery items, mail services, postal-related products, and other services.

All products and services should be offered at every retail service counter position. This permits full utilization of clerks during their duty tour and is a prerequisite for the successful use of queuing systems as described in 125.33. 131.2 High-Volume Retail Units
Postmasters of high-volume retail units are authorized to activate a stampsonly retail service counter during peak mailing periods such as noon (lunch time), late afternoon, late December, and after general rate changes.

Additional staffing is neither authorized nor warranted for this procedure.

Windows offering other specialized services may be opened where local needs dictate.
131.3 Forms of Identification
131.31 Description
Certain products and services may require forms of acceptable identification in the application process, and/or receipt of an item. When identification is required, the identification presented must be current (See DMM 608.10). 131.32 Products and Services Requiring Forms of Acceptable Identification
Exhibit 131.32 provides a list of the products and services requiring forms of identification and the number of required forms of acceptable identification (primary and secondary).

Exhibit 131.32
Products and Services Requiring Forms of Acceptable Identification Products/Services Primary ID Secondary ID
Caller Service  
Certified Mail Services 
Change-of-Address (COA) 
Collect on Delivery (COD) 
Commercial Mail Receiving Agency  
Firm Holdout 
Hold For Pickup 
Attachment 3
131.33 Postal Operations Manual
32 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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131.33 Acceptable Primary Forms of Photo Identification This section provides a description of the acceptable primary forms of photo identification which must include a clear photograph of the individual bearer.

Exhibit 131.33 provides a table of the products and services that require a valid primary form of identification and which forms are acceptable for that product or service.
d. U.S. Government I.D. – U.S. Government I.D. may be federal-, state-, or tribal-issued. A customer may use a state-issued driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card, U.S. Armed Forces card or Uniformed Service ID card, U.S. permanent resident or other identification card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. certificate of citizenship or naturalization, or an identification card issued by a federally- or state-recognized tribal nation (tribal identification card), as forms of acceptable photo identification.
e. Passport – A customer may use a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, or foreign passport as forms of acceptable photo identification. f. Matricula Consular (Mexico) – A customer may use a Matricula Consular card as a form of acceptable photo identification. A Matricula Consular card is an identification card issued by the Government of Mexico through its consulate offices to Mexican nationals residing outside of Mexico.
g. NEXUS (Canada) – A customer may use a NEXUS card as a form of acceptable photo identification. A NEXUS card used as a form of identification for money orders must contain an identification number.

NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection operated trusted traveler and expedited border control program.
h. Corporate Identification – A customer may use a corporate identification card of a corporation located and organized in good standing in the United States as a form of acceptable photo identification for certain services, as specified in Exhibit 131.33. i. U.S. University Identification – A customer may use a public or private U.S. university identification card as a form of acceptable photo identification for certain retail products and services as specified in Exhibit 131.33.

Hold Mail 
Insurance Services 
Money Order 
Parcel Return Service 
PO Box  
Premium Forwarding Service  
Priority Mail Express 
Registered Mail Services 
Sure Money (DineroSeguro) 
USPS Signature Services 
Products/Services Primary ID Secondary ID
Attachment 3
Retail Management 131.35
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Exhibit 131.33
Acceptable Primary Forms of Photo Identification for Products and Services
Products/Services
U.S.Gov’tU.S/ForeignPassportMatriculaConsularNEXUSCanadaU.S.UniversityU.S.Corp.

Caller Service      
Certified Mail Services     
Change-of-Address (COA)     
Collect on Delivery (COD)     
Commercial Mail Receiving Agency     
Firm Holdout     
Hold For Pickup     
Hold Mail     
Insured Mail Services     
Money Order    
Parcel Return Service     
PO Box      
Premium Forwarding Service    
Priority Mail Express     
Registered Mail Services     
Sure Money (DineroSeguro)    
USPS Signature Services     
131.34 Acceptable Secondary Forms of Identification
As provided under 131.32, certain products and services require a secondary form of acceptable identification that is traceable to the bearer, in order to verify the validity of the address provided by the customer when applying or requesting those products and services. A customer may use an additional acceptable primary form of identification to meet the secondary form of identification requirement. A customer may also use an acceptable nonphoto form of identification such as a current version of: a lease, mortgage, or deed of trust; voter or vehicle registration card; home or vehicle insurance policy; utility bill; or Form I-94, Arrival and Departure Record. 131.35 Unacceptable Forms of Identification
As specified under DMM 608.10.0, acceptable forms of identification provide sufficient proof of identity and validation of an address. Therefore, the Postal Service does not accept Social Security cards, birth certificates, credit cards, and other similar items as primary or secondary forms of identification.

Attachment 3
132 Postal Operations Manual
34 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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132 Stamp and Postal Stationery Sales
132.1 Stamps
132.11 General
Stamp collecting is a source of pleasure for millions of people and sales of postage exclusively for retention are very beneficial to the Postal Service.

That is why, to the extent possible, the Postal Service must ensure that stamps, stationery, and other stamp collecting products and services are available at or through all Post Offices. All retail employees must be able to transact philatelic sales, advise customers on mail order procedures, or direct them to the nearest philatelic sales unit. Details on the types of philatelic products available and the procedures for handling them are contained in chapter 2.
132.12 Types of Stamps
The Postal Service currently offers three types of adhesive-backed stamps that are used for postage and collecting. Each office and, to a lesser degree, each retail clerk should have available sufficient quantities of each type of stamp normally needed to conduct each day’s business and should maintain postage stock neatly to facilitate rapid counting, auditing, and replenishment.

The three basic types of stamps are described below:
a. Regular (Definitive) Stamps, issued in denominations ranging from 1¢ to $14, are generally kept in constant supply for ordinary postal needs.

They are issued when the postage rates change or a new series is introduced. Included in this category are Priority Mail Express stamps. b. Commemorative Stamps are issued in observance of historical events, in honor of noted persons, and on topics of national importance. Each commemorative issue is printed in limited quantities and sold for a limited time.
c. Special Stamps supplement each year’s regular issues. They include the Love and Holiday stamps.
132.13 Types of Stamp Sales
132.131 Loose Stamps
Loose stamps should be presented to the customer with the glue side up for cleanliness and convenience in moistening and application. Customers are expected to verify the denomination and affix their own stamps. 132.132 Panes or Partial Panes
Panes of stamps may be broken into strips or blocks for sale to customers.

Glassine or a similar material may be required between layers of full panes of stamps when sold. A customer’s request to have stamps placed in a nonofficial (glassine) envelope should be honored, although many collectors provide their own stamp storage envelopes. The Postal Service stocks three sizes of glassine envelopes in MDCs for regular requisitioning. These envelopes are to be provided as a customer convenience and service to protect their purchases of loose stamps and sheets of stamps.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 132.225
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132.14 Purchase Receipts
PS Form 3544, Receipt for Money or Services, is used for postage and other services for which a record of payment is not already provided. The Postal Service employee fills in the total amount of the purchase and then rounddate stamps the form once payment is received. 132.2 Postal Stationery
132.21 General
The term postal stationery includes items such as stamped envelopes, postal cards, and aerogrammes.
132.22 Rejection of Personalized Envelopes
132.221 General
Customers may reject personalized envelope orders for defective manufacture, mistakes in printing, denomination, size, or other defects.

Postage value only is refunded if it is the buyer’s mistake; full invoice value is refunded if the Postal Service is at fault.
132.222 Purchase Error
Postage value only may be refunded. Such a refund may be made at a Post Office or by returning the envelopes to the Philatelic Fulfillment Service Center (PFSC). Refunds at Post Offices are processed under 145.1 and DMM 604.9. Rejected envelopes are disposed of in the same manner as unused meter stamps under 145.22 (see 132.224).
132.223 Postal Service Error
The PFSC refunds the total cost of the envelopes. The envelopes must be returned to the PFSC with an explanation of the error. Only customers whose names appear in the return address, or their representatives, may submit rejected personalized envelopes for a refund (see 132.224). 132.224 Replacement
The procedure for replacing personalized envelopes is as follows:
a. When the error is the fault of the Postal Service, the customer may request that the envelopes be replaced. Customers return the envelopes to the PFSC with an explanation of the errors and information needed for a corrected replacement order.
b. When erroneous information on the original order caused the mistake, the customer must remit the manufacturing fee for the replacement order. That fee is the difference between the full selling price of the envelopes and the postage value.
c. When returning an order, the customer must include an explanation for rejecting the envelopes and a request for replacement or refund. 132.225 Returning Envelopes
Post Offices should help customers return rejected envelopes to the PFSC; this includes providing customers with postage-paid labels for returning the envelopes.

Attachment 3
132.3 Postal Operations Manual
36 POM Issue 9, July 2002
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132.3 Bulk Quantities
132.31 General
Some offices designate a specific individual to handle bulk sales of stamps and postal stationery. When bulk transactions are handled by retail clerks, customers may be requested to give advance notice of their requirements to ensure that the desired type and quantity of items are available. Detailed instructions are contained in DMM 604.1, 604.2, and 604.3. 132.32 Stamps
Each retail postal facility must provide postage stamps (except precanceled stamps at USPS Marketing Mail rates) in quantities, denominations, and configurations desired by customers. There are no discounts for bulk purchases of postage stamps.
132.33 Bulk Sales to Customers
Postal cards, aerogrammes, stamped envelopes, precanceled envelopes, window envelopes, and other items are available for bulk sale to customers.

In most instances, the customer places advance orders for bulk purchases.

The unit price established for regular stamped envelopes is slightly lower when sold in multiples of 500 than when sold in broken lots. This reflects only a reduction in handling costs and is not a discount on postage. 132.4 Unlawful Use of Stamps
132.41 By Postal Employees
It is unlawful for Postal Service employees entrusted with the sale or custody of postage stamps to do any of the following:
a. Use stamps in payment of debts or purchase of salable items. b. Sell stamps except for cash.
c. Sell stamps for more or less than face value.
d. Give stamps away.
132.42 Counterfeit Stamps
Counterfeit stamps must be confiscated and sent to the postal inspector in charge of the district where the Post Office is located. A receipt identifying the stamps must be given to persons from whom counterfeit stamps are confiscated.
133 Postal Money Order Sales
133.1 General
Postal money orders provide a safe and convenient method for customers to make payments or to transfer cash. Postal money orders are sold for a fee.

Official money order imprinting machines are provided by the Postal Service for the sale of money orders. Money order imprinting machines, together with blank money order forms, are accountable items that must be safeguarded at all times to prevent unauthorized use and to protect the integrity of the money order system. Money order equipment is provided to Post Offices on the basis of local need. PS Form 7381, Requisition for Attachment 3
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Supplies, Services, or Equipment, is used for requisitioning additional equipment from the Material Distribution Centers. Procedures for obtaining replacement equipment in case of breakage or defects are contained in the Model 8100 Paymaster’s Imprinter Operator’s Manual. There are two types of postal money orders:
a. Domestic money orders.
b. International money orders.

Note: Detailed instructions concerning the management and operations of the postal money order system are contained in DMM S020 and International Mail Manual (IMM) 371.
133.2 Domestic Money Orders
All Post Offices sell and cash domestic money orders.
133.3 International Money Orders
International money orders are issued to addressees in those countries whose postal administrations have agreements with the U.S. Postal Service to conduct such business.
134 Packaging Products Sales
The Postal Service provides certain packaging products for sale to customers to facilitate safe processing and transportation of the mail and as a convenience to customers. These products are mail preparation items such as padded mailing bags, flat-size envelopes, corrugated boxes, tape, and cushioning materials that provide added protection for contents in transit. In addition, unit prices must be established at or slightly above prevailing prices for similar items sold by private retailers in the local community. Applicable sales taxes are included in any price comparison. Postmasters with questions about whether requirements for the procurement and sale of packaging products are being met at their offices should contact the manager, Customer Service and Sales, at the district. This procedure is in addition to the daily reporting of sales revenue (see 135.3). Detailed instructions are contained in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures.
135 Postal-Related Merchandise Sales
135.1 General
135.11 Restrictions
Postal-related merchandise must not be sold in lobbies, except in conjunction with first-day-of-issue ceremonies or special events or opportunities of limited duration. Post Offices may sell merchandise containing actual U.S. postage stamps and metallic stamp lapel pins, but the emphasis must be on stamp collecting products. Managers, Customer Service Support, are responsible for approving the sale of postal-related merchandise.

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135.12 Licensees
Postal-related merchandise should be purchased from authorized licensees of the Postal Service. However, prospective offerers who do not yet hold a license may be solicited with the understanding that, should they be awarded a contract, they must be licensed before they may begin performance.
135.13 Unit Pricing
Just as for retail packaging products, unit prices must be established at or above prices prevailing, including sales taxes, for similar items sold by private retailers in the local community.
135.14 Local Markets
Postal-related merchandise is developed for sale in local markets. It should not be sold outside the district where it is developed. 135.2 Accounting
Districts purchase all postal-related merchandise. Costs are recorded in AIC 494, Postal-Related Merchandise Costs.
135.3 Postal-Related Merchandise Revenue Reports
Offices must record revenues from all postal-related merchandise sales in AIC 098, Postal-Related Merchandise Sales, on PS Form 1412-A, Daily Financial Form. In addition, sales of postal-related merchandise must be recorded on PS Form 8133, Postal-Related Merchandise Inventory Report. At the end of each quarter, the selling unit must total each PS Form 8133 and record it on PS Form 8134, Postal-Related Merchandise Quarterly Report.

Credit and debit (ATM) cards may be accepted in payment for postal products and services at most Post Offices. Exceptions: Credit cards may not be used to pay for money orders, collect on delivery (COD) articles, or passport application fees; debit cards may not be used to pay for passport application fees. See Handbook F-1, 317.
136 Methods of Payment
136.1 General
Payment for postage items may be made in cash or by postal money order at the time of purchase or by advance deposit to a postage meter or advance deposit account. Checks may be accepted in payment for postal products and services, except for money orders and collect on delivery (COD) items, in accordance with Handbook F-1. Checks must be made payable to U.S.

Postal Service or to Postmaster (title only) for the exact amount of the transaction. Credit and debit (ATM) cards may be accepted in payment for postal products and services at most postal offices. Exceptions: Credit cards may not be used to pay for money orders, collect on delivery articles, or passport application fees; debit cards may not be used to pay for passport application fees. All payments for postage are made for the full face value.

There are no discounts for the purchase of postage in any amount.

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136.2 Prepaid Mail
Postage must be prepaid on all mailings, except business reply mail, merchandise return service mail, official (including franked) mail, and items authorized for mailing as free matter for the blind and other handicapped persons under DMM E040. The requirement for prepayment means that postage must be paid before mail is accepted, transported, or processed. 136.3 Business Reply Mail and Merchandise Return Service At the time of delivery, the delivering office collects business reply mail postage plus a per-piece handling charge and merchandise return service postage. There is no per-piece handling charge for merchandise return service.
136.4 Official Mail
For official mail, federal agencies generally pay postage directly to Postal Service Headquarters.
136.5 Rates
Consolidated tables of rates, in forms ranging from wall posters to brochures and scale charts, are distributed for use by postal personnel and the public and for display in service lobbies and at self-service postal centers. In general, appropriate rates for classes of mail and other services appear in the DMM module R in chapters related to the specific class or service in question. Changes in rates and their respective implementation dates are announced in the Postal Bulletin. Personnel who provide retail services must familiarize themselves with all such rates and rate changes. 136.6 Information-based Indicia Postage Paid Labels
Information-based indicia (IBI) and other online customer postage payment options have unique revenue assurance issues that all acceptance and collection employees should be familiar with. One example is a label that appears to have been photocopied or manipulated. All IBI mailing labels are designed to be used in their entirety without the need for any modification.

Labels that appear modified are candidates for fraud. Modifications include handwritten changes, obvious deliberate damage to the IBI, and any other change to the original print. All label barcode num-bers are unique; no two are identical. The same barcode number appearing on more than one label indicates a pho-tocopied label and is considered a counterfeit label. Any item identified as bearing a photocopied or duplicated label should be refused at the retail window or during carrier pickup at a residence or business. Local management should be advised when a photocopied or duplicate label has been identified. Local management may contact the Postal Inspection Service if additional guidance is needed. Another revenue assurance issue to watch for with mail-pieces bearing IBI postage is an obvious weight discrepancy. The label information may indicate the weight and amount of postage paid. If the weight listed on the label is obviously incorrect, the employee handling the mailpiece should make every effort to weigh that item on a scale if one is available. If the weight on the IBI label is incorrect, proper postage was not paid. That mailpiece is considered shortpaid and should be handled Attachment 3
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according to the appro-priate shortpaid procedure for that class of mail.

Some IBI mailpieces do not show the actual postage amount paid. This is sometimes referred to as “stealth postage” or “nondenominated” IBI. In these cases the postage may not be visible, but the weight, mail class, and origin ZIP code is in text format on the label, which allows identification of a weight discrepancy. If a mailpiece is found with no postage paid, the mailpiece should be marked “returned for postage” and returned to the sender. 137 Mail Acceptance and Handling
137.1 Policy
137.11 Overview
This section contains general information concerning acceptance and handling of domestic and international mail and is provided as a convenient guide for use by postal employees involved in retail and retail-related services. In no instance should these general guidelines be construed to supersede the rules and regulations contained in the DMM and IMM. 137.12 Retail Employees
It is Postal Service policy for retail employees to accurately advise customers on the rules of mail acceptance and to assist them in selecting the type of service best suited to their needs. Generally, retail employees must refuse prohibited mail matter, except as provided by the DMM, and items that are not properly packed, packaged, addressed, and labeled for safe handling to destinations. Regulations governing mailability are contained in DMM 600 and Publication 2, Packaging for Mailing.
137.13 Mail Categories
All categories of mail are accepted at retail service counters. Employees at retail service counters must be prepared to classify the mail and rate it for postage according to type, class, and special services desired by customers.

Single pieces of mail are normally accepted at retail service counters or through collection boxes.
137.14 Commercial Mail
Mailings having postage paid through advance deposit accounts are generally accepted at business mail entry units. Postmasters must designate the times and places of business mail acceptance and ensure that it is properly accepted. Refer to Handbook DM-109, Business Mail Acceptance. 137.15 Endorsements
Postal employees at receiving retail service counters must ensure that the mail they accept is properly endorsed. Details on the requirements for canceling and postmarking each class of mail and endorsing mail for each type of service are found in appropriate chapters of the DMM. Requirements for philatelic purposes are explained in chapter 2.

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137.2 Size and Packaging Standards
137.21 Size Standards
DMM 101 and 201 contains the established standards for minimum size limitations on all mailable matter.
137.22 Packaging Standards
Publication 2 contains the established standards for packing, packaging, and marking mail. Acceptability of packaging is a principal criterion of mailability.

Items should be packaged so that contents do not harm mailhandling personnel, other mail, or equipment. Fragile items must be packaged to withstand mail processing and transportation. Heavy items must be braced and cushioned to prevent damage to other mail.
137.3 Addressing
137.31 General
Mail should be properly addressed before acceptance. Addresses should normally contain the following information on three separate lines:
a. Line 1: Name of intended recipient.
b. Line 2: House or building number with street name, plus apartment number if appropriate; or a Post Office box number; or a rural route designation with a box number; or general delivery.
c. Line 3: City name, state or state abbreviation, and ZIP Code or ZIP+4.

Detailed rules and standards of addressing are contained in DMM 102, 202, and 602. See also Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards. 137.32 Simplified Addressing
A simplified address is a delivery instruction for general distribution without individual names and addresses. Simplified addressing is authorized under certain conditions for certain classes of mail, as described in DMM 602.3. 137.4 Domestic Mail Acceptance
137.41 General
137.411 Jurisdiction and Service Levels
Postal laws and regulations on domestic mail apply to mailings in the United States, its territories, commonwealths, and possessions, and to the mailings of overseas agencies of the United States government.

There are several classes, subclasses, and special services for domestic mail. They sometimes overlap, because it is intended that customers have a choice of service levels. Rating mail for postage requires careful study and application to the prescribed rules and regulations in the DMM. Rulings and detailed mail classification information must be provided only by qualified personnel (see DMM 607).
137.412 Nonmailable Matter and Hazardous Materials
The conditions for preparation and packaging under which such materials are accepted are stated in 138, 139, DMM 601, and Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail. Particular conditions applicable to mailings of hazardous materials to foreign addresses are stated in the IMM. The Postal Attachment 3
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Service will accept for mailing, in limited quantities and with proper packaging, many potentially hazardous materials that are not outwardly or of their own force dangerous or injurious to life, health, or property. 137.42 Classes of Mail
137.421 Priority Mail Express
Priority Mail Express is a premium expedited service with a postage refund guarantee if delivery is not made within a specified time. All mailable matter presented to the Postal Service properly prepared may be entered as Priority Mail Express. Priority Mail Express includes a variety of services for domestic, military, and foreign addresses, as specified in the DMM and IMM. 137.422 Priority Mail
First-Class Mail® weighing more than 13 ounces and not more than 70 pounds is called Priority Mail; however, customers may opt to mail matter less than 13 ounces as Priority Mail. It may not measure more than 108 inches in combined length and girth. Detailed instructions governing Priority Mail and applicable rates are found in DMM chapters 120 and 220. 137.423 First-Class Mail
All mailable matter presented to the Postal Service and properly prepaid may be entered as First-Class Mail. Instructions and regulations governing First-Class Mail are found in the DMM. Regulations require that handwritten or typed mail, bills and statements of account, actual and personal correspondence, and all matter sealed or otherwise closed against inspection be sent as First-Class Mail.
137.424 Periodicals
Periodicals include newspapers, magazines, and other periodical publications meeting certain eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements, application procedures, verification procedures, and preparation requirements are contained in DMM 207, Handbook DM-202, and Handbook DM-701, Chapter 2. Periodicals rates are restricted to authorized publishers and news agents. Members of the general public may mail individual copies of Periodicals publications only at the Priority Mail Express , First-Class Mail, or USPS Marketing Mail rates.
137.425 USPS Marketing Mail
Printed matter, including circulars, catalogs, merchandise, and books, weighing less than 16 ounces may be mailed as USPS Marketing Mail.

Qualifications and requirements are found in the DMM 240. 137.426 Package Services
There are specific Package Services (e.g., Media Mail, Library Mail, Bound Printed Matter) rates for books, sound recordings, manuscripts, bound printed matter, and other items described in the DMM. See Publication 52 for additional instructions about mailing live animals and other perishables. 137.427 Mixed Classes
First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail matter may be enclosed in or attached to Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, or Package Services by a customer. The general requirement is that the appropriate rate of postage be Attachment 3
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paid for each piece. Instructions for rating and payment of postage for mixed-class situations are contained under the Applicable Product section in the DMM.
137.43 Other Categories of Mail
137.431 Mail for the Blind or Other Handicapped Persons Mail for blind and certain other handicapped persons is mailable under certain conditions without payment of domestic postage. Such mail is marked “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped” in the upper right corner, address side. Detailed instructions are contained in DMM 703. 137.432 Official Mail
Official mail is material that is authorized by law to be transmitted in the mail without prepayment of postage. Official mail weighing 13 ounces or less is considered First-Class Mail unless otherwise endorsed by the sender.

Unendorsed official mail that weighs more than 13 ounces but less than 16 ounces is considered USPS Marketing Mail; if it weighs 16 ounces or more it is considered Package Services.

There are two types of official mail:
a. Franked mail consists of material relating to the business of Congress that is sent by members of Congress or other congressional officials specified by law. Limited other officials including former Presidents and surviving spouses of former Presidents are also entitled to send franked mail. Instead of postage, these items bear a written or facsimile signature of the authorized sender and other required indicia as appropriate.
b. Penalty mail consists of material relating exclusively to the business of the government of the United States that is sent by agencies of the United States government. All material sent under this privilege must bear a complete agency return address, the preprinted phrases “Official Business” and “Penalty for Private Use, $300,” and one of the required penalty indicia formats described in DMM 703.
137.44 Accountable Mail
137.441 General
Special services are available that provide proof of mailing, proof of delivery, or indemnification for loss or damage. These services include Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Collect on Delivery (COD), Insured Mail, Return Receipt, and Merchandise Return Service. Because records are kept concerning each item of mail receiving these special services, such mail is called accountable mail.
137.442 Certified Mail
Certified Mail provides a record of delivery maintained by the U.S. Postal Service. When the mailpiece is accepted at the Post Office counter, a postmarked sender’s receipt of mailing must be provided. No record is kept at the office of origin. Return receipts and restricted delivery are provided for additional fees in accordance with DMM 503.

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137.443 Registered Mail
Registered Mail provides added protection for valuable or important mail. All mailable matter prepaid with postage at First-Class Mail or Priority Mail rates may be registered in accordance with DMM 503. Registered Mail provides a receipt to the sender, special security between shipment points, a record of acceptance and delivery maintained by the U.S. Postal Service, and, at the option of the mailer and for an additional fee, indemnity in case of loss or damage. Postal employees are not permitted to assist customers in the preparation or sealing of mail to be registered. Return receipts and restricted delivery are provided for additional fees in accordance with 822 and 823. 137.444 Collect on Delivery (COD) Mail
Collect on Delivery (COD) provides a method whereby the Postal Service delivers the mail only upon receipt of the funds to be collected. The recipient pays by check payable to the sender or by cash transmitted via a U.S. Postal Service money order. First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail and Package Services may be sent as COD mail. Checks may be accepted for payment of COD mail in accordance with 815 and DMM 503. 137.445 Insured Mail
Insurance is available upon payment of an additional fee. Insurance covers loss, rifling, or damage to mailed items. Priority Mail and items sent at the First-Class Mail rate that contain Package Services matter, and official mail (U.S. government) bearing the “Postage and fees paid” endorsement also may be insured. A Return Receipt may be provided for an additional fee in accordance with 822 and 823. See DMM 503 for detailed information. 137.45 Special Services Mail
137.451 Certificate of Mailing
A certificate of mailing provides proof that an item was mailed. A fee is charged for this service. No duplicate record of acceptance is maintained by the Post Office, and the certificate provides no insurance for damage or loss.

See 821 for detailed information.
137.452 Special Handling
Special handling provides preferential handling to the extent practicable in dispatch and transportation. See DMM 503 for detailed information. 137.453 Delivery Confirmation
Delivery Confirmation provides the customer with information about the date and time an article was delivered or, if delivery was attempted but not successful, the date and time of the delivery attempt. Delivery information can be obtained from an electronic file, via the Postal Service Internet at http://www.usps.com/ship/ship-a-package.htm, or by calling the toll-free number noted in 816.24. No acceptance record is kept at the office of mailing. See 816 and DMM 503 for detailed information.
137.454 Signature Confirmation
Signature Confirmation provides the customer with information about the date and time an article was delivered or, if delivery was attempted but not successful, the date and time of the delivery attempt. The delivery record, including the recipient’s signature, is available via fax or mail, upon request.

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Delivery information can be obtained from an electronic file, via the Postal Service Internet at http://www.usps.com/ship/sip-a-package.htm, or by calling the toll-free number noted in 817.24. No acceptance record is kept at the office of mailing. See 817 and DMM 503 for detailed information. 137.46 Mailable Matter Not Bearing Postage Found in or on Private Mail Receptacles
If the person, firm, or distributor responsible for the impermissible use of the private mail receptacles is within an area served by another Post Office, a sample piece is sent with a report of the facts to the postmaster at that location with a request for action under DMM 508.
137.47 Additional Information
For information on mailing to offshore/noncontiguous domestic destinations, to overseas military Post Offices, and through the Department of State to U.S. Foreign Service personnel abroad and for a list of the areas affected, see DMM 608 and 703.
137.5 Priority Mail Express Acceptance
137.51 Description
Priority Mail Express is available for sending any mailable matter meeting the eligibility, size and weight, preparation standards, and the postage payment standards in DMM 110 and 210. The International Mail Manual contains the mailing standards for Priority Mail Express International Service and the available destination countries.
137.52 Priority Mail Express Next Day Service®
137.521 Acceptance
Priority Mail Express Next Day Service items are accepted at designated postal facilities, at designated Priority Mail Express collection boxes, and by pickup service, for overnight service to designated destination 3-digit ZIP Code delivery areas, facilities, or locations. Next Day Service items must be presented by the times authorized by the postmaster.

Each designated acceptance facility must keep an Priority Mail Express Next Day Service directory showing, for the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which the facility is located, the following information:
a. The 5-digit ZIP Code areas to which next-day delivery service by noon is offered.
b. The 5-digit ZIP Code areas to which next-day delivery service by 3 p.m. is offered.
c. A list of facilities at which Next Day Service mail can be claimed. 137.522 Verification
Any Next Day Service item must be verified at the time of mailing to ensure that the appropriate label is completed, the correct postage is paid, and the item is destined to a 3-digit or 5-digit ZIP Code area to which next-day delivery is offered from that point of origin. Any such item deposited in a collection box or handed to a carrier must be verified only at an Priority Mail Express unit designated by the postmaster.

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If a Next Day Service item that is brought to an acceptance unit is found not to have the appropriate label completed or the sufficient postage affixed, the mailer must be notified so that the label can be corrected or the insufficient postage paid. For an insufficiently paid item that is undeliverable for any reason, the item is returned to the mailer on payment of the deficient postage. An undeliverable Priority Mail Express item not bearing a return address must be disposed of under the procedures in 68 and 69. 137.53 Priority Mail Express Second Day Service
137.531 Acceptance
Priority Mail Express Second Day Service items are accepted at designated postal facilities, at designated Priority Mail Express collection boxes, and by pickup service. Second Day Service items must be presented by 5 p.m. or such later time as authorized by the postmaster. Second Day Service is available to and from 3-digit and 5-digit ZIP Code destinations not listed in the Priority Mail Express Next Day Service directory.
137.532 Verification
Any Second Day Service item must be verified at the time of mailing to ensure that the appropriate label is completed, the correct postage is paid, and the item is destined to a 3-digit or 5-digit ZIP Code area to which second-day delivery is offered from that point of origin. Any such item deposited in a collection box or handed to a carrier must be verified only at an Priority Mail Express unit designated by the postmaster.

If a Second Day Service item that is brought to an acceptance unit is found not to have the appropriate label completed or the sufficient postage affixed, the mailer must be notified so that the label can be corrected or the insufficient postage paid. For an insufficiently paid item that is undeliverable for any reason, the item is returned to the mailer on payment of the deficient postage. An undeliverable Priority Mail Express item not bearing a return address must be disposed of under the procedures in 68 and 69. 137.54 Priority Mail Express Military Service
137.541 Acceptance
Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS) items are accepted at designated retail postal facilities for 2-day or 3-day service to designated Army Post Office/ Fleet Post Office (APO/FPO) 5-digit ZIP Codes and at designated APO/FPO facilities for 2-day or 3-day service to designated 3-digit destination ZIP Code areas, facilities, or locations in the United States. Any 2-day PMEMS acceptance office may accept PMEMS items for 3-day service after the local cutoff time for normal 2-day service. Designated APO/FPO facilities overseas may accept 3-day service PMEMS items for 3-digit destination ZIP Code areas in the United States not included on their 2-day service network. Service to or from an APO/FPO not designated as an PMEMS area, location, or facility is prohibited. PMEMS Custom Designed Service and drop sh ipment are available to authorized APO/FPO destinations. PMEMS must be presented by the time authorized by the local postmaster.

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Each designated facility must keep an PMEMS directory showing both 2-day and 3-day service areas for the 3-digit or 5-digit ZIP Code area in which the facility is located. The directory must include the following information:
a. For U.S. Post Offices, the 5-digit APO/FPO ZIP Codes to which PMEMS is offered.
b. For overseas APOs and FPOs, the 3-digit U.S. Post Office ZIP Code areas to which PMEMS is offered.
137.542 Verification
Any PMEMS item must be verified at the time of mailing to ensure that the appropriate label is completed, the correct postage is paid, and the item is destined to a 5-digit ZIP Code area to which PMEMS is offered from that point of origin. Any such item deposited in a collection box or handed to a carrier must be verified only at an Priority Mail Express unit designated by the postmaster.

If an PMEMS item that is brought to an acceptance unit is found not to have the appropriate label completed or the sufficient postage affixed, the mailer must be notified so that the label can be corrected or the insufficient postage paid. For an insufficiently paid item that is undeliverable for any reason, the item is returned to the mailer on payment of the deficient postage. An undeliverable Priority Mail Express item not bearing a return address must be disposed of under the procedures in 68 and 69.
137.6 International Mail Acceptance
137.61 General
The United States Postal Service exchanges mail with other countries in accordance with U.S. domestic laws and regulations and with international postal treaties and conventions.

Mailing conditions and operational procedures adopted to implement the provisions of these laws, treaties, and conventions are set forth in the IMM. 137.62 Classes of Mail
Classes and types of international mail resemble those of domestic mail, but with country-by-country variations on rates, mailability, special services, sizes, and sealing limitations (see IMM 141).

Persons engaged in retail operations must know how to use the IMM efficiently to look up the special destination country requirements and rates applicable to any particular mailing.
137.63 Suspension of International Service
It is Postal Service policy to accept mail for foreign destinations in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and treaty or convention provisions.

From time to time, because of war, disaster, civil disturbance, or other cause, it may be necessary to suspend (embargo) mail service to certain foreign destinations. When this is done, public announcements are made in the Postal Bulletin, and it is the responsibility of persons engaged in retail operations not to accept such mail, citing the public announcement as the reason.

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Signs announcing suspensions of service must be placed prominently in the retail service lobby and on or near mail acceptance units. 137.7 Mailhandling
137.71 Access to Mail and Mailhandling Areas
Authority for access to mail and mailhandling areas in postal facilities is restricted to duly sworn postal employees and postal contractors on official business. Nonpostal maintenance personnel are permitted access to mailhandling areas only when postal employees are on duty there. All other persons (including former employees and off-duty employees) must be specifically authorized access by the postal supervisor of the area involved. 137.72 Recall of Mail
Mail matter may be recalled after acceptance only by the addressee, the sender, or the lawful designee of either. Regulations governing recall of mail are contained in DMM D030.
137.73 Requests for Surrender of Mail
Postal employees served with legal process (for example, a state court order, search warrant, or other legal notice) purporting to require the surrender of mail should respectfully refuse to surrender the mail and should explain that the mail came into their custody by reason of their official employment, and direct the matter to the Inspection Service.

Exception: A search warrant duly issued (by a federal court or served by a federal officer) under Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures (see ASM 274.6).
138 Nonmailable Matter — Written, Printed, and
Graphic
138.1 Advice to Mailers — Mailability Decisions
138.11 General Advice
When a postal customer seeks advice on whether, or under which conditions, particular matter described in DMM C010 and DMM C030 may be mailed, the customer’s attention should be called to any relevant provisions of those standards, and the customer may be assisted in using and understanding those provisions.
138.12 Mailer’s Responsibility
The mailer is responsible for complying with applicable postal laws and regulations governing mailability and preparation for mailing, as well as nonpostal laws and regulations on the possession, treatment, transmission, or transfer of particular matter. The general requirements applicable to preparation, packaging, and packing of mailable matter are in DMM C010.

Special requirements applicable to preparing, packaging, and packing of potentially dangerous matter are explained in DMM C020.

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138.13 Certain Mailability Decisions Not Authorized
Postmasters are not authorized to decide whether written, printed, or graphic matter is, because of its content, nonmailable. Postmasters are not permitted to deny entry to such matter or exclude it from the mail. As stated in 138.11, postmasters should call the attention of prospective mailers of such matter to all apparently relevant provisions of DMM C030. After being so informed, if the mailer requires that matter described in DMM C030 be accepted, it must be treated under 138.14. Written, printed, or graphic matter not properly prepared for mailing can be refused.
138.14 Referral to Inspection Service
A report about written, printed, or graphic matter found in the mail that appears nonmailable must be sent to the Inspection Service. Such matter may not be withheld from dispatch or delivery unless the Inspection Service, acting under ASM 274, instructs such withholding.
138.15 Opening or Inspecting Mail
Mail may not be opened, detained, delayed, or inspected, except under ASM 274.
138.16 Applicability to Military Postal System
DMM 703 apply to the military postal system, its employees, and undelivered mail that is or has been in the official custody of the system and its employees. References in 138 to the Inspection Service refer to the Postal Inspection Service and its authorized personnel, not to military investigative services.
138.2 Sexually Oriented Advertisements
138.21 Application for Listing
138.211 Completion of Postal Service Form
A person may invoke the protection of 39 U.S.C. 3010 by completing and filing, with any postmaster or other designated Postal Service representative, PS Form 1500, Application for Listing and/or Prohibitory Order. This form may be obtained at any Post Office.
138.212 Authorized Filers
A person may file in his or her own behalf and in behalf of any of his or her children under the age of 19 years who reside with that person or are under that person’s care, custody, or supervision. An authorized officer, agent, fiduciary, surviving spouse, or other representative may file in behalf of a corporation, firm, association, estate, or deceased or incompetent addressee. 138.213 Weekly Transmission of Applications
Postmasters must send all completed applications weekly to the Prohibitory Order Processing Center (POPC).
138.214 Entry on Postal Service List
After receiving a PS Form 1500, the POPC enters the customer’s name and address (and the names and addresses of minor children) on the application into the Postal Service’s computerized list of persons who do not want to receive sexually oriented advertisements. This information is processed and Attachment 3
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the list updated monthly. The 30-day period under section 3010(b) starts on the effective date of the list on which the person’s name first appears. 138.215 Five-Year Retention on List
A person’s name and address are kept on the list for 5 years, unless a request for revocation is filed sooner by that person. A person must file a new application at the end of the 5-year period to remain on the list. The names and addresses of minor children are removed automatically from the list when they reach 19 years of age. A minor must file an original application in his or her own behalf if that person wants to continue his or her name on the list after reaching 19 years of age.
138.216 Separate Applications for Different Addresses
The filing of a single application results in the listing of a single address for the person filing. A person who receives mail at more than one address and who wants the protection of 39 U.S.C. 3010 at more than one address should file a separate application for each. A person who moves must file a new application to receive the protection of 39 U.S.C. 3010 at the new address. The submission of PS Form 3575, Change of Address Order, is not effective for this purpose. It is not a violation of 39 U.S.C. 3010 to mail a sexually oriented advertisement to a person at an address other than that which is shown for him or her on the list. It is a violation, however, to mail such an advertisement to that person at the address shown for him or her even though that person has moved from that address.
138.22 Violations
138.221 Partial Listing
The following is a partial list of conduct that can violate 39 U.S.C. 3010 or 18 U.S.C. 1735:
a. The mailing of a sexually oriented advertisement in an envelope or other wrapper that does not bear the name and address of the sender and the legend “Sexually Oriented Ad,” under DMM 601.
b. The mailing directly or indirectly of a sexually oriented advertisement to a person whose name and address have been on the list for more than 30 days.
c. The sale, loan, lease, or licensing of the use of the list or a copy thereof in whole or in part.
d. The use of the list or a copy of it in whole or in part for any other purpose than to ensure that no mailings of sexually oriented advertisements are made to persons on the list.
138.222 Compliance With Law
No person who mails sexually oriented advertisements only to persons who have requested to receive the same is deemed to have violated the statute or regulations, if that person is otherwise in compliance with the law, whether or not that person purchased and used the Postal Service list. 138.223 Customer Reporting of Unsolicited Advertisements A person who wants to report receipt of unsolicited sexually oriented advertisements after his or her name and address are on the list for more than 30 days should submit the entire mailpiece, including the envelope or Attachment 3
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other wrapper, to any postmaster. The mailpiece must have been opened by the addressee. When submitting the mailpiece, the addressee must endorse the envelope or other wrapper and the contents thereof in substance as follows: “I received this mailpiece on (date),” and sign the statement. He or she should also state the identifying number appearing on his or her application if it is known (see 138.211). The postmaster of the installation to which the mailpiece is submitted must send it without delay to the inspector in charge of the Inspection Service division with geographical jurisdiction over the address of the mailer.
138.224 Postal Service Employee Reporting of Unsolicited Advertisement If a violation of DMM 601 comes to the attention of any Postal Service officer or employee, that person must, through his or her postmaster, report such violation to the postal inspector whose territory includes that postal installation. Mail of a mailer in violation or apparent violation of 39 U.S.C. 3010 may not be refused for dispatch or delivery without a proper court order.

Instructions to postmasters must be issued if a court order is obtained. 138.225 Customer Inquiry of Name on Postal Service List A customer who wants to know whether his or her name is on the list should write to the Prohibitory Order Processing Center at the following address:

PRICING AND CLASSIFICATION SERVICE CENTER
PO BOX 1500
NEW YORK, NY 10008-1500
139 Nonmailable Matter — Articles and Substances:

Special Mailing Rules
139.1 General Provisions
139.11 Rules and Procedures
139.111 Mailer’s Responsibility
The mailer must comply with applicable postal laws and regulations on mailability and mail preparation, as well as nonpostal laws and regulations on the shipment of particular matters. General requirements for preparation, packaging, and packing of mailable matter are in DMM 601. 139.112 Dangerous Materials Notices
Postmasters and other managers of postal facilities must prominently display in Post Office lobbies, acceptance areas, and at self-service postal centers a notice containing the following language: “Mailing extremely dangerous materials, and potentially dangerous materials that are prepared improperly, is prohibited by law. You must ensure that your mailings comply with the law.

Ask about postal requirements before you deposit any questionable materials into the mail.”
139.113 Procedure for Acceptance Clerks
Acceptance clerks must follow these procedures:
a. If the content of an article presented for mailing is described by the mailer or otherwise revealed to be nonmailable, the acceptance clerk must refuse to accept the article and must explain the reasons to the Attachment 3
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mailer (see Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, and the IMM).
b. Acceptance clerks must watch for substances that are nonmailable as packaged and, where such substances are identified, must advise the customer of the preparation and packaging requirements that must be satisfied before such substances are acceptable for mailing (see Publication 52 and the IMM). If the customer fails to show that the matter is mailable as packaged, the employee must refuse to accept the article and must explain the reasons to the mailer. 139.114 General Advice to Mailers
When a customer seeks advice about whether or how to mail particular matter, or where it appears likely that a customer is to mail dangerous matter (as described in DMM C020), the customer’s attention must be called to the relevant provisions of those standards and any official Postal Service guides to mailing such as Publication 52. Technical questions about the proper preparation or packaging of matter may be referred to the RCSC. The scope of a postmaster’s authority to decide whether particular matter is nonmailable under DMM 601 and to exclude such matter from the mail under that decision is determined by 139.116. Mail may not be opened, detained, delayed, or inspected except under ASM 274.
139.115 Other Laws and Regulations
Other laws and regulations can apply to the mailings:
a. Particular matter may be mailable under postal statutes and regulations, but customers may have responsibilities under nonpostal statutes and regulations concerned with possession, treatment, transmission, or transfer of such matter. See, for example, 49 CFR, parts 100 through 177 (Department of Transportation Regulations); the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-513), 21 U.S.C. 801, et seq.; and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-618), 18 U.S.C. 921, et seq. Postmasters must not give opinions about whether mailing particular articles and substances (see DMM 601) would violate or comply with nonpostal laws and regulations administered by agencies other than the Postal Service.

Postmasters who know the existence of such laws or regulations should refer the customer to the appropriate government agency. For example, postal customers with questions about the interstate shipment of rifles or shotguns should be referred to the nearest regional administrator of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms or to the Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. b. Title 18 U.S.C., chapter 119, constitutes a statutory system of regulating interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications. Any person contemplating the mailing of a device primarily useful for surreptitiously effecting such interception should consider the provisions of chapter 119, particularly section 2512. This statute makes it a crime, unless otherwise provided in chapter 119, for a person intentionally to send through the mail any device whose design that person knows, or has reason to know, renders the device primarily useful for surreptitious interception of wire, oral, or electronic Attachment 3
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communications. The statute does not declare that such a device in itself is nonmailable matter but, as shown, provides criminal penalties for the act of intentionally mailing it. Customers who need advice on the applicability of this prohibition to contemplated mailing activities should consult private legal counsel.
139.116 Authorized Mailability Decisions
Postmasters or other designated personnel under a postmaster’s supervision may decide whether articles and substances other than written, printed, or graphic matter are nonmailable and must, where appropriate, refuse to accept for mailing such matter determined to be nonmailable.

Where necessary, the Pricing & Classification Service Center (PCSC) should be consulted in determining mailability. If the mailer wants to review the initial decision, the postmaster or designated subordinate personnel must, with the mailer’s consent, refer a sample and send a complete statement of the facts to the PCSC manager. After the manager’s decision is made, further appeal may be made by the mailer under 39 CFR 953, Rules of Practice in Proceedings Relative to Mailability. Postmasters and designated subordinate personnel are authorized to take any steps reasonable and necessary to protect Postal Service employees and equipment from the effects of potentially dangerous, injurious materials or substances found in the mail (see ASM 223.4).
139.117 Referral to Inspection Service
Matter within the following categories, when found in the mail, should be held temporarily, and the Inspection Service should be advised immediately. Such matters should thereafter be disposed of under instructions promptly furnished by the Inspection Service. These categories of matter are nonmailable firearms and switchblade knives; controlled substances); motor vehicle master keys and locksmithing devices; alcohol; and explosive, incendiary, or hazardous materials or devices that may present an immediate threat to persons or property (see Publication 52). This provision does not authorize the opening or inspection of any mail.
139.118 Referral to PCSC
Except for matter described in 139.117 and overweight/oversized items subject to DMM 601.1.2, all matter found in the mail and believed to be nonmailable must be returned to sender, and a report fully describing such mailing must be referred to the PCSC director.
139.119 Administrative Appeals
A mailer aggrieved by any mailability decision by the PCSC manager may file a written notice of appeal with the Postal Service Recorder, Judicial Officer Department, with a copy or description of the determination or ruling in question. See 39 CFR 953, Rules of Practice in Proceedings Relative to Mailability.
139.2 Firearms, Knives, and Sharp Instruments (18 U.S.C. 1715, 1716)
Postmasters are not authorized to give legal opinions about the shipment of rifles or shotguns, knives, or sharp instruments (see 139.115).

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14 Other Retail Services Management
141 Delivery Services
141.1 General
This section concerns mail delivered by clerks at postal facilities. These types of delivery services involve significant volume and include general delivery, Post Office box and caller service, and, in some instances, firm holdout service. Additionally, clerks often deliver mail to customers who present notices of attempted delivery.

For detailed regulations concerning the availability of these services, customer and Postal Service obligations, and the appropriate rates, see DMM D900, Handbook M-39, Management of Delivery Services, and 142 and 84 of this book.
141.2 General Delivery Service
General delivery is intended primarily for use at offices without carrier delivery and for residents not eligible for carrier delivery service, to serve transients, and for other customers who are not permanently located. Mail endorsed “Transient, to be called for, general delivery” or with other suitable words will be placed in the general delivery case to be delivered to the addressee upon request at a retail service counter and with proper identification. Persons living permanently in cities having carrier delivery service and who have good and sufficient reasons satisfactory to the postmaster may receive their mail at general delivery retail service counters. (See DMM 508.)
141.3 Firm Holdout Service
Customers who normally receive 50 or more letters on the first delivery trip and who request to pick up mail may be provided firm holdout service. Firm mail may be a direct holdout or may be withdrawn from the carrier’s case.

For each customer, employees complete a PS Form 3801, Standing Delivery Order. Indicate on the form the type of mail (i.e., letter, Parcel Post, or all mail the firm will pick up) and obtain the signature of each firm employee or the designated agent authorized to pick up the mail. Carriers cannot make a first delivery to customers receiving holdout service, but may make subsequent delivery of mail where such service is provided by multiple trip routes. This service does not withdraw established service.

No charge is made for firm holdout service under these provisions.

In all other cases, customers requesting to call for their mail will be afforded service in accordance with 841, 842, or 843.
141.4 Post Office Box and Caller Services
141.41 General
Post Office box and caller services are premium services provided for the convenience of customers for a fee.

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141.42 PO Box Service
141.421 General
PO Box service consists of delivery to PO Boxes assigned to customers.

These boxes are located at Postal Service facilities, subject to customer demand and the Postal Service’s ability to provide them. The boxes are arranged in different configurations and must follow certain equipment and numbering requirements (see 141.424).
141.422 Standards for PO Box Service
At a minimum, customers must have access to their PO Boxes during all retail service hours of operation. Separate PO Box lobbies should remain open when someone is on duty in the postal unit. At the postmaster’s discretion, lobbies may remain open 24 hours a day to allow customers access to PO Boxes and self-service equipment, provided that customer safety and security provisions are deemed adequate by the Inspection Service. 141.423 PO Box Service Up-Time
Each unit must have a scheduled PO Box up-time for committed box mail to be finalized and available to the customers. This up-time varies from unit to unit and is established based upon variables, such as mail arrival time, average mail volume per trip, and staffing availability.

Schedule PO Box services during hours that meet the needs of a majority of customers in the local area. Time PO Box up-times to match carrier leave times, because this is the time of day when all mail is available for distribution to PO Boxes. The local postmaster is responsible for establishing the local PO Box up-time with district approval. This PO Box up-time is required to be posted in the retail lobby to inform customers and in the box distribution area for the employees working the mail. Postmasters should strive to have all mail in PO Boxes as early as operationally possible to attract and retain customers to this premium mail service.
141.424 Configurations
PO Box service is provided through the following configurations:
a. A PO Box unit is any number of PO Box sections that comprise the total PO Boxes in a facility that is under one 5-digit ZIP Code. b. A PO Box module is any configuration of standard-size boxes having the same overall dimensions as an assembly of the smallest size configured two high and six wide.
c. A PO Box module unit is a unit composed of five PO Box modules arranged vertically. (In some cases, the module will exceed 72 inches in height.)
d. A section is two PO Box module units side by side (with a maximum width of approximately 48 inches). For series 700, 1300, and others, a maximum width of 48 inches applies.

A PO Box section should not exceed 120 boxes or be wider than 48 inches. In cases where the physical layout of a PO Box section unit involves inside corners or outside corners (from the viewpoint of the box clerk) that separate two box module units that would normally make up a box section, consider the following:

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(1) In the case of an inside corner, if one of the walls contains an odd number of module units, include the odd module unit with the adjacent two units to form the box section. If both walls contain an odd number of module units, the units adjacent to the corner, if within arms’ reach of each other, may be combined to form a box section. If an odd module unit is not within arms’ length of an adjacent unit, the module unit should be designated as a box section by itself.
(2) In the case of an outside corner, when there is an odd number of PO Box module units, one PO Box module unit will constitute a PO Box section when necessary.

Note: All new PO Box sections must conform to the guidelines in 141.425. Existing box sections should be made to conform to these standards, when practicable.
141.425 Requirements
Equipment and numbering requirements are as follows:
a. Equipment:
(1) Key-locking models of PO Boxes are the only types available for installation in new facilities or for expansion or replacement of existing PO Box sections. Surplus key-locking equipment may be used to match styles upon expansion of currently existing PO Box sections.
(2) The 1800 series of PO Box equipment should not be used in the same PO Box section as 1500 series or earlier equipment models.
(3) Antique call box equipment may no longer be used for the provision of PO Box service; however, the equipment may be used as an adjunct to general delivery.
(4) Damaged PO Boxes must never be rented to customers. PO Boxes that have already been rented but are damaged must be repaired as soon as possible.
b. Numbering:
(1) Number all PO Boxes sequentially.
(2) Number all PO Boxes vertically from top to bottom. The top box of each column of boxes should end in the number 1 (for example, 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, and 61). Do not use alphabetical designations.
(3) The district Address Management System (AMS) office must approve, in advance of the installation and customer notification, numbering deviations where columns contain more than 10 boxes.
(4) PO Box numbers must all be numeric and must not be repeated within a finance number.

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141.43 Caller Service
Caller service is a premium service available for a fee to any customer under the following conditions:
a. The customer plans to receive an incoming volume of mail that cannot fit into the largest available PO Box.
b. The customer wants a PO Box but a box is unavailable. c. The postmaster determines that such service does not adversely affect postal operations.
d. The customer is not receiving firm holdout service.

To establish caller service, postmasters must do the following:
a. Obtain a series of box numbers from AMS for caller service that is completely separate and apart from the numbers assigned to the physical PO Boxes.
b. Determine the scheduled times and locations for the provision of caller service. The designated location for the customer to retrieve his or her mail must not compromise the Postal Service’s security guidelines. 142 Metered Postage Services
142.1 General
142.11 Description
There are two primary categories of metered postage:
a. Metered postage imprinted by machines that are privately rented by mailers.
b. Metered postage imprinted by Postal Service-owned machines. 142.12 Security of Equipment
Postal-owned postage meters are restricted items that must be handled securely in accordance with Handbook AS-701, Material Management. This meter equipment must not be assigned to contract stations, branches, or community Post Offices. Contractors may rent a postage meter at their own expense, however, subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to private mailers.
142.13 Exceptions
Postage may be paid by meter stamps on any class of mail other than Periodicals. Metered mail is entitled to all the privileges and subject to all the conditions applying to the various classes of mail.
142.2 Customer-Operated Metered Postage
Mailers usually find it more efficient to imprint metered postage directly on large-volume mailings or on metered tapes that are affixed to each piece, rather than to use adhesive stamps for this purpose. Mailers rent postage meter machines from manufacturers authorized to distribute meters by the Postal Service. Applications for licenses for their use are accepted at the Post Office where the metered mail will be deposited. After approval of an application, the postmaster issues a license, for which there is no fee.

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142.3 Postal Service-Operated Metered Postage
The Postal Service provides postage meters for use at retail service counters where the volume and type of mail being accepted justifies their use, such as to dispense postage for parcels and other purposes.
142.4 On-Site Meter-Setting Service
Postage meter-setting service may be provided by retail employees at business locations of customers who may find it inconvenient to bring their meters into the Post Office for setting. Fees are charged for this service.

Postmasters decide when and where to offer the on-site service based upon customer demand and location, plus the cost and revenue considerations of providing the service. Postmasters may obtain assistance in making such decisions from Retail Systems and Equipment, Headquarters. 143 Photocopy Service
143.1 Policy
The Postal Service permits the installation of coin-operated photocopying machines in the lobbies of offices for customer use in many areas. The machines are owned and maintained by commercial firms, which are selected on a competitive basis. A portion of the proceeds from these machines is paid to the Postal Service. Details on how and where to provide photocopying service may be obtained from the district manager, Customer Service Support, or Handbook PO-208, Part 263.
143.2 Noncompetitive Requirement
The Postal Service does not compete unfairly with private coin-operated photocopy services. The distance between the Post Office premises in which a photocopy machine installation is proposed and a private coin-operated photocopy service must be at least one block or 500 feet. For these purposes, a block is defined as the entire unit where the Post Office structure is located and the opposite sides of the streets around that structure. In small communities (10,000 or less population), the distance should be extended to two or three blocks. When applying this rule, do not consider machines located in libraries, schools, or other public buildings. If the Post Office machine was installed before a private concern put in a machine, the Post Office machine may remain in service.
144 Self-Service Vending
144.1 General
144.11 Description
Many customer needs are met faster and more efficiently by self-service vending equipment that offers basic postal products and services in areas convenient to the public. Such equipment may be installed in postal facilities or at nonpostal locations. The configurations range from a single small stamp vending machine to large self-service postal centers. See Handbook PO-102, Self Service Vending Operational and Marketing Program, for specific details regarding self-service vending.

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144.12 Responsibilities
Self-service vending equipment, when installed in postal facilities, must be kept operable and available to customers during all business and box lobby hours. Each manager in whose postal facility a self-service unit is located is responsible for ensuring the operability of the equipment. Postmasters are also responsible for informing customers of the advantages, locations, and products available from self-service and vending equipment. In nonpostal locations, self-service vending equipment must also be kept operable and available to customers during all times the mall or other operating location is open for business.
144.13 Value
All stamps and products vended by self-service equipment owned by the Postal Service are sold at face value.
144.14 References
The following are sources of information on self-service vending equipment:
a. Sections 144.2 through 144.5 describe the various configurations of self-service vending equipment in use and the policies underlying their installation and operation.
b. Handbook PO-102, Self Service Vending Operational and Marketing Program.
c. Numerous technical manuals are available concerning the operation and maintenance of particular pieces of equipment. The principal handbook that addresses the management of self-service retailing operations is Handbook PO-102.
144.2 Stamp Vending Machines
Stamp vending machines vend stamps off large coils and are normally installed in smaller Post Offices, stations, and branches where there is a need for service after closing hours or to alleviate the wait in line for single stamp sales. A single stamp vendor may be used in conjunction with a booklet vendor if the traffic warrants. This type of machine is to be used where there is not enough business to justify a postal commodity machine. In larger locations, a small stamp vendor may be placed near a postal commodity machine. Criteria for placement are found in Handbook PO-102. 144.3 Booklet Vending Machines
Booklet vending machines can hold approximately a box of booklets in a crisscrossed stack and are normally installed in smaller Post Offices, stations, and branches where there is a need for service after closing hours or to alleviate the wait in line for stamp booklet sales. This type of machine is to be used when sales exceed the revenue required for a single small stamp vendor but where there is not enough business to justify a postal commodity machine. Criteria for placement are found in Handbook PO-102. 144.4 Booklet/Stamp Combination Machines
Combination machines selling four selections of booklets and two single stamp selections may be used in both postal and nonpostal locations. This Attachment 3
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type of machine is used when sales exceed single stamp and single booklet vendors but where there is not enough business to justify a postal commodity machine.
144.5 Postal Commodity Machines
Postal commodity machines provide stamp booklets, commemorative and definitive vending packets, aerogrammes, long and short stamped envelopes, stamp coils of 100, Priority Mail Express packets, and Priority Mail packets.

The types of products to be sold in these machines are outlined in the specific maintenance series handbook designated for the postal commodity machine.

These machines are installed in postal facilities where there is a need for more service than is provided by small stamp vendors and/or booklet vendors but where a full self-service postal center (SSPC) is not warranted. They may also be installed at nonpostal locations where adequate protection exists. Criteria for placement are found in Handbook PO-102.
144.6 Self-Service Postal Centers
144.61 Criteria
Self-service postal centers (SSPCs) are installed in postal facilities where there is a need for more service than is provided by a single postal commodity machine, booklet/stamp combination machine, small stamp vendor, or booklet vendor. SSPCs may be installed at nonpostal locations where adequate protection exists. See Handbook PO-102 for deployment criteria. 144.62 Equipment Configuration
Self-service postal centers generally contain the following items:
a. A stamp vending machine providing one or more stamps of the most commonly used denominations.
b. A postal commodity machine providing the designated vending items for that type of machine.
c. A booklet/stamp combination machine can be used in lieu of stamp vendor or commodity machine.
d. A currency changer that changes $1 bills into quarters, dimes, and nickels for use in vending machines. Currency changers are to be used only if the vending equipment does not already take bills. e. A parcel depository, when available.
f. An automatic computing parcel scale and/or letter scale. g. Publication 65, National Five-Digit ZIP Code and Post Office Directory. h. Customer information signs providing information on postage rates and mailing procedures only if this information is not available on the scale. i. A letter collection receptacle.
j. Telephone for customer use in case equipment is out of order. k. Claims for refunds.

All claims for refund of money lost through self-service retail vending equipment must be handled expeditiously. All retail service and other employees who handle such claims or complaints must acquire a thorough working knowledge of the refund procedures contained in Handbook PO-102.

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145 Exchanges and Refunds for Payment of Excess
Postage
145.1 Processing Refunds for Postage Stamps on Business Reply Mail, Postage Meter Stamps, Meter Impressions, Permit
Imprints, or Rejected Personalized Envelopes
145.11 Authorizing Refunds
a. The requester submits a completed PS Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage, Fees, and Services, with postage stamps on business reply envelopes, postage meter stamps, envelopes, or other evidence requested for refund to the Post Office. b. A Post Office employee reviews the application and supporting papers. c. A Post Office employee and a witness destroy the postage stamps on business reply envelopes, postage meter stamps, envelopes, or other evidence submitted.
d. The Post Office employee calculates the amount to be refunded on Part 3, Postage or Meter Stamps, of PS Form 3533 (for postage meter stamps, follow instructions outlined in Part 3, of PS Form 3533). e. A Post Office supervisor and a witness must certify the destruction and sign on PS Form 3533, Part 3.
f. If no witness is available (CAG H—L offices only), the postmaster follows steps 2, 3, and 4 and signs PS Form 3533, Part 3. g. The postmaster or a supervisor authorizes the amount to be refunded, ensures that the approved amount is entered in PS Form 3533, Part 2, Verification of Refund, and signs.
h. If the refund amount exceeds the authorized limit for local payments, the Post Office employee check marks PS Form 3533, Part 6, Refund not Processed at Local Post Office, and forwards it to the designated location (see Disbursements).
i. For local payments, if paid in cash (limited to $10), the payee signs PS Form 3533, Part 5, Receipt for Refund; if paid with a no-fee money order, enter the serial number and the date issued.
j. The Post Office checks off the type of refund in PS Form 3533, Part 1, Refund Requested For, and ensures the amount of refund is reported into the appropriate AIC account number in the unit’s PS Form 1412. k. Spoiled and unused postage meter stamp refunds for $500 and under must be processed within 30 days. Spoiled and unused postage meter stamp refunds for more than $500 must be processed within 60 days. 145.12 Disbursements
145.121 Standard Field Accounting Procedures (SFAP) and Statement of Account (SOA) Offices
Refunds up to $1,000 may be issued locally. If the refund amount is more than $1,000, the Post Office enters the amount into the corresponding disbursement AIC account number and enters the offset amount into AIC 075, Advance Deposit Refunds Awaiting Payment. The Post Office submits the original PS Form 3533 to the district finance office for payment.

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145.122 Standard Accounting for Retail (SAFR) Offices
Refunds up to $500 may be issued locally. If the refund amount is more than $500, the Post Office enters the amount into the corresponding disbursement AIC account number and enters the offset amount to AIC 280, Disbursements Sent to SS/A. The Post Office submits the original PS Form 3533 to Shared Services/Accounting (SS/A) for payment to the following address:

USPS SCANNING AND IMAGING CENTER
PO BOX 9000
SIOUX FALLS SD 57117-9000
145.2 Processing Refunds for Metered Postage
145.21 Meters Checked Out of Service
The procedure for issuing refunds for meters checked out of service is as follows:
a. Verification at All Offices. The accepting employee does the following:
(1) Verifies the amount by examining meter registers.
(2) Fills out Part 5, PS Form 3533, if a refund is due. (3) If the manufacturer’s meter checkout form has all the required documentation, uses it instead of PS Form 3533.
(4) Refunds the full value of the unused postage under 145.21b(1) or 145.21b(2).
b. Refund.
(1) At offices with 950 or more revenue units, the employee handles the refund of metered postage under 145.11.
(2) At other offices, the employee handles a refund of metered postage following 145.11.
145.22 Evidence of Unused Meter Stamps at Office of Meter Setting Instead of submitting bulky evidence of unused meter stamps, postmasters at the office of meter setting may certify the amount and destruction of these stamps in Part 4 of PS Form 3533 and forward the application to the Post Office where the meter is licensed.
145.23 Computing Fraction of Cent
In computing the amount to be refunded for unused meter stamps, resolve a fraction of a cent in favor of the Postal Service. For example, if 90 percent of the postage value of impression is $4.187, the amount refunded is $4.18. 145.3 Refund Application for Retail Services
Application for refund of fees collected for retail services must be initiated by the customer on PS Form 3533. Applications are processed as follows:
a. The application and any supporting papers are reviewed by an authorized Postal Service employee. If the mailer is due a refund for services not rendered (as stated in DMM 608), the Postal Service employee completes and witnesses the approval part of PS Form 3533. PS Form 3533 is then returned to the mailer for submission to the retail services section for payment.

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b. The refund is issued under the provisions of Handbook F-1, 730. c. If the application is not approved, it is returned to the applicant with the supporting papers and an explanatory statement.
d. When the amount due the Postal Service because of faulty postage meter mechanical operation is less than $1, it is not collected. When the amount due the customer is less than $1, it is refunded only on request. 146 Indemnity Claims
146.1 General Instructions for Filing Claims
146.11 How to File
146.111 Customer Action
The following actions apply to customers who file indemnity claims for Insured Mail, Registered Mail™, COD, or Priority Mail Express® articles. (See Exhibit 146.11 and the IMM for international Insured Mail and Registered Mail claims.) a. Claims for Loss. Only the mailer may file an indemnity claim for the complete loss of an unnumbered Insured Mail article. Either the mailer or addressee, who is in possession of the original mailing receipt, may file an indemnity claim for the complete loss of a numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express article by presenting evidence of insurance and evidence of value. (Proof of loss is not required for numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express claims.)
Note: If the article was mailed with Priority Mail Express COD or Registered Mail COD service, the claimant must provide the original COD receipt with either the Priority Mail Express or the Registered Mail receipt.
b. Claims for Damage. Either the mailer or addressee may file a claim for damage or for missing contents by presenting evidence of insurance and evidence of value. The addressee must present the article and mailing container, including any wrapping, packaging, and any other contents that were received, to the Postal Service™ for inspection. If the mailer filed the claim, the St. Louis ASC will notify the addressee by letter to present the article and mailing container, including any wrapping, packaging, and any other content that were received to the Postal Service for inspection.
c. Time Limits. Claims for complete loss must be filed within the time frames prescribed in DMM 609.1.4 and POM Exhibit 146.11. Claims for damage or missing contents should be filed immediately, but no later than 60 days from the date of mailing.
d. PS Form 1000. The customer must complete the applicable spaces on PS Form 1000 April 04, Domestic Claim or Registered Mail Inquiry, for all domestic indemnity claims.

Attachment 3
146.111 Postal Operations Manual
64 POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
Exhibit 146.11
General Instructions for Filing Claims

ELIGIBLE TYPES OF MAIL SERVICES
Insured Mail (unnumbered/numbered), Registered Mail, COD, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail Express COD, and Registered Mail COD service.

WHO MAY FILE
For complete loss: Only mailer for unnumbered Insured Mail/mailer or addressee, whoever is in possession of the mailing receipt for numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express service.

For damage or loss of contents: Mailer or addressee.

WHEN TO FILE
A customer should file a claim immediately, but no later than 60 days from the date of mailing, when the contents of an article are damaged or missing from the mailing container.

For a lost article, a customer must file a claim within the time limits in the chart below.

Filing Time Periods for PS Form 1000
Mail Type or Service
When to File (From Mailing Date)
No Sooner Than No Later Than
Insured Mail 21 days 180 days
COD 45 days 180 days
Registered Mail 15 days 180 days
Registered COD 45 days 180 days
Priority Mail Express 7 days 90 days
Priority Mail Express COD 45 days 90 days
APO/FPO Insured Mail (First-Class Mail, SAM, PAL, or COD) 45 days 180 days APO/FPO Insured (Surface Only) 75 days 180 days

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FROM CUSTOMER
A.Evidence of Insurance (at least one):

For a claim involving Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express service, the customer must present any one of the following evidence showing that the particular service was purchased:

1. The original mailing receipt issued at the time of mailing (Insured Mail, Registered Mail, and COD receipts must contain a Postal Service postmark). Reproduced copies are not acceptable.

2. The wrapper showing the names and addresses of the mailer and the addressee and the proper mail endorsement, tag, or label showing that the article was sent Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express service. If only the wrapper is submitted, indemnity can be limited to $100 for Insured Mail, $50 for COD, $100 for Registered Mail, and $100 for Priority Mail Express items.

3. For Priority Mail Express items accepted for mailing under an Priority Mail Express Manifesting agreement in P910, a copy of the manifest page showing the Priority Mail Express label number for the item in question; the manifest summary page for the date the piece was mailed; a copy of PS Form 3152-E, Priority Mail Express Manifesting Certification, round-dated by the accepting Post Office; and a copy of the EMCA monthly statement that lists the label number and postage for the mailpiece. If the customer purchased additional insurance, a copy of the round-stamped PS Form 3877, Firm Mailing Book for Accountable Mail, must also be submitted.

4. The original sales receipt from the Postal Service listing the mailing receipt number and insurance amount, only if the original mailing receipt is not available. Reproduced copies of the Postal Service sales receipt are not acceptable.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 146.112
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Exhibit 146.11 (p. 2)
General Instructions for Filing Claims
B.Evidence of Value (at least one):

1. Sales receipt, invoice or bill of sale, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.

2. For items valued up to $100, the customer’s own statement describing the lost or damaged article and including the date and place of purchase, the amount paid, and whether new or used (only if a sales receipt or invoice is not available). If the article mailed is a hobby, craft, or similar handmade item, the statement must include the cost of the materials used in making the item. The statement must describe the article in sufficient detail to determine whether the value claimed is accurate.

3. Picture from a catalog showing the value of a similar article (only if a sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer is not available). The date and place of purchase must be included.

4. Paid repair bills; if the claim is for partial damage, estimates of repair costs or appraisals from a reputable dealer. Repair costs may not exceed the original purchase price.

5. Receipt or invoice for the costs incurred to buy a surety bond required to reissue a lost item.

6. Receipt or invoice of costs incurred for the reconstruction of nonnegotiable documents.

7. copy of a canceled check, money order receipt, credit card statement, or other documentation including the amount paid. For Internet purchases, a copy of the front and back of the canceled check, money order, or a copy of the credit card billing statement is required.

8. or Internet transactions conducted through a Web-based payment network that offers payment services through a stored value account, a computer printout of an online transaction identifying the purchaser and seller, price paid, date of transaction, description of item purchased, and assurance that the transaction status is completed. The printout must clearly identify the Web-based payment network provider through which the Internet transaction was conducted.

C.Proof of Loss (required for unnumbered Insured Mail only):

The mailer must provide proof of loss for unnumbered Insured Mail items only. Proof of loss is not required for numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express claims. The mailer must present written and signed documentation from the addressee (such as a letter), dated at least 21 days after the date of mailing, stating that the addressee did not receive the article.

Note: The documentation or a copy of it must be attached to the claim. On the back of the mailing receipt, write “claim filed,” round date stamp, photocopy for the file, and return to customer, except unnumbered Insured Mail and Priority Mail Express receipts. Instruct the customer to keep the original receipts until the claim is settled. 146.112 Accepting Post Office
When accepting a customer’s claim, handle it as follows:
a. If necessary, assist the customer in completing the applicable spaces on PS Form 1000.
b. Date-stamp immediately on receipt and sign in the appropriate spaces. c. Ensure that the customer presents evidence of insurance. d. For damage claims, indicate the location of the damaged article on PS Form 1000; complete PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Parcel and Contents; and handle under 146.2. Provide any other information that may help in the adjudication of the claim.
e. Detach copy 2 of PS Form 1000 and give it to the customer to retain until the claim is settled. Forward copy 1 of the claim form and supporting documentation to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center for processing. (For unnumbered Insured Mail, do not mail copy 1 of PS Form 1000 to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center until after processing locally as described in 146.122.)
f. Endorse the original insurance receipt and/or wrapper “Claim Filed [date]”, date-stamp, and initial it. Return the receipt or wrapper to the Attachment 3
146.113 Postal Operations Manual
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customer (except unnumbered Insured Mail and Priority Mail Express Receipts). Instruct the customer to keep the receipts until the claim is settled.
146.113 Claims and Inquiry Employee
Detach copy 3 of PS Form 1000 and file it alphabetically by mailer’s name.

Process the claim as explained in 146.12.
146.12 Processing Claims at the Post Office
146.121 Loss of Numbered Insured Mail, Registered Mail With Postal Service Insurance, COD, or Priority Mail Express Items
Process the claims as follows:
a. When PS Form 1000 is presented at a Post Office for the purpose of filing a claim, check for completeness, mailer and addressee address, customer signature, complete article receipt number, and supporting documentation.
b. Mail PS Form 1000 and supporting documentation, evidence of insurance and evidence of value (as defined in DMM 609.3.1) to the St.

Louis Accounting Service Center at the following address:

CLAIMS SERVICING SECTION

ACCOUNTING SERVICE CENTER
PO BOX 80143
ST LOUIS MO 63180-0143
Claims forms submitted with an APO/FPO mailing address must include the unit or ship designation.
146.122 Loss of Unnumbered Insured Articles
When PS Form 1000 is presented at a Post Office for the purpose of filing a claim, check for completeness, customer signature, and supporting documentation. Complete section B of the claim form and indicate claim was paid or denied. After processing locally, mail the original copy 1 of the form to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center at the following address:

CLAIMS SERVICING SECTION

ACCOUNTING SERVICE CENTER
PO BOX 80143
ST LOUIS MO 63180-0143
146.123 Damage Claim Filed by Mailer
If the mailer files a damage claim for an article still in the possession of the addressee, the St. Louis ASC will notify the addressee by letter to present the damaged article and mailing container, including any wrapping, packaging, and any other contents that were received, to the Postal Service for inspection. Failure to do so will result in denial of the claim.

Note: When the mailer receives notification from the addressee of receipt of a damaged article, the mailer must advise the addressee to await notification from the Postal Service to present the damaged article and mailing container, including any wrapping, packaging, and any other contents they received to the Postal Service for inspection if the mailer elects to file the claim.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 146.125
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146.124 Damage Claim Filed by Addressee
If the addressee files a damage claim, section A of PS Form 1000 must be completed to show that the damaged article and mailing container, including any wrapping, packaging, and any other contents they received, were presented for inspection when the claim was filed. Complete PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Parcel and Contents, and handle under 146.2.

Provide any other information that may help in the adjudication of the claim.

The St. Louis ASC will make payment to the person designated in section A 3a of PS Form 1000 provided the original proof of insurance is submitted with claim. If a dual claim is filed, the claim with the original mailing receipt will be honored.

Exhibit 146.124
Processing Claims for Damage or Partial Loss of Contents All Claims for Damaged/Missing Contents
 Complete PS Form 1000, part B, to show that the damaged article and mailing container, including wrapping, packaging, and any other contents that were received, were presented for inspection when the claim was filed.
 If necessary, return the article to the customer so that an appraisal or estimate can be obtained.  Use PS Form 3831, Receipt for Article(s) Damaged in Mails, to provide a receipt for damaged articles. Note the condition on the form.
 Payment is made to the customer presenting the mailing receipt or to the addressee when designated by the sender as payee.

Exemption: (For numbered Insured Mail articles only) If the addressee paid for repair to a partially damaged article and the endorsement on the wrapper shows that enough insurance was bought to cover the cost of repairs, payment will be made to the addressee unless a claim payment has already been made on the numbered Insured Mail article.
 If the article has no salvage value (below $10.00), allow the customer to keep it if the customer wants it; otherwise, destroy it.
 If the completely damaged Insured Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express article has salvage value, retain it until the claim and all appeals are settled, and then forward it to the appropriate mail recovery center.  For Registered Mail claims, retain the article and the packaging until released by notification from the St.

Louis ASC.
 Detach copy 2 of PS Form 1000 and give it to the customer to retain until the claim is settled.  Complete PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Parcel and Contents. Provide any other information that may help in the adjudication of the claim.
 Forward copy 1 of the claim form PS Form 1000; a copy of PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Parcel and Contents; and supporting documentation to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center for processing. (For unnumbered Insured Mail, do not mail copy 1 of PS Form 1000 to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center until after processing locally as described in 146.112.)  Retain copies of all forms and documentation locally. 146.125 Estimates and Appraisals
If necessary, return the article to the customer so that the customer may obtain an appraisal or estimate. Use PS Form 3831, Receipt for Article(s) Damaged in Mails, to give and take receipts for damaged articles. Note the condition of the article on the form.

Attachment 3
146.13 Postal Operations Manual
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146.13 Inquiries and Duplicate Claims
146.131 Time Limits
Customers file duplicate claims within the time limits shown in DMM 609.1.7.

If a customer asks about the status of a claim and the required time has elapsed, process a duplicate claim under 146.132.
146.132 Customer Filing
Customers may file claims as follows:
a. In Person. To file a duplicate claim, the customer must either (1) submit a photocopy of the customer’s completed part of the claim form or (2) request the Post Office where the claim was filed to process a photocopy of the Post Office’s receipt copy of the claim form. b. By Telephone. Obtain information about the mailing from the customer and check the file for a record of the original claim. If a copy of the claim is found, photocopy it, mark “Duplicate” on the top left corner immediately above the title (do not write in the barcode area), and process the form as in 146.12.
146.133 Claim Form Copy Not on File
If a copy of PS Form 1000 is not on file, advise the customer that no record exists. If the customer kept a copy of the claim form, ask the customer to bring or send a copy to the Post Office. If neither the customer nor the Post Office has a copy of the claim form, the customer must file an original claim on PS Form 1000. Ask the customer to present the original mailing receipt to the Post Office. When the customer presents the mailing receipt and the receipt is annotated to show that a claim was filed, follow original claim procedures and attach a note to the claim indicating that a previous claim was filed.
146.134 Completing Duplicate Claims
Complete these duplicate claims as follows:
a. Do not use a new PS Form 1000 when filing a duplicate claim. b. Use either a photocopy of the customer’s original copy or the Post Office’s original copy and mark “Duplicate” on the top left corner of the form immediately above the title.
c. Process the form as described in 146.11.
146.2 Disposition
146.21 Damaged Article
For a completely damaged article with little or no salvage value (under $10.00), allow the customer to keep the article if the customer wants it; items that may be of a hazardous nature to employees must be destroyed. If the completely damaged Insured Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express article has salvage value, retain it until the claim and all appeals are settled, then forward it to the appropriate mail recovery center. For Registered Mail damage claims, retain the article and packaging at the Post Office until released by notification from the St. Louis ASC. Provide the customer with PS Form 3831, Receipt for Article(s) Damaged in Mails.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 146.31
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St. Louis ASC will notify the customer in writing that the claimant has 30 days from the date of denial action to recover the article and that he/she has no recourse if, subsequently, the item is disposed of after the 30 days. Articles on which claims are paid, on which the customer has not filed an appeal, or on which the customer fails to recover, should be forwarded to the appropriate mail recovery center on the next weekly dispatch. The status of a claim can be obtained by calling the St. Louis ASC Help Desk at 866-974-2733. Articles being sent to the mail recovery center should not be stripped of the insured labels and must include a copy of the paid claim letter or notice that the item is ready for auction. Always document disposition of damaged articles. Make sure the disposition of the damaged article is clearly annotated on PS Form 1000.
146.22 Disposition of Recovered Articles
When a lost Registered Mail, Insured Mail, COD, or Priority Mail Express article is recovered undamaged after payment of a claim, the payee may reimburse the Postal Service for the full amount paid in exchange for the article. If the article is damaged, has depreciated in value, or is missing contents, the payee may accept it and reimburse the Postal Service an amount set by the St. Louis ASC.
146.3 Quarterly Review
146.31 Responsibility
The consumer affairs and claims manager (district) coordinates the review of claims and inquiry functions at the main Post Offices, stations, and branches.

The review must be conducted quarterly or when the St. Louis ASC reports or other evidence indicates that delinquent or delayed forms exist at any location accepting claims. Conduct the reviews as follows:
a. Count the claims forms; duplicate claims, PS Form 1510, Mail Loss/ Rifling Report; and PS Form 3811-A, Request for Delivery Information/ Return Receipt After Mailing. Note the dates when the forms were received in the unit. Delivery information must be provided within 5 days of receipt of the request. Requests not processed within 5 days are delinquent. Determine the percentage of delinquent requests. b. Check the COD file, comparing dates of money orders with dates of delivery, and note any delays.
c. Check the files of PS Forms 3849 for proper completion. Compare date of receipt and date of return of each COD article to determine whether held beyond the maximum 30-day retention period. Note any irregularities.
d. Determine the accessibility of delivery records to all employees who conduct searches.
e. Select a representative sample of delivery units each quarter. Check on-hand COD articles, noting the dates when received in the unit.

Articles held more than 30 days must be recorded as irregularities. f. Discuss the findings with the postmaster, station/branch manager, or other supervisor who manages the claims and inquiry function. Jointly develop a plan of action to correct any irregularities.

Attachment 3
146.32 Postal Operations Manual
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g. Provide a summary report for each site to the district manager, Customer Service and Sales, as well as the employee in charge of the unit reviewed. The report must list all noted irregularities and delinquent forms. Determine the cause of noted irregularities and delinquent forms and include a summary of the jointly developed plan of corrective action to be taken within a specified time. The manager, Customer Service and Sales, is responsible for ensuring that the plan is immediately implemented. When an accumulation of delinquent forms exists, it must be corrected immediately.
h. Conduct a follow-up review after 15 days to determine the effectiveness of the action taken. If no irregularities are detected, schedule the next review semiannually.
146.32 Survey Form
Photocopy Exhibit 146.3 and use it to help complete the quarterly review.

After the review is done and the survey form completed, file it at the consumer affairs and claims office.

Attachment 3
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Exhibit 146.3
Quarterly Review
At the Claims & Inquiry Unit (Count any requests over 5 days old as irregularities.) Delivery information must be provided within 5 days after the request is received. Requests not processed within 5 days are delinquent. Determine the number of forms in the claims & inquiry unit that are more than 5 days old and not processed.

Total Number of Claim Forms ____________________________________________________________ Number of Claim Forms over 5 days old ___________________________________________________ Total Number of Duplicate Claims _________________________________________________________ Number of Duplicate Claims over 5 days old _____________________________________________ Total Number of PS Forms 1510 _____________________________________________________________ Number of PS Forms 1510 over 5 days old ____________________________________________________ Total Number of PS Forms 3811-A ___________________________________________________________ Number of PS Forms 3811-A over 5 days old __________________________________________________ Delivery Records (Count any “No” responses as irregularities.) Are delivery records accessible to all employees who conduct searches? _____________________ Check the files of delivery records. Are PS Forms 3849 properly completed? ______________________ On PS Forms 3849, compare the date of receipt with the date of return to determine whether COD articles are held beyond the maximum 30-day retention period. Are COD articles returned promptly? __________ Check the COD file, comparing dates of money orders with dates of delivery. Are money orders sent to the COD mailer by the next business day after the date of delivery? ________________ At the Delivery Unit (Count all articles held past the retention period as irregularities.) Select a representative sample of delivery units each quarter. Check on-hand accountable mail articles, noting the dates when received in the unit.

Number of COD articles held past the 30-day retention period ______________________________ Number of Insured Mail articles held past the 15-day retention period ________________________ Number of Registered Mail articles held past the 15-day retention period ______________________ Number of Certified Mail articles held past the 15-day retention period _________________________ Attachment 3
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15 Easy Stamp Services
151 Stamps by Mail
151.1 Description
151.11 Stamps by Mail PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B
The Stamps by Mail (SBM) service allows Postal Service customers on all carrier routes and Post Office boxes to purchase Postal Service products, such as booklets, sheets, and coils of stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes by ordering through the mail. The Postal Service order forms are incorporated in self-addressed, postage-paid envelopes. Customers may obtain order envelopes (PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B, Stamps Delivered to Your Door) from city, rural, or contract delivery service carriers, in Post Office lobbies, or by telephoning the local delivery unit to request its delivery.

PS Form 3227-A is for noncredit card Stamps SBM fulfillment sites and PS Form 3227-B is for credit card only SBM fulfillment sites. After completing the PS Form 3227-A order form and enclosing a check or money order, or after completing a PS Form 3227-B for credit card-only sites, the customer drops the sealed envelope in a collection box or in his or her mailbox. Mail orders are filled and delivered to the customer within 2 business days after the customer mails the order. Postmasters must requisition PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B from the printer and maintain a supply for use in filling customers’ telephone requests for the form, for customer use in the Post Office lobby, and for all letter carriers and Post Office box clerks to use as required.

Postmasters must requisition PS Forms 3227-A or 3227-B from the printer.

To order forms, submit PS Form 3227-O, Stamps At Your Door Supply Order, to the printer. PS Form 3227-O is available at http://blue.usps.gov; click Forms, then select the form by number.
151.12 Rural Delivery Areas — PS Form 3227-R
Stamp purchase orders allow Postal Service customers, on rural and contract delivery service routes only, to purchase all Postal Service products (such as booklets, sheets, and coils of stamps, postal cards, and money orders) directly from the rural or contract delivery service carrier or by using PS Form 3227-R, Stamp Purchase Order. Customers obtain PS Form 3227-R from the rural or contract delivery service carrier or by telephoning the local delivery unit to request the form’s delivery. After completing PS From 3227-R and enclosing cash, check, or money order, the customer places the sealed envelope in his or her mailbox with the flag up. Stamp orders are generally filled and returned to the customer either at the time of mail delivery by the rural carrier or within 1 business day. Postmasters must maintain a supply of PS Form 3227-R for use in filling customers’ telephone requests for the form or for rural delivery carriers to use as required.

Postmasters must requisition PS Form 3227-R from the Material Distribution Center (MDC). The MDC applies limits to order quantities depending on the CAG level of the requisitioning office. Since actual need may not be determined by such limits, districts must order “buffer” supplies of forms in order to serve those units receiving too few.

Attachment 3
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151.13 Written and Telephone Requests
Handle written and telephone requests as follows:
a. Unit managers and clerical employees answering customers’ telephone inquiries must be aware that customers may order SBM without using PS Form 3227-A or 3227-B for credit card-only sites by writing to the local postmaster. The customer should indicate the kind and quantity of stamps desired and must enclose a check or money order payable to “Postmaster” for the amount of the stamps. For credit card-only sites, the customer must include the required credit card information.
b. Postage affixed to such an order is not refundable.
c. After filling orders, employees should always enclose a preaddressed PS Form 3227-A or 3227-B for placing the next order.
151.2 Responsibilities
151.21 Managers, Customer Service Support
District managers, Customer Service Support, have primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with these guidelines.
151.22 Postmasters of City Delivery Offices
Postmasters are responsible for ensuring supervision of SBM operations to achieve service standards and to deal effectively with variances.

Postmasters are also responsible for ensuring that rural carriers maintain a supply of stamp stock and PS Form 3227-R order forms sufficient to meet the needs of the customers on the route.
151.23 Postmasters of Rural Delivery Offices
Postmasters with rural delivery are responsible for ensuring that rural carriers maintain a supply of stamp stock sufficient to meet the needs of the customers on the route. Postmasters must ensure that service standards are achieved, and deal effectively with variances.
151.24 Order Filling Clerks
The order filling clerks receive all orders and may fill them intermittently throughout the business day. For this reason, early availability is necessary to forecast volume and to plan a day’s work. Orders received by 2:00 p.m. should be filled before the end of the workday. All orders must be filled within 8 hours (and turned around within 24 hours) of the clerk’s receipt.

As each order is opened, the clerk must do the following:
a. Check for the customer’s name and address on both the order form and, especially, on the return address label.
b. Ensure that the order form is properly filled in and includes the quantities and costs of the ordered items. Check the customer’s addition to ensure that the total is correct.
c. Verify that the customer’s check is signed and made payable to “Postmaster” or “United States Postal Service” in the amount shown on the order. Accept the customer’s check in accordance with procedures outlined in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures. Annotate the back of the check with the initials “SBM.” Attachment 3
151.25 Postal Operations Manual
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d. If an error is found, take the following steps before returning the order or order form to the customer:
(1) If the value of the order exceeds the amount of the check, fill as much of the order as permitted, deducting postage equal to the value of the shortage.
(2) If the check lacks a signature or an amount, or if no check or order was enclosed, return the materials to the customer.

Enclose a short descriptive note to the customer, explaining the error. Always include a new order form.
(3) If the check’s value exceeds the value of stock ordered, fill the order and have a no-fee money order prepared for the balance.

Enclose the money order with the filled stamp order.
e. When filling an order, use a G-10 Permit envelope of the appropriate size to contain it. Enclose another preaddressed PS Form 3227 with the stock. Detach the return address label from the order form and apply it to the G-10 Permit envelope. Seal the envelope. f. Place filled order forms aside for filing at the end of the day’s order filling. Each form must be round dated, initialed by the person who filled it, and filed according to the customer’s last name. These records must be retained in the unit until the next examination of the clerk’s accountability or 30 days, whichever is greater.
g. Take the orders to the registry unit.
h. Record the number of orders in each dispatch to a delivery unit on an all-purpose ruled form.
151.25 Registry Unit
The registry clerk must do the following:
a. Validate the count of orders by delivery unit and return a copy of the ruled form to the clerk, keeping a copy for registry records. b. Place all orders for one delivery unit in a large envelope addressed to the unit manager, marked, “Open and Distribute.” Record the number of enclosed orders on the envelope’s face.
c. Backstamp each large envelope as though it were a regular registered piece, without a registered article number and without listing it on a registry control sheet.
d. Dispatch the large envelopes by pouch to the appropriate delivery units.
151.26 Receiving Delivery Unit
At a receiving delivery unit, the manager must do the following:
a. Remove and open the unit envelope, checking the number of orders against the count appearing on the envelope.
b. Notify the registry section immediately of any discrepancies. c. Distribute the individual orders to the appropriate carriers. Carriers deliver the orders as regular mail, or Certified Mail, as marked.

Managers must leave all orders, except Certified Mail articles, in the delivery receptacle, unless an obvious security risk exists.

Attachment 3
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151.3 Filling Orders
151.31 General
The intent is to maximize quality and productivity within the required 24-hour target for order filling. District managers are expected to implement an appropriate mix of SBM operations among city delivery units. With higher volumes, SBM orders may be preaddressed to (and filled at) central locations, such as the main office. Placing the barcode on the envelope and assigning a unique ZIP Code to SBM allows automated sites to save work hours, speed the mail’s availability, and sort directly to the order fulfillment operation. Normally, orders are delivered by regular mail. Certify those valued at $200 or more. Second attempts must be made the next day if the initial delivery attempt is unsuccessful.
151.32 Clerical Downtime
If transaction volumes permit, one method of filling SBM orders is to use clerical downtime. Between customers, retail service counter clerks can fill orders at the customers’ own delivery units.
151.33 Centralized Fulfillment Locations
In centralized fulfillment locations, assign at least one clerk and a designated backup clerk to handle sustained order processing. Avoid service failures by training a third clerk to assist in handling the heavy volumes expected before Christmas and following planned promotions or publicity.

In centralized operations, separate filled orders by delivery unit or route, as appropriate. Certify any envelope containing stock worth $200 or more. 151.34 Order Filling Clerks
The order filling clerks receive all SBM orders and may fill them intermittently throughout the business day. For this reason, early availability is necessary to forecast volume and to plan a day’s work. All orders must be filled within 24 hours of the clerk’s receipt.

As each order is opened, the clerk must do the following:
a. Check for the customer’s name and address on both the order form and, especially, on the return address label.
b. Ensure that the order form is properly filled in and includes the quantities and costs of the ordered items. Check the customer’s addition to ensure that the total is correct.
c. Verify that the customer’s check is signed and made payable to “Postmaster” or “United States Postal Service” in the amount shown on the order. Accept the customer’s check in accordance with procedures outlined in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures. Annotate the back of the check with the initials “SBM.” d. If an error is found, take the following steps before returning the order or order form to the customer:
(1) If the value of the order exceeds the amount of the check, fill as much of the order as permitted, deducting postage equal to the value of the shortage.

Attachment 3
151.35 Postal Operations Manual
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(2) If the check lacks a signature or an amount, or if no check or order was enclosed, return the materials to the customer.

Enclose a brief descriptive note to the customer, explaining the error. Always include a new order form.
(3) If the check’s value exceeds the value of stock ordered, fill the order to the amount of the check or money order.
e. When filling an order, it is preferred that fulfillment sites use standard Tyvek envelopes available from the Material Distribution Center. For more information, see Postal Bulletin 22165 (10-13-05, page 63). Tyvek envelopes should be mailed using a G-10 label. Detach the return address label from the order form and then apply it to the envelope with the G-10 label. Enclose another preaddressed PS Forms 3227-A or 3227-B as appropriate with the stock. Seal the envelope. f. Reporting SBM Revenue:

Report SBM revenue on PS Form 1412-A, Daily Financial Form, in AIC 094, Stamps by Mail Sales. If orders cannot be filled on the same day as opened, deposit the funds and enter the amount to Trust Funds Received. Make a withdrawal from Trust Funds and entry to AIC 094 on the next business day when the orders are filled. PS Forms 3227 are not submitted as support for PS Forms 1412-A. Keep the files of these forms available for supervisors’ review.
g. Place filled order forms aside for filing at the end of the day’s order filling. Each form must be round dated, initialed by the person who filled it, and filed according to the customer’s last name. These records must be retained in the unit until the next examination of the clerk’s accountability or 30 days, whichever is greater.
h. Take the orders to the registry unit.
i. Record the number of orders in each dispatch to a delivery unit on an all-purpose ruled form.
151.35 Registry Unit
The registry clerk must do the following:
a. Validate the count of orders by delivery unit, return a copy of the ruled form to the clerk, and keep a copy for registry records. b. Place all orders for one delivery unit in a large envelope addressed to the unit manager and marked “Open and Distribute.” Record the number of enclosed orders on the envelope’s face.
c. Backstamp each large envelope as though it were a regular registered piece, without a registered article number and without listing it on a registry control sheet.
d. Dispatch the large envelopes by pouch to the appropriate delivery units.

Attachment 3
Retail Management 152
POM Issue 9, July 2002 77
Updated With Revisions Through April 30, 2022
151.36 Receiving Delivery Unit
At a receiving delivery unit, the manager must do the following:
a. Remove and open the unit envelope, checking the number of orders against the count appearing on the envelope.
b. Notify the registry section immediately of any discrepancies. c. Distribute the individual orders to the appropriate carriers. Carriers deliver the orders as regular mail, or Certified Mail, as marked.

Managers must leave all orders, except Certified Mail articles, in the delivery receptacle, unless an obvious security risk exists. 151.37 Undeliverable as Addressed Orders
If an order has been misaddressed or is undeliverable as addressed, return it through the registry unit to the SBM section supervisor or SBM clerk. The supervisor or SBM clerk determines from the PS Form 3227 which clerk filled it and if the correct address is on the envelope. The supervisor or SBM clerk notifies the customer to verify the address and explain the delay of the order.

If the order is undeliverable and the customer cannot be contacted, the supervisor or SBM clerk returns the order to the stamp credit within a week.

Note: Customer addresses with incorrect or missing ZIP Codes are deliverable.
151.38 Lost Orders
SBM orders are rarely lost in the mail. If a customer reports a lost or missing order to the postal unit from which his or her mail is delivered, replace it immediately as follows:
a. Mail all replacement orders by Certified Mail service, regardless of value (requires customer signature at time of delivery). b. Record the amount of the replacement order in the appropriate AIC as follows:
 AIC 011, Forever Stamp Sales — by Internet, Mail, and Phone.  AIC 094, Stamps by Mail, Internet, and Phone.
c. Offset the amount to AIC 647, Financial Differences Shortage, and use Reason Code 06, Stamps by Mail.
d. Attach the original order (PS Form 3227-O) and the Certified Mail Receipt to PS Form 3533 and file locally.