DMM TOC > 600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services608 Postal Information and Resources1.0 About the Domestic Mail Manual1.1 Content of the DMMMailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) contains the basic standards of the United States Postal Service (USPS) governing its domestic mail services; descriptions of the mail classes and extra services and conditions governing their use; and standards for rate eligibility and mail preparation. Domestic mail is classified by size, weight, content, service, and other factors. 1.2 Copies of the DMMThe DMM is distributed to all post offices and is available online on Postal Explorer (pe.usps.com). Copies of the DMM may be inspected during normal business hours at USPS Headquarters; area and district offices; and all domestic post offices, stations, and branches. A copy is also filed at the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. The public may buy copies by subscription from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (see 8.1 for address). 1.3 Revisions to the DMMUSPS may change the standards in the DMM. Substantive revisions are published in the Postal Bulletin and, when appropriate, the Federal Register. 1.4 Terms in the DMMTerms in the DMM referring to the singular also apply to the plural, unless the context indicates otherwise. The term postmaster also applies to an officer-in-charge if the postmaster position is vacant and, in district host cities, to the district manager. 2.0 Domestic Mail2.1 Definition of "Domestic"Domestic mail is mail transmitted within, among, and between the United States of America, its territories and possessions, Army post offices (APOs), fleet post offices (FPOs), and the United Nations, NY. For this standard, the term territories and possessions comprises the following:
2.2 Mail Treated as Domestic[1-8-06] Mail originating in the United States of America, its territories and possessions, APOs, FPOs, and the United Nations, NY, for delivery in the Freely Associated States, and mail originating in the Freely Associated States for delivery within, among, and between the Freely Associated States and the United States of America, its territories and possessions, APOs, FPOs, and the United Nations, NY, is treated as if it were domestic mail. The term Freely Associated States comprises the following:
2.3 International MailInternational mail is mail addressed to or received from foreign countries, except under 2.2. Provisions for international mail are published in the International Mail Manual. 3.0 Post Offices and Holidays3.1 Management of Post Offices3.1.1 Establishment of Post OfficesThe USPS establishes and maintains post offices, stations, and branches for customer convenience. 3.1.2 Closing or Consolidation of Post OfficesUnder 39 U.S. Code (USC) 404(b), any decision to close or consolidate a post office must be based on certain criteria. These include the effect on the community served; the effect on employees of the post office; compliance with government policy established by law that the USPS must provide a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities, and small towns where post offices are not self-sustaining; the economic savings to the USPS; and other factors that the USPS determines necessary. In addition, certain mandatory procedures apply. 3.1.3 Procedures for Post OfficesThe Postal Operations Manual contains USPS rules for discontinuing, consolidating, or suspending service at an existing post office or other postal facility; changing a post office or other postal facility name; setting public business hours of postal facilities; and using bulletin boards and handling lost articles found in public areas of postal facilities. 3.1.4 Military Post OfficesMilitary post offices (MPOs) are branches of a U.S. civil post office, operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps to serve military personnel overseas or aboard ships. The term includes Army post offices (APOs) for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force and fleet post offices (FPOs) for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. MPOs provide postal service for military personnel where the U.S. civil postal service does not operate and a military situation requires the service. MPOs are established or discontinued by the USPS only on request of the military department that operates them. Notice of these actions is published in the Postal Bulletin. Military post offices do not verify and accept bulk or discounted-rate mail; such mailings must be deposited at (nonmilitary) U.S. post offices. 3.2 Holiday ServiceExhibit 3.2a and Exhibit 3.2b shows the national holidays observed by the USPS and the service levels provided on those holidays for retail window, post office box, firm call, delivery, and collection services. Exhibit 3.2a Holidays Widely ObservedNew Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day
b. Holidays not widely observed: Exhibit 3.2b Holidays Not Widely ObservedMartin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Presidents Day; Columbus Day; and Veterans Day
4.0 Philatelic (Stamp Collecting) Services4.1 Basic Standards4.1.1 Philatelic PolicyA single national USPS policy governs postage stamps and postal stationery, including their release, sale, and discontinuance. 4.1.2 Stamp SubjectsSubjects for commemorative postage stamps and postal stationery may be proposed by the public through correspondence to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (see 8.1 for address). The Committee reviews suggestions and makes recommendations to the postmaster general, who makes the final selections. 4.1.3 Philatelic AvailabilityStamps, postal stationery, and philatelic products are sold at various types of postal retail facilities. Post offices establish special temporary stations to provide philatelic services and to sell commemorative stamps and philatelic products at activities of significant public or philatelic interest. Temporary philatelic stations may be authorized by the postmaster. Under specific circumstances, the USPS may limit or set conditions on the purchase of stamps and other forms of postage or postal stationery. 4.1.4 Philatelic Mail OrdersMail orders for postage stamps of selected quality and other philatelic items must be directed to Stamp Fulfillment Services. Post offices do not fill mail orders for stamps and other philatelic items other than orders under the stamps-by-mail program and for locally precanceled stamps. Customers must provide a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of precanceled stamps. 4.1.5 Philatelic PostmarkingPostmarking for philately is provided at the request of collectors or cover servicers for postmarking outside ordinary mail processing. The Postal Operations Manual contains USPS policy on philatelic postmarking, including cancellation devices, types of postmarks or cancellations, first day covers, postal cacheted envelopes, and service conditions. 4.2 Special Cancellations4.2.1 Description of Special CancellationsSpecial cancellations are machine cancellations in which a caption publicizing an event is engraved on a die hub used to cancel mail. They may be used only in post offices with 190 or more revenue units for canceling large volumes of mail. Special cancellations are authorized only if the scheduled observance either is for a national purpose for which Congress has made an appropriation or is of general public interest and importance for a definite period and not conducted for private gain or profit. 4.2.2 Prohibitions for Special CancellationsSpecial cancellations are not authorized for events of interest primarily to a particular local group; fraternal, political, religious, service, commercial, or trade organizations; campaigns or events promoting the sale or use of private products or services; idea or slogan promotions not directly connected with an event of general public interest and importance; post office anniversaries; recruitment programs; or events that occur during a period when all canceling machines in the post office are scheduled for other special cancellation die hubs. 4.2.3 Applying to Use Special CancellationsA written application for a special cancellation die hub must be submitted to the postmaster at the post office where the special cancellation is to be used. The application must be submitted by the sponsor at least 4 months before the date the special cancellation is to be used. The application must provide this information: a. Complete description and schedule of the event to be observed; evidence that the event is not for private gain or profit; and the name, address, and telephone number of the sponsor to be billed for the cost of manufacturing the die hubs. b. The wording of the special cancellation, which must be standardized and approved by the sponsor's national headquarters when the sponsor is an affiliate or local chapter of a national organization. Standardized requests for national events must be forwarded to the manager of Mailing Standards (see 8.1 for address.) Space available for the wording is limited to three lines of not more than 20 letters, numbers, or spaces each. Illustrations or designs may not be used. The wording must directly reflect the event to be commemorated. c. Post office name and telephone number where the cancellation is to be used, number of die hubs required, and the requested period of use. 4.2.4 Sponsor Payment for Special CancellationsThe sponsor must pay the cost of manufacturing the special cancellation die hub and any cost incurred for installing the hub or in adapting canceling machines for its use. 4.2.5 Time Limit on Use of Special CancellationsUse of a special cancellation may not exceed 6 months. A special cancellation approved on an annual basis is limited to one 60-day period for each year. A request must be submitted for reuse of recurring annual cancellations 3 months before the date the sponsor wants the cancellation to be used again. For national cancellations, a single request from the national sponsor suffices. 4.2.6 Revocation of Special CancellationsUse of any special cancellation may be curtailed or revoked when it is necessary to use special postmarking dies for USPS purposes. 4.2.7 After Use of Special CancellationsUsed die hubs may not be given to sponsors or transferred to another post office. A request from the sponsor that a special cancellation die hub be kept for an appropriate purpose (e.g., placement in a museum, library, or historical site) may be approved by the manager of Mailing Standards (see 8.1 for address). 4.2.8 Information about Special CancellationsMore information about special cancellations is in the Postal Operations Manual. 4.2.9 Mail Submitted for Special CancellationsA mailer must affix First-Class postage to mail that the mailer wants canceled with a special cancellation. The mail must bear a complete address. Stamps issued by foreign countries are not permitted on the mail. Mail bearing the special cancellation will not be enclosed in another envelope for return even if a postage-paid envelope is provided by the customer. Damaged envelopes canceled with a special cancellation are not replaced. 5.0 Private Express Statutes5.1 Private Express Statutes5.1.1 Legal FoundationBy the laws known as the Private Express Statutes, Congress has generally conferred on the USPS the exclusive right to carry letters for others over post routes. USPS regulations under the Private Express Statutes are in the Code of Federal Regulations, 39 CFR 310 and 320, as amended by final rules published in the Federal Register. These regulations take precedence over all prior rulings and USPS publications. Copies of the regulations are available from the manager of the Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) (see 8.4 for address). 5.1.2 Definition of a Letter for Private ExpressFor the Private Express Statutes, a letter is a message directed to a specific person or address and recorded in or on a tangible object. A message consists of any information or intelligence that can be recorded on tangible objects including, but not limited to, paper in sheet or card form, recording disks, and magnetic tapes. Certain matter is excluded from the definition of letter, e.g.: telegrams; checks and certain other instruments shipped to, from, or between financial institutions; newspapers; and periodicals. The regulations detail exclusions. 5.1.3 Postage for Private ExpressIf the proper postage is paid, letters may be privately carried without violating the Private Express Statutes. The regulations detail compliance. Under certain circumstances, letters may be privately carried without paying postage. The principal exceptions cover letters sent with, and related in all substantial respects to, some part of the cargo or to the ordering, shipping, or delivering of the cargo; letters carried by the senders or the recipients, or by their regular salaried employees; and letters carried to or from a postal facility where they are to be or have been carried in the mail. The regulations detail exceptions. 5.1.4 Suspensions of Private Express StatutesLimited suspensions of the Private Express Statutes specify the conditions under which: (a) private couriers may carry data-processing materials, international ocean carrier documents, extremely urgent letters, and advertisements incidental to the shipment of accompanying merchandise or periodicals; and (b) universities and colleges may carry the letters of their bona fide student and faculty organizations. Carriers wanting to use the suspension for data-processing materials must file a notice of their intention on a form available from the manager of the PCSC. 5.1.5 Violations of Private Express StatutesThe PCSC reviews initial reports of possible violations of the Private Express Statutes. When warranted by the facts, possible violations are forwarded to the USPS General Counsel for further action. 5.1.6 Legal Advice for Private ExpressThe public and USPS employees can obtain authoritative advice on the Private Express Statutes, including written advisory opinions, by contacting the Senior Counsel, Ethics and Information, USPS Headquarters (see 8.4 for address and telephone number). 6.0 Complaints and Postal Law Violations6.1 Consumer Complaints and InquiriesAny postal customer may complain or inquire about postal products, services, or employees at any post office or directly to the USPS Consumer Advocate (see 8.1 for address). A complaint or inquiry may be made in person, by telephone, by e-mail, or by letter. A complaint or inquiry about the handling of a specific piece of mail should include the related envelope or wrapper and copies of all postal forms filed. A customer who is dissatisfied with the local handling of a complaint or inquiry may send a written appeal to the Consumer Advocate. A court of law can require such appeal as a legal prerequisite for hearing a customer's suit against the USPS. 6.2 Postal Law ViolationsInstructions on mail security as it relates to unauthorized opening, inspection, tampering, or delay of mail are in Administrative Support Manual 274. Information and complaints on a possible postal law violation must be sent to the appropriate address according to the ZIP Code ranges shown below:
7.0 Trademarks and Copyrights of the USPS7.1 Trademarks and Service Marks7.1.1 Registered MarksThe following are among the registered USPS trademarks and service marks:
7.1.2 Use of Registered MarksUSPS trademarks must be used in the form listed in 7.1.1. Proper use of USPS registered marks requires capitalizing the initial letters of the marks to distinguish them from terms not used as trademarks. Words and phrases that are registered trademarks may also use the registration symbol �. Figures that are registered marks must always use the registration symbol. (An exception to this rule is the USPS emblem used on letterheads and business cards. All other uses of the emblem must include the �.) 7.1.3 Proposed or Pending RegistrationThe USPS has additional trademarks not yet registered. The rules in 7.1.2 apply to these common law marks, except that such marks are not to be identified by the symbol �. Instead, the superscript initials TM may be used to identify these marks. The common law USPS trademarks and service marks for which registration is pending or proposed include the Express Mail International Service logotype, Presort, Registered Mail, and Standard Mail. 7.2 Copyrights7.2.1 Copyrighted MaterialThe USPS secures copyrights in its philatelic designs and certain publications. The designs of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, stamped cards, aerogrammes, souvenir cards, and other philatelic items issued on or after January 1, 1978, are copyrighted by the USPS under title 17 USC. 7.2.2 Permitted Use of Copyrighted MaterialThe use of illustrations of the designs covered by such copyrights is permitted: a. In editorial matter in newspapers, magazines, journals, books, philatelic catalogs, and philatelic albums. b. In advertising matter, circulars, or price lists for the sale of the postal items illustrated. c. In advertising matter, circulars, or price lists for the sale of newspapers, magazines, journals, books, philatelic catalogs, and philatelic albums containing illustrations of philatelic designs. d. In motion-picture films, microfilms, slides, or electronic tape for projection on a screen or for use in telecasting. No print or other reproduction from such films, slides, or tapes may be made except for the uses permitted in this section. 7.2.3 Design Reproductions of Copyrighted MaterialIllustrations permitted by 7.2.2a. through 7.2.2d may be in color or in black and white, and may depict philatelic items as uncanceled or canceled. When depicting uncanceled items in color, illustrations must be less than 75% or more than 150% in linear dimension of the size of the design of the philatelic items as issued. Color illustrations of canceled philatelic items and black and white illustrations of uncanceled or canceled philatelic items may be in any size. 7.2.4 License Request for Copyrighted MaterialThe USPS may grant licenses for the use of illustrations of its copyright designs and registered trademarks outside the scope of the above permission. A request for such a license must be sent to the manager, Licensing, Public Affairs and Communications (see 8.1 for address). 7.3 Inquiries about USPS Trademarks and CopyrightsInquiries about USPS copyrights or use of USPS trademarks and service marks, copyright materials, and intellectual property other than patents and technical data rights in USPS contracts must be sent to USPS Stamp Development. Inquiries about licenses to publish or reproduce ZIP Code information must be sent to the National Customer Support Center (see 8.1 for address). 8.0 USPS Contact Information8.1 Postal Service
BMC Operations
Business Mail Acceptance
Business Mailer Support
Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee
Claims and Processing
Claims Appeals
Consumer Advocate
Customer Service Support
Distribution Operations
Engineering
Engineering Letter Tech
General Counsel
Label Printing Center
Licensing
Mailing Standards
Material Distribution Center
Money Order Branch
National Customer Support Center
Postage Technology Management
Postal Inspection Service
Postal Inspection Service
Postal Inspection Service
Post Office Accounting Manager
Pricing and Classification
Pricing Strategy
Product Development
Prohibitory Order Processing Center
Recorder
Senior Counsel
Stamp Development
Stamp Fulfillment Services 8.2 Federal Agencies
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Bureau of the Public Debt
Diplomatic Pouch Division
Office of the Federal Register
Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs
Postal Rate Commission
Superintendent of Documents
US Fish and Wildlife Service 8.3 Other Agencies
American National Standards Institute
Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM)
Uniform Code Council INC 8.4 PCSC and District Business Mail Entry Offices Contact InformationThe Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) and the district business mail entry offices provide guidance on mail classification, rates, and mail preparation standards. Direct questions about mail classification and special mail services to local postal officials. The PCSC can help local offices answer these questions. (Note: Zip Code Prefix 340 is shared by South Florida and New York districts. Unassigned prefixes are not listed.) 8.4.1 Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC)
90 Church St Ste 3100
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