Customer Support Ruling

Postal Explorer

The Postal Service is reminding customers that metallic mercury and devices containing metallic mercury are always prohibited in the mail stream. This includes antique items such as thermometers, barometers, blood pressure monitors and similar devices.

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Simplified Form of Address and Exceptional Address Format – Periodicals

UPDATED July 2014

PS-223 (207.6.2)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses when simplified form of address and exceptional address format is allowed with Periodicals.

A publication that is entered as Periodicals matter under Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 207.6.2, which is published by a church, is not required to have subscribers if it is not authorized to carry general advertising. A question was raised as to whether the exceptional address format (Jane Doe or Current Resident) could be used on copies of such a publication which will all be mailed to nonsubscribers.

DMM 602.3.1.2, provides that the simplified form of address and the exceptional address format is prohibited on copies of Periodicals publications intended to count as subscriber or requester copies to meet the applicable circulation standards.

DMM 207.7.9.4, states that for publications of institutions and societies that are not authorized to contain advertising of other persons or organizations, all circulated copies will be considered subscriber copies and the total number of such copies will be considered the total paid circulation for purposes of determining the number of copies qualifying for In-County prices under DMM 207.11.3.

The provisions of DMM 207.7 should only be used for making determinations regarding the Periodicals In-County prices. Thus, it would be permissible to use the exceptional address format on nonsubscriber copies of a publication (which is not authorized to contain general advertising) mailed and delivered within the county of publication (or outside the county of publication). However, the reason for nondelivery of Periodicals mail bearing the simplified form of address or an exceptional form of address will be provided to the publisher only when the mail is undeliverable as addressed for reasons other than a move by the named addressee. This copy will not be returned or forwarded.

Sherry Suggs

Manager

Mailing Standards

Headquarters, US Postal Service

Washington DC 20260-3436