Publication 542 - Understanding the Private Express Statutes
June 2014

Preface 1 Introduction 1-1 What Are the Private Express Statutes? 1-2 Background 1-3 Purpose of PES 1-4 Implementing Laws and Regulations 1-5 Purpose of This Publication 1-6 Compliance With Statutes 2 Definitions 2-1 Letter (39 CFR 310.1) 2-2 Message (39 CFR 310.1(a)(2) through (6)) 2-3 Material Not Considered Letters (39 CFR 310.1(a)(7)) 2-4 Post Routes (39 CFR 310.1(d)) 2-5 Private Carriage (39 CFR 310.1(e)) 3 Exceptions to the PES 3-1 Price (39 USC 601(b)(1)) 3-2 Weight (39 USC 601(b)(2)) 3-3 Cargo (39 CFR 310.3(a)) 3-4 Letters of the Carrier (39 CFR 310.3(b)) 3-5 Private Hands Without Compensation (39 CFR 310.3(c)) 3-6 Special Messenger (39 CFR 310.3(d)) 3-7 Carriage Prior or Subsequent to Mailing (39 CFR 310.3(e))

4 Suspensions of the PES 4-1 Data Processing Materials (39 CFR 320.2) 4-2 Letters of College and University Organizations (39 CFR 320.4) 4-3 Certain International Ocean Carrier-related Documents (39 CFR 320.5) 4-4 Extremely Urgent Letters (39 CFR 320.6) 4-5 Advertisements With Parcels or Periodicals (39 CFR 320.7) 4-6 International Remailing (39 CFR 320.8) 5 Implementing Lawful Private Carriage of Letters With Postage Payment 5-1 Reasons for Private Carriage of Letters 5-2 Private Carriage in Limited Instances (39 CFR 310.2(b)(1)) 5-3 Private Carriage in Volume Instances (39 CFR 310.2(b)(2)) 5-4 Postage Required for Lawful Private Carriage of Letters 5-5 Postage Payment Methods 5-6 Postage Payment Agreements (39 CFR 310.2(b)(2)(i)) 6 Contact Information 6-1 Local Contact — Manager of Business Mail Entry (MBME) 6-2 National Contact — Product Classification, USPS Headquarters 6-3 Postal Service Law Department