Rights and Permissions

Learn about common and specific uses of USPS® trademarks and copyrighted materials, how the application process works, and where to find additional information.

The U.S. Postal Service® Office of Rights and Permissions program is responsible for reviewing and approving requests for one-time, limited use of the USPS® trademark and copyrighted materials.

Unless there is a change to your application after it has been received, all terms and fees are non-negotiable. Fees have been adjusted to accommodate small runs, limited commercial usage and the needs of individuals or small businesses.

For USPS Suppliers and Partners

The terms of the agreement with the USPS should contain licensing terms which set out the parameters of USPS trademark use. If your contract does not contain licensing terms, contact your Contracting Officer to add these clauses to your agreement. All uses of USPS trademarks must be reviewed by USPS’s Brand Equity and Design Department/Division.

Licensing Terms

The terms of the agreements are non-negotiable. If you feel the terms are unfair for your situation, please send a request in writing to us explaining your situation.

Rules for commonly used USPS assets such as logos and trademarks.

Logos

The USPS® Corporate signature is made up of two separate entities: the Eagle symbol and the corporate logotype. Other commonly requested logos include the Priority Mail® and Priority Mail Express® logos.

For USPS partners and organizations who use our services in the course of conducting business, approval for use of USPS logos will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Types of requests

Common requests for trademark and logo use include:

  • Click wrap use: Indicating that USPS is a shipping option to customers
  • Taking photographs in and around Postal property
  • Filming in and around a Post Office™
  • Using USPS intellectual property for films, television, and documentaries
  • Using stamp images in textbooks and other trade books

For more information on common requests, refer to logo and trademark use.

Using the USPS logo to show customers that the business uses USPS.

Our “Corporate Signature” logo may be used by companies on their business websites to denote doing business with USPS to show their customers that the business uses USPS as a shipping provider. To acquire this logo you must first agree to the USPS terms and conditions, as well as provide requested information in the online application form. Once you have completed the application process successfully you will have access to download the logo file and USPS “Corporate Signature” requirements document.

Guidelines for visual use of USPS trademarks and copyrighted materials.

Professional photographs

Pictures taken on Postal Service premises require a License or Location Agreement, whether for commercial or non-commercial use. This includes professional photographers, documentary filmmakers, student photographers, student filmmakers, and nonprofits.

Use of New Deal Art by a commercial company or nonprofit for commercial purposes requires prior approval from the Rights and Permissions office. In cases where USPS electronic files for New Deal Art images are unavailable, the Postal service may allow high resolution photographs to be taken for use in publishing and limited commercial use. A License Agreement must be executed prior to any pictures being taken.

Informal photographs

Informal pictures taken with a handheld camera for personal use are allowable at the discretion of the Postmaster. Photos cannot disrupt operations and must take place in publicly accessible areas. No prior permission is required from the Office of Rights and Permissions.

For taking informal pictures, you may not:

  • Set up lighting or scaffolding
  • Include USPS employees, customers, or mail
  • Depict security cameras

Any personal photography that does not follow the guidelines listed above, causes undo disruption, or raises potential or real security concerns can be restricted by the Postmaster.

New Deal Art

There are special instructions for taking photographs of New Deal Art murals and sculptures that can be found in various Post Offices. If you would like to take pictures of this artwork for personal use only, you must contact the local Postmaster to ask for permission. These images cannot be used to create posters, greeting cards, coffee mugs, or any commercial/merchandising items.

All photographs must be low resolution (under 72 dpi) and no larger than a 4x5 inches. Use of any equipment other than a camera requires prior authorization. This includes tripods, lighting, and scaffolding.

Any pictures taken of Post Office artwork appearing in a non-commercial, public setting, such as a personal website or an educational article, must give credit to the Postal Service using the following language:

“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

Find information on New Deal artwork at New Deal Art: Murals and Sculptures

More about murals

Learn more about the history of New Deal Art in Post Offices. PDF | RTF

Using a U.S. Postal Service logo or other trademark in a film, television show, or theatrical piece.

To use a U.S. Postal Service logo or other trademark in a film, television show, or theatrical piece, your application should include the following:

  • A synopsis of the production
  • The script pages for scenes that will include the USPS trademarked item(s) to be featured, such as when a character puts a letter into a collection box
  • Any other details that would be helpful in reviewing your request

If you would like to purchase a uniform for your production, the U.S. Postal Service uniform coordinator will assist your production company in acquiring one.

Filming on USPS premises requires a Location Agreement for commercial or non-commercial use. Please note that filming often requires the coordination of several USPS parties including a local Postmaster or letter carrier.

A Certificate of Insurance naming the U.S. Postal Service® as an additional insured party will be required and should be presented at least three days before filming. When determining the timing for insurance, remember to factor in the 20 to 30 days of processing time for your application.

Applying for a one-time limited use of a USPS trademark or copyrighted material.

To apply for a one-time limited use of a USPS trademark or copyrighted material, please use the USPS application form PS 8676. When completed, send the form and a scan/photo of the $25 application fee in the form of check/money order for processing to permissions@usps.gov.

All fees, including the one-time, non-refundable $25 application fee*, should be mailed to:

US POSTAL SERVICE
P.O. BOX 7047-7087
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19170-7087

*In cases where the logo will be used to indicate USPS as a shipping method, no application fee is required. However, you must still complete the application and attach the proposed layout of the piece or the individual page that would use the USPS logo.

Please note, applications received without the application fee will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. Requests are generally processed within 20 to 30 days of receipt of the completed application. Once approved, additional fee(s) may apply.

Additional Fees

Additional fees are generally added for commercial uses and are calculated with information provided in the application, including number of images or trademarks requested, intended use, format of use and production scale.

Location Fees

Fees will be charged in hourly or daily increments for filming on USPS premises or using USPS property. The fee is based on the location, size of production, and amount of disruption to normal activities. Location fees will also be charged for use of USPS trucks or other vehicles.

After your application has been approved and, if needed, final payment is received, you will be issued a License/Permission Letter, guidelines covering how the materials can be reproduced, and instructions to download the requested material(s).

All fees are subject to change at the discretion of the Postal Service™.

For more information on fees, visit Administrative & Royalty Fees

Uses are not covered by the Postal Service Office of Rights & Permissions.

The following uses are not covered by the Postal Service Office of Rights & Permissions:

  • USPS contractors and suppliers who would like to show affiliation with USPS
  • Companies that would like to create products to be sold to the Postal Service
  • Independent shipping and mailing companies that would like to show their affiliation with USPS

Any person or company looking for these rights should apply through the USPS Approved Postal Provider Programs found at https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/becoming/approved-postal-provider-programs.htm. Once approved, USPS will provide branding rights and signage.

Uses not requiring permission (fair use)

Not sure if you need permission to use material copyrighted by the U.S. Postal Service®? Find out what constitutes fair use of copyrighted material and what uses require permission.

What is fair use?

The U.S. Postal Service has identified a limited number of uses of copyrighted material that generally do not require prior approval from the Rights and Permissions office. If your intended use meets the requirements for one of the situations below, you do not need to obtain permission from the Postal Service™. However, if the intended use extends beyond the specific situations listed below (or if you need a copy of the image from the U.S. Postal Service), we strongly recommend that you contact the Rights and Permissions office before using USPS® property. To avoid unauthorized use, it is best to obtain permission through the Rights and Permissions process.

Generally, no prior permission is required for:

Educational Use

Noncommercial, educational uses limited to teaching, scholarship, and research.

News Reporting

Use in reporting current news in newspapers, news magazines, and news journals.

Credit Language

For all the aforementioned uses, users must cite the source of the image, the United States Postal Service®, and include language such as: “© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.“

All aforementioned uses must consist of the unaltered, original image or text as issued or published by the U.S. Postal Service. Any modification or alteration to an image or to text constitutes an unauthorized use.

The U.S. Postal Service has a statutory obligation to operate as a business and so vigorously defends its intellectual property rights. If you are uncertain about whether or not your intended use falls within the aforementioned situations (or if it simply does not), we strongly recommend that you contact the Rights and Permissions office before proceeding to use the U.S. Postal Service’s property.

Reporting requests to film or photograph on USPS premises.

Reporting requests from qualified news reporting services to film or photograph on USPS premises must be directed to the local USPS Corporate Communications representative. Find a list of Media Relations contacts at: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/media-contacts/local.htm.