The Postal Service™ is revising the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to update the standards regarding delivery of Express Mail® items with waiver of signature requested and return receipt for merchandise items with waiver of signature requested into the September online update. Delivery employees deliver these items to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location without first attempting to obtain a signature from the addressee.
Waiver of signature authorizes delivery to be made without obtaining the signature of the addressee or addressee’s agent as long as the delivery employee establishes the article can be left in the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location. By requesting waiver of signature, the sender agrees to accept the delivery time and date scan information as valid record of delivery.
When Express Mail items with waiver of signature requested and return receipt for merchandise items with waiver of signature requested are delivered, the delivery employee signs the PS Form 3849, Sorry We Missed You, without attempting to obtain a signature from the addressee. After signing the PS Form 3849, the delivery employee delivers the item to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location. This process expedites delivery time because the delivery employee is not required to try to obtain a signature from the addressee or addressee’s agent when a waiver of signature is authorized.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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100 Retail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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110 Express Mail
113 Prices and Eligibility
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4.0 Service Features of Express Mail
4.1 General
The service features are as follows:
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[Revise the text of the first and second sentences in item b as follows:]
b. When a waiver of signature is authorized by the mailer, the delivery employee signs upon delivery. The item is delivered to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location.***
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115 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Express Mail Next Day and Second Day
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2.2 Waiver of Signature
[Revise the text of 2.2 as follows:]
A mailer sending an Express Mail item may instruct the USPS to deliver an Express Mail Next Day Delivery or Express Mail Second Day Delivery item without obtaining the signature of the addressee or the addressee’s agent by checking and signing the waiver of signature on Label 11–B or Label 11-F, Express Mail Post Office to Addressee, or indicating waiver of signature is requested on single-ply commercial label. Completion of the waiver of signature authorizes the delivery employee to sign upon delivery. The item is delivered to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location. Mailers who request waiver of signature will be provided only the delivery date and time when accessing delivery information on the Internet or when calling the toll-free number.
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400 Commercial Parcels
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410 Express Mail
413 Prices and Eligibility
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4.0 Service Features of Express Mail
4.1 General
The service features are as follows:
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[Revise the text of the first and second sentences in item b as follows:]
b. When waiver of signature is authorized by the mailer, the delivery employee signs upon delivery. The item is delivered to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location.***
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415 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Express Mail Next Day and Second Day
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2.2 Waiver of Signature
[Revise the text of 2.2 as follows:]
A mailer sending an Express Mail item may instruct the USPS to deliver an Express Mail Next Day Delivery or Express Mail Second Day Delivery item without obtaining the signature of the addressee or the addressee’s agent by checking and signing the waiver of signature on Label 11–B or Label 11-F, Express Mail Post Office to Addressee, or indicating waiver of signature is requested on single-ply commercial label. Completion of the waiver of signature authorizes the delivery employee to sign upon delivery. The item is delivered to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location. Mailers who request waiver of signature will be provided only the delivery date and time when accessing delivery information on the Internet or when calling the toll-free number.
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500 Additional Mailing Services
503 Extra Services
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8.0 Return Receipt for Merchandise
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8.3 Mailing
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8.3.2 How to Mail
A mailer can obtain Form 3804 and Form 3811 (return receipt) at the Post Office or from any rural carrier. Observe these procedures:
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[Revise item f as follows:]
f. By signing the waiver on Form 3804, customers are instructing the USPS to deliver the item without obtaining the addressee’s or addressee’s agent’s signature. Completion of the waiver of signature authorizes the delivery employee to sign upon delivery. The item is delivered to the addressee’s mail receptacle or other secure location. To request waiver of signature, detach both parts of the gummed sections of label 3804 and attach to the mailpiece.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com and into the next printed version of the DMM.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 8-28-08
