Effective April 17, 2011, the Postal Service™ will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 102.4.3, 202.4, 302.4.3, 402.3.3 and 508.1.2 to clarify that uninsured parcels and parcels not requiring a signature may bear the endorsement “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE.”
In addition to the clarification, the Postal Service provides an alternate placement option that requires the endorsement to only be placed directly below the return address. The new placement location option allows the “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE” endorsement to also be placed to the left of the postage area.
The carrier release endorsement program is applicable when used with parcels and is, therefore, only incorporated into the parcel section of the DMM.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
100 Retail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
102 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
* * * * *
4.0 Endorsement Placement
* * * * *
4.3 Placement of Endorsement
Placement of the endorsement on the mailpiece is determined as follows:
[Revise 4.3a as follows:]
a. The carrier release endorsement, “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE,” must appear directly to the left of the postage area (preferred) or directly below the return address. A minimum 1/4 inch clear space must appear between any other printing and the carrier release endorsement. If an ancillary service endorsement is used, the carrier release endorsement must be separated from the ancillary service endorsement by the equivalent of one blank line of the type size used.
* * * * *
200 Commercial Letters and Cards
* * * * *
202 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
* * * * *
4.0 Placement and Physical Standards for Endorsements
4.1 Endorsements for Delivery Instructions and Ancillary Services
[Revise text of 4.1 by deleting the reference to carrier release in the parenthesis as follows:]
The mailer must place the correct endorsement on each mailpiece to provide delivery instructions (retention period under 507.4.4.4) or to request an ancillary service (see 507.1.0).
* * * * *
4.3 Placement of Endorsement
Placement of the endorsement on the mailpiece is determined as follows:
[Delete 4.3a in its entirety and redesignate current items b and c as new items a and b.]
* * * * *
300 Commercial Flats
* * * * *
302 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
* * * * *
4.0 Placement and Physical Standards for Endorsements
* * * * *
4.3 Placement of Endorsements
Placement of the endorsement on the mailpiece is determined as follows:
[Delete 4.3a in its entirety and redesignate current items b and c as new items a and b.]
* * * * *
400 Commercial Parcels
* * * * *
402 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
* * * * *
3.0 Placement and Physical Standards for Endorsements
* * * * *
3.3 Placement of Endorsements
Placement of the endorsement on the mailpiece is determined as follows:
[Revise 3.3a as follows:]
a. The carrier release endorsement “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE” must appear directly to the left of the postage area (preferred) or placed directly below the return address. A minimum 1/4 inch clear space must appear between any other printing and the carrier release endorsement. If an ancillary service endorsement is used, the carrier release endorsement must be separated from the ancillary service endorsement by the equivalent of one blank line of the type size used.
* * * * *
500 Additional Mailing Services
* * * * *
508 Recipient Services
1.0 Recipient Options
* * * * *
[Revise title and text of 1.2 as follows:]
1.2 Carrier Release Endorsement for Parcels
The carrier release endorsement “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE” instructs carriers to leave the parcel if no one is available to accept the parcel or when the addressee has filed a written order to allow a carrier to leave the parcel. A parcel may be left in an unprotected location, such as a stairway or uncovered porch, only when it bears the “CARRIER — LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE” endorsement. The endorsement must appear directly to the left of the postage area (preferred) or directly below the return address as specified in 102.4.3 and 402.3.3. A carrier release endorsement may be used on only:
a. Uninsured parcels
b. Parcels that do not require a signature
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 3-10-11
