Effective May 31, 2015, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 703.2.2.1 to update military addressing standards, specifically APO and FPO military addresses.
In conjunction with the Military Postal Service Agency, the Postal Service has been working to implement needed changes to APO and FPO military addresses in order to be compliant. All military mailpieces (APO and FPO) must show the correct “UNIT,” “CMR” (Community Mail Room), or “PSC” (Postal Service Center) and number, plus the box number as part of the addressing elements.
To be compliant, an address must contain specific standardized elements that are used to check the validity and deliverability of a mailing address in a database, which will return the applicable ZIP Code™ or ZIP+4® code.
Examples of a UNIT and PSC designation:
These updated addressing standards will be included in the May 31, 2015, DMM; however, mailers may begin implementing the changes immediately.
* * * * *
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
700 Special Standards
703 Nonprofit Standard Mail and Other Unique Eligibility
* * * * *
2.0 Overseas Military and Diplomatic Post Office Mail
* * * * *
2.2 Addressing Military Mail
2.2.1 Overseas Address
[Revise 2.2.1 in its entirety to read as follows:]
Overseas military addresses must conform to domestic addressing standards format, while including the correct APO or FPO and AA, AE, or AP designation. AA, AE, and AP are used for addresses with the 3-digit ZIP Code prefixes 340, 090-098, and 962-966, respectively. The correct format and correlating examples are as follows:
a. Line 1: Full name.
b. Line 2: The delivery line (the second line from the bottom in the address) must show the word “UNIT”, “CMR”, or “PSC” and number; and box number assigned.
c. Line 3: The bottom line must contain the APO or FPO (“city”) designation and the appropriate two-letter AA, AE, or AP (“state”) abbreviation followed by the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 Code.
Exhibit 2.2.1 Military Addressing Format
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the May 31, 2015, update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 4-30-15
