Effective November 7, 2019, the Postal Service™ is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections to include new USPS® procedures for mailing cremated remains. The revisions reflect changes to Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, regarding shipping cremated remains.
As stated in the article, “Publication 52 Revision: Mailing Cremated Remains,” published in this Postal Bulletin, the Postal Service is revising Publication 52 in part to eliminate the use of Priority Mail Express® Labels 11-B, 11-F, and 11-HFPU, for domestic shipments containing cremated remains (see Publication 52 Revision). The changes also include limiting additional mailing services to insurance and return receipt for mailpieces containing cremated remains.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until January 26, 2020, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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110 Priority Mail Express
113 Prices and Eligibility
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3.0 Content Standards for Priority Mail Express
[Add a last sentence to the text of 3.0 to read as follows:]
***Items mailed containing cremated remains must be sent as Priority Mail Express. (See Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, section 451.22.)
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4.0 Service Features of Priority Mail Express
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4.2 Priority Mail Express 1-Day Delivery
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4.2.4 Hold for Pickup
[Revise the text of 4.2.4 to read as follows:]
Except for Priority Mail Express mailpieces containing cremated remains, under Hold for Pickup service, items presented under 4.2 are available for pickup by the addressee at the destination facility by 10:30 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. of the next day that the destination office is open for retail business.
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4.3 Priority Mail Express 2-Day Delivery
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4.3.4 Hold for Pickup
[Revise the text of 4.3.4 to read as follows:]
Except for Priority Mail Express mailpieces containing cremated remains, under Hold for Pickup service, items presented under 4.3 are available for pickup by the addressee at the destination facility by 10:30 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. of the second delivery day that the destination office is open for retail business.
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115 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day
2.1 Mailing Label
[Revise the text of 2.1 to read as follows:]
Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day items must be labeled as follows:
a. Except as specified in 2.1b, for each Priority Mail Express item the mailer must complete Label 11-B or Label 11-F, Label 11-HFPU for Hold for Pickup service, or use a single-ply Priority Mail Express label generated through Click-N-Ship or a USPS-approved method. Mailers authorized to present 1-Day or 2-Day Priority Mail Express items using a Priority Mail Express Manifesting System must follow label preparation procedures in Publication 97, Priority Mail Express Manifesting Business and Technical Guide.
b. For each Priority Mail Express item containing cremated remains, the mailer may present the item at a Post Office location and have a shipping label printed and affixed, or use a single-ply Priority Mail Express label generated through Click-N-Ship or a USPS-approved method. The single-ply Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) shipping label must have the appropriate service type code and banner text above the barcode used for cremated remains. (See Publication 199, Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) Implementation Guide for: Confirmation Services and Electronic Verification System (eVS) Mailers, available on PostalPro at postalpro.usps.com).
2.2 Signature Required
[Revise the text of 2.2 to read as follows:]
Mailers may request a signature for Priority Mail Express items as follows:
a. For editions of Priority Mail Express Label 11-B or Label 11-F printed on or after January 2012, a mailer sending a Priority Mail Express item and requiring a signature must check the “Signature Required” box on Label 11-B or Label 11-F or indicate on a single-ply commercial label that a signature is requested in order to instruct USPS to provide a signature. If the “Signature Required” box is selected, an image of the signature will be provided to mailers when they access delivery information. A mailer must select a signature service for Priority Mail Express COD, or Priority Mail Express with additional insurance.
b. A mailer sending a Priority Mail Express item containing cremated remains and requiring a signature must indicate on a single-ply commercial label that a signature is requested in order to instruct USPS to provide a signature. If a signature is required, an image of the signature will be provided to mailers when they access delivery information. A mailer must select a signature service for Priority Mail Express with additional insurance.
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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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210 Priority Mail Express
213 Prices and Eligibility
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2.0 Content Standards for Priority Mail Express
[Add a last sentence to the text of 2.0 to read as follows:]
***Items mailed containing cremated remains must be sent as Priority Mail Express. (See Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, section 451.22.)
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4.0 Service Features of Priority Mail Express
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4.2 Priority Mail Express 1-Day Delivery
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4.2.4 Hold for Pickup
[Revise the text of 4.2.4 to read as follows:]
Except for Priority Mail Express mailpieces containing cremated remains, under Hold for Pickup service, items presented under 4.2 are available for pickup by the addressee at the destination facility by 10:30 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. of the next day that the destination office is open for retail business.
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4.3 Priority Mail Express 2-Day Delivery
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4.3.4 Hold for Pickup
[Revise the text of 4.3.4 to read as follows:]
Except for Priority Mail Express mailpieces containing cremated remains, under Hold for Pickup service, items presented under 4.3 are available for pickup by the addressee at the destination facility by 10:30 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. of the second delivery day that the destination office is open for retail business.
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215 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day
2.1 Mailing Label
[Revise the text of 2.1 to read as follows:]
Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day items must be labeled as follows:
a. Except as specified in 2.1b, for each Priority Mail Express item the mailer must complete Label 11-B or Label 11-F, Label 11-HFPU for Hold for Pickup service, or a single-ply Priority Mail Express label generated through a USPS-approved method. Mailers authorized to present 1-Day or 2-Day Priority Mail Express items using a Priority Mail Express Manifesting System must follow label preparation procedures in Publication 97, Priority Mail Express Manifesting Business and Technical Guide.
b. For each Priority Mail Express item containing cremated remains, the mailer may present the item at a Post Office location and have a shipping label printed and affixed, or use a single-ply Priority Mail Express label generated through Click-N-Ship or a USPS-approved method. The single-ply Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) shipping label must have the appropriate service type code and banner text above the barcode used for cremated remains. (See Publication 199, Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) Implementation Guide for: Confirmation Services and Electronic Verification System (eVS) Mailers, available on PostalPro at postalpro.usps.com.)
2.2 Signature Required
[Revise the text of 2.2 to read as follows:]
Mailers may request a signature for Priority Mail Express items as follows:
a. For editions of Priority Mail Express Label 11-B or Label 11-F printed on or after January 2012, a mailer sending a Priority Mail Express item and requiring a signature must check the “Signature Required” box on Label 11-B or Label 11-F or indicate on a single-ply commercial label that a signature is requested in order to instruct USPS to provide a signature. If the “Signature Required” box is selected, an image of the signature will be provided to mailers when they access delivery information. A mailer must select a signature service for Priority Mail Express COD or Priority Mail Express with additional insurance.
b. A mailer sending a Priority Mail Express item containing cremated remains and requiring a signature must indicate on a single-ply commercial label that a signature is requested in order to instruct USPS to provide a signature. If a signature is required, an image of the signature will be provided to mailers when they access delivery information. A mailer must select a signature service for Priority Mail Express with additional insurance.
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500 Additional Mailing Services
503 Extra Services
1.0 Basic Standards for All Extra Services
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1.4 Eligibility for Extra Services
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1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
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Exhibit 1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
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[Under the “ELIGIBLE MAIL” column for “Adult Signature Required” extra service, add superscript number “10” to the “Priority Mail Express” entry:]
Adult Signature Required 1 Priority Mail Express10
Adult Signature Restricted
Delivery1
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[Under the “ELIGIBLE MAIL” column for “Collect on Delivery (COD)” extra service, add superscript number “10” to the “Priority Mail Express” entry:]
Collect on Delivery (COD) Priority Mail Express10
COD Restricted Delivery
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[Add new footnote “10” to the footnotes at the bottom of Exhibit 1.4.1 to read as follows:]
10. Not available for Priority Mail Express items containing cremated remains.
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507 Mailer Services
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3.0 Hold For Pickup
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3.2 Basic Information
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3.2.4 Ineligible Matter
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[Add new item c. to the text of 3.2.4 to read as follows:]
c. Priority Mail Express items containing cremated remains.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 11-7-19
