Effective April 1, 2024, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), sections 602.1.5.4 and 609.4.3, to clarify the consequences of using foreign return addresses on domestic mailpieces.
The Postal Service is clarifying that undeliverable domestic mailpieces with a foreign return address will be handled in accordance with the Postal Service’s dead mail procedures.
In addition, the Postal Service will also revise related sections of Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®), including section 762.2, “Undeliverable Domestic Mail Bearing U.S. Postage and a Foreign Return Address.”
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until April 1, 2024, the standards are effective January 1, 2024.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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602 Addressing
1.0 Elements of Addressing
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1.5 Return Addresses
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[Revise the title and text of 1.5.4 to read as follows:]
1.5.4 Using Foreign Return Addresses
When U.S. postage is applied to a domestic mailpiece, as defined under 608.2.1 and 608.2.2, only a domestic return address is authorized. An undeliverable domestic mailpiece bearing a foreign return address will not be returned to the sender and will be handled as dead mail under 507.1.9.
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609 Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
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4.0 Claims
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4.3 Nonpayable Claims
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[Add new item ag. to read as follows:]
ag. A registered or insured domestic mailpiece is undeliverable and bears a foreign return address.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the April 1, 2024, edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 12-28-23
