Effective November 4, 2024, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 202.3.10, to replace the section titled “Marking Hazardous Materials” with a section titled “Exceptions to Markings,” which was erroneously deleted in a previous DMM edition. The Postal Service will also revise section 604.5.1.8 to reflect an update in the Postal Service weight standard for permit-imprint mailings.
Although these revisions will not be published in the DMM until November 4, 2024, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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202 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
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3.0 Placement and Content of Mail Markings
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[Delete the current section 3.10, “Marking Hazardous Materials,” in its entirety and add new 3.10 to read as follows:]
3.10 Exceptions to Markings
Exceptions are as follows:
a. Automation Letters and Flats. Automation letters and flats do not require an “AUTO” marking if they bear an Intelligent Mail barcode with a delivery-point routing code in the address block or on an insert visible through a window. First-Class Mail letters not marked “AUTO” must bear both the “Presorted” or “PRSRT” and “First-Class” markings. USPS Marketing Mail letters not marked “AUTO” must bear the appropriate basic marking in 3.5a.
b. Manifest Mailings. The following apply:
1. The basic marking must appear in the postage area on each piece as required in 3.5a.
2. The two-letter price-category code, printed in the keyline on manifest-mailing-system pieces using batch processing under 705.2.0, meets the requirement for other price markings when those pieces are part of a manifest mailing or another automation mailing.
3. If a single-piece marking (“SP”) has been applied to pieces that subsequently become part of a presorted or automation mailing, the “SP” marking must be marked out and replaced with a “Presorted” or “PRSRT” marking.
4. Mail manifested using the Electronic Verification System (eVS) under 705.2.0 must bear the basic marking and the additional marking “eVS” (or the alternative “e-VS” or “EVS”) in two places:
(a) In the required permit imprint as described in 604.5.0.
(b) In the human-readable text above the required barcode described in 705.2.9 and 204.2.0.
c. MLOCR Prepared Automation Mailings. The basic marking must appear in the postage area on each piece as required in 3.5a. The other “AUTO” marking described in 3.5b must be replaced by the appropriate identifier/price code marking described in 705.5.0, on those pieces that have the marking applied by an MLOCR. This seven-character marking provides a description of the following:
1. Product Month Designator;
2. NCOALink MPE system identifier;
3. Postage-payment method; and
4. The price of affixed postage or other postage information for permit-imprint mail.
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds
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5.0 Permit Imprint (Indicia)
5.1 General Standards
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5.1.8 Weight Standards for Permit Imprint Mailing
[Revise the text of 5.1.8 to read as follows:]
All pieces in a permit-imprint mailing must be of identical weight, except for pieces from mailers participating in the Seamless Acceptance Program for letters and flats and eVS or USPS SHIP for parcels.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Product Solutions, 9-19-24
