Effective April 7, 2025, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections, to reflect the Postal Service eliminating three labeling lists (L003, L011, and L801) and redirecting those mail sortations to labeling list L002, L005, or L009, as applicable, to commence the first phase of moving to shape-based-mail labeling lists.
Shape-based mail and package processing is a fundamental premise of the Plant/Transportation Network Redesign underway supporting the Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America plan. Deficiencies in the current labeling-list framework offer the opportunity to align external (commercial) mail preparation and Postal Service entry, and internal processing steps, with a new shape-based-mail approach to labeling lists.
In various sections, the DMM will continue to reference automated area distribution center (AADC) mail sort for labeling list L005 until a later date. Although the container label created using labeling list L005 will reflect sectional center facility (SCF) mail destination, mailpieces will continue to receive area distribution center (ADC) pricing as per the postage statement, and the SCF pallet discount will apply, when applicable.
The Postal Service will extend mailers a grace period until April 1, 2025, to comply with the labeling-list changes. From April 2, 2025, through May 31, 2025, mailers must request an exception from the Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) to use data from the eliminated labeling lists. Files and data for the eliminated labeling lists will no longer be available after May 31, 2025.
The Postal Service believes that this change, which includes deleting redundant labeling lists, aligning existing labeling lists, and synchronizing commercial-mail preparation and Postal Service entry through opening new USPS processing/entry points, will benefit mailers by creating a more efficient mail-sortation process, with less errors and re-work.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until April 7, 2025, the standards are effective January 19, 2025. An article with full details on these revisions to be incorporated into the DMM will be published as soon as possible on Postal Explorer.®
The Postal Service will publish these revisions in the April 7, 2025, edition of the online DMM, which is available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 1-9-25
