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 that the Postal Service has added Connect Local Mail as a permanent market-dominant product.
On October 3, 2024, the Postal Service filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to add Connect Local Mail as a new product to the market-dominant product list based on Connect Local Mail market test results since January 9, 2022.
On December 23, 2024, the PRC found that the experimental product Connect Local Mail would become a permanent market-dominant product, as proposed by the Postal Service, to become effective January 1, 2025. Related documents are available under Docket No. MC2025-19 on the PRC website at prc.gov.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until April 7, 2025, 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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3.5 First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail Markings
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[Add new item a(2) to read as follows and renumber current items a(2) through a(4) as items a(3) through a(5), respectively:]
2. “USPS Connect Local Mail.”
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230 Commercial Mail First-Class Mail
233 Prices and Eligibility
Overview
[To the end of the list under “Overview,” add a new section number and title to read as follows:]
7.0 Eligibility Standards for USPS Connect Local Mail
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1.0 Prices and Fees
1.1 Price Application
[Revise the text of 1.1 to read as follows:]
Except for USPS Connect Local Mail under 1.2.3, postage is based on the price that applies to the weight of each addressed piece.
1.2 Price Computation for First-Class Mail Letters and Flats
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1.2.2 Flats
[Revise the first sentence of 1.2.2 to read as follows:]
Except for USPS Connect Local Mail under 1.2.3, First-Class Mail flats prices are charged per ounce up to the maximum of 13 ounces.***
[Add a new section 1.2.3 to read as follows:]
1.2.3 USPS Connect Local Mail
USPS Connect Local Mail price is not based on weight. Customers mailing USPS Connect Local Mail are charged a flat price, regardless of the mailpiece’s weight (up to 13 ounces).
[Revise the title and text of 1.3 to read as follows:]
1.3 First-Class Mail Prices
For prices of all First-Class Mail price categories under 1.2, see Notice 123 – Price List.
[Delete 1.4 in its entirety and renumber current 1.5 through 1.7 as 1.4 through 1.6, respectively.]
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2.0 Content Standards for First-Class Mail
2.1 General
[Revise the text of 2.1 to read as follows:]
Except for restricted material as described in 601.8.0 or USPS Connect Local Mail under 7.0, any mailable item may be mailed as First-Class Mail.
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3.0 Basic Eligibility Standards for First-Class Mail
3.1 Description of Service
3.1.1 Service Description
[Add a new third sentence to the text of 3.1.1 to read as follows:]
***USPS Connect Local Mail is a price category of First-Class Mail with an expected same-day or next-day delivery service.
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[Add a new section 7.0 to read as follows:]
7.0 Eligibility Standards for USPS Connect Local Mail
USPS Connect Local Mail mailings are subject to the following criteria:
a. They have no minimum-volume requirement.
b. Each USPS Connect Local Mail mailpiece must not exceed 13 ounces.
c. Pieces must not exceed flat-size dimensions under 201.4.1.
d. The USPS Connect Local Mail price category is designed to be used for documents and paper-based contents only.
e. The Postal Service offers two types of USPS-produced USPS Connect Local Mail envelopes, or customers may use their own envelope.
f. Postage must be paid under 234.1.2.
g. Pieces are subject to specific marking requirements under 202.3.5.1.
h. Mailings must be addressed and entered at the designated entry unit by the critical entry time for same-day or next-day delivery.
i. USPS Tracking is included with USPS Connect Local Mail.
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234 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
[Add the following section number and title immediately above the introductory text of 1.0 to read as follows:]
1.1 General
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[Add a new section 1.2 to read as follows:]
1.2 USPS Connect Local Mail
USPS Connect Local Mail mailings must be paid with USPS Click-N-Ship or USPS API, which will produce the shipping label with a trackable Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb).
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235 Mail Preparation
Overview
[To the end of the list under “Overview,” add a new section number and title to read as follows:]
9.0 Preparing USPS Connect Local Mail
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1.0 General Definition of Terms
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1.2 Definition of Mailings
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[Add new item b(5) to read as follows:]
5. USPS Connect Local Mail and any other type of mail.
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[Add a new section 9.0 to read as follows:]
9.0 Preparing USPS Connect Local Mail
9.1 Sorting USPS Connect Local Mail
USPS Connect Local Mail pieces have no sorting requirements.
9.2 USPS-Provided USPS Connect Local Mail Flat-Rate Packaging
USPS Connect Local Mail envelopes that USPS provides must be used only for USPS Connect Local Mail-priced pieces.
9.3 Sealing USPS Connect Local Mail Flat-Rate Packaging
The container flap must close within the normal folds of a sealed USPS Connect Local Flat-Mail-Rate envelope. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided that the container’s design is not enlarged by opening the sides, and the container is not reconstructed in any way.
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236 Enter and Deposit
1.0 Deposit
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1.2 Time and Location of Deposit
[Add the following section number and title immediately above the introductory text of 1.2 and revise the text of 1.2.1 to read as follows:]
1.2.1 General
First-Class Mail paid at Presorted, or any automation prices must be deposited at locations and times that the postmaster designates. Metered mail must be deposited in locations under the jurisdiction of the licensing Post Office, except as permitted in 604.4.6.3. Permit-imprint mail must be deposited under 604.5.0 or 705.
[Add new section 1.2.2 to read as follows:]
1.2.2 USPS Connect Local
USPS Connect Local Mail pieces must be mailed at the designated entry unit.
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Index
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U
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[Add the following new entry alphabetically to read as follows:]
USPS Connect Local Mail, 233
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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,
Product Solutions, 2-20-25
