Effective January 18, 2026, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 609.5.7, to clarify how to handle a recovered article after the mailer files a claim and is paid.
Section 609.5.7 will also be revised to include a reference to Publication 122, Domestic Claims Customer Reference Guide, as a resource for additional information.
Although this revision will not be published in the DMM until January 18, 2026, this standard is effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
* * * * *
609 Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
* * * * *
5.0 Compensation
* * * * *
5.7 Recovered Article
[Revise the text of 5.7 to read as follows:]
If USPS recovers a lost registered, insured, COD, or Priority Mail Express article after the mailer filed a claim and USPS paid the claimant, the payee may accept the article and must reimburse USPS for the full amount paid to the payee if the article is undamaged. If the article is damaged, has been depreciated, or has missing contents, the payee may accept the article and must reimburse USPS in an amount set by the Consumer Advocate, USPS Headquarters. For additional information, see Publication 122, Domestic Claims Customer Reference Guide.
* * * * *
The Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 11-27-25
