Effective November 27, 2025, the Postal Service™ is revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted and Perishable Mail, Appendix C, to reflect that the Postal Service has eliminated the requirement for mailers to obtain authorization from the director, Product Classification, before shipping COVID test kits.
Although these revisions will not be published in Publication 52 until later, these standards are effective immediately.
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Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail
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Appendix C
USPS Packaging Instructions for Mailable Hazardous Materials
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USPS Packaging Instruction 6C
Category B Infectious Substances
[Delete the “Required Authorization” section in its entirety.]
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Documentation
[Revise the text of the “Documentation” section to read as follows:]
A shipper’s declaration is not required.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online Publication 52, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 11-27-25
