Domestic Mail Manual

The following changes to the Domestic Mail Manual are incorporated into the online version available via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

New Form for Certification of Move Update Compliance

PS Form 6014, Certification of Move Update Compliance, was recently developed for use by third-party mailing agents, such as presort bureaus or letter shops, for compliance with move update standards, which are noted in DMM E130.3 and E140.1. To qualify for First-Class Mail discounted rates, mailers must use an approved address-updating method to ensure that the addresses on the mailpieces are updated within 180 days of the date that the mailer submits the pieces to the Postal Service.

Form 6014 serves two purposes:

(1) It advises the mailing agents’ clients of the move update requirements.
(2) It places the responsibility for meeting the move update requirements on the client, who accepts responsibility by signing the form. This protects the third-party agent in the event that the Postal Service must assess a revenue deficiency for noncompliance with the move update requirements.

The third-party agent retains the signed forms — the agent does not submit the forms to the Postal Service.

Form 6014 is available on the Internet at www.usps.com/forms/allforms.htm.

Options for Obtaining Delivery Status of Certified Mail and
Registered Mail™ Items

Effective May 20, 2003 the DMM is revised to allow customers to call 1-800-222-1811 to obtain the delivery status of their Certified Mail and Registered Mail items.

Registered Mail

Registered Mail is the most secure service that the USPS offers. It incorporates a system of receipts to monitor the movement of the mail from the point of acceptance to delivery. Registered Mail provides the sender with a mailing receipt and, upon request, electronic confirmation that an article was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made. A delivery record (which includes the recipient’s signature) is maintained by the USPS for a specified period of time.

Customers can obtain the delivery status in three ways:

(1) Over the Internet at www.usps.com; click Track & Confirm and enter the article number shown on the mailing receipt;
(2) by calling 1-800-222-1811; or
(3) by bulk electronic file transfer for mailers who provide an electronic manifest to the USPS.

Certified Mail

Certified Mail service provides the sender with a mailing receipt and, upon request, electronic confirmation that an article was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made. A delivery record (which includes the recipient’s signature) is retained by the USPS for a specified period of time. Certified Mail items are dispatched and handled in transit as ordinary mail. Delivery of Certified Mail items is subject to D042. No insurance coverage is provided.

Customers can verify the delivery status in three ways:
(1) over the Internet at www.usps.com; click Track & Confirm and enter the article number shown on the mailing receipt;
(2) by calling 1-800-222-1811; or
(3) by bulk electronic file transfer for mailers who provide an electronic manifest to the USPS.

Computer-Prepared Material Mailed at Standard Mail Rates

Effective June 12, 2003, DMM E610.2.3 is revised to clarify the eligibility standards for Standard Mail. The revision codifies longstanding postal policy in the DMM in response to mailer requests for additional guidance.

Previously, computer-prepared material was considered printed matter. Such material was not considered to have the character of actual and personal correspondence, and therefore was not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Express Mail, merely because it contained (a) specific information about a product offered for sale or lease (e.g., size, color, price) or a service being offered (e.g., the name, address, and telephone number of a company representative); (b) information relating the addressee directly to an advertised product or service; or (c) information such as the amount paid for a previous purchase, pledge, or donation, when associated with a sales promotion or solicitation for donations.

The revised standards allow certain advertising matter (i.e., mail offering products or services for purchase) to be sent as Standard Mail, even if it contains computer-generated information that may be considered actual and personal information. The revisions to E610.2.3a and 2.3b clarify that the goods or services advertised must be offered for sale or lease.

Drop Shipment of Metered Mail

Drop shipment authorization is required for mailings of presorted metered mail at locations other than the licensing post office. Effective June 12, 2003, DMM D072 is revised to clarify that customer applications for drop shipment authorizations for presorted metered mail under options 1, 2, and 3 are submitted to district managers of business mail entry. Authorizations under option 4 are submitted to the manager of Business Mailer Support. If an authorized entry of mail (under any option) no longer reduces postal handling or is otherwise detrimental to service, the authorization is revoked by the appropriate manager of business mail entry or by the manager of Business Mailer Support.

Although deposits of metered mail under DMM D072 are called “drop shipments,” the process involves direct entry of mail by the mailer at an authorized site. Therefore, DMM D072 is revised to clarify that mailers must pay the applicable mailing fees and meet all other conditions for presenting mail for verification and acceptance at the office(s) of entry. Authorizations granted prior to June 12, 2003, will remain in effect if the mail entered meets the conditions in revised DMM D072.

Hazardous Materials: Revisions for Division 6.2 Infectious Substances and Other Related Changes

Effective June 12, 2003, DMM C021, C023, C024.18.0, C050.2.2 and F010.5.0 are revised as follows:

• DMM C023.8.0 is revised to align the Postal Service mailing standards for Division 6.2 infectious substances with the Federal regulations adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) and published in the Federal Register (67 FR 53117–53144 and 67 FR 54967).
• Portions of DMM C021, C023, C024.18.0, C050.2.2, and F010.5.0 are revised to adopt other minor changes and clarifications related to the hazardous materials mailing standards in DMM C020.

The revisions in DMM C023.8.0 will provide a greater level of safety for handling and transporting mailable Division 6.2 materials in the mail. These changes will also facilitate domestic and international air transportation by aligning the Postal Service mailing standards with the current international standards for the transport of Division 6.2 materials via air.

The related revisions to portions of DMM C021, C023, C024.18.0, C050.2.2, and F010.5.0 will improve clarity and reduce misunderstanding; protect the packaging integrity of mailable hazardous materials during Postal Service handling; and provide a greater level of safety for Postal Service employees and the public.

Summary of DMM Changes

In DMM C023.8.0, the following changes are made to the mailing standards for Division 6.2 infectious substances:

• New classification criteria for Division 6.2 infectious substances based on the defining criteria developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and consistent with the DOT federal regulations in 49 CFR for domestic transport and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) technical instructions for international transport. The WHO criteria provides four Risk Groups used to rank the degree of risk associated with different Division 6.2 materials.
• New DOT packaging requirements that are applicable to the mailable types of Division 6.2 materials and consistent with the ICAO technical instructions. For safety reasons, in some instances the Postal Service volume limits are lower than the DOT limits.
• New DOT federal requirements that regulate diagnostic (clinical) specimens in Risk Groups 2, 3, or 4 as hazardous materials.
• New DOT Federal requirements that do not regulate certain Risk Group 1 materials, including diagnostic (clinical) specimens, as hazardous materials.
• Revisions and modifications in the DOT federal regulations related to the definitions of Division 6.2 materials and clarification of the use of the biohazard symbol on regulated and nonregulated material.

The few minor clarifications and changes made to the hazardous materials standards in DMM C023 and certain related standards in DMM C021, C023, C024, C050, and F010, include the following:

• Minor revisions to the text in DMM C021 to improve clarity.
• Minor clarifications to the definitions in DMM C023.1.1 including added text in the definition for “air transportation requirements” to note that the Postal Service does not guarantee air transportation service for any class of mail. Air transportation service is usually provided for First-Class Mail , Priority Mail, and Express Mail destined to zones 5 through 8; however, air transportation service is dependent on the ability of the Postal Service to procure an air carrier.
• Standardization of the terminology used in DMM C023 for identifying the different components required for the proper packaging of mailable hazardous materials.
• Expansion of the requirements in DMM C023.8.0 to establish that mailable types of regulated medical waste are subject to the same authorization requirements as “sharps” waste.
• Clarifications and minor changes to the requirements in DMM C023.8.0 for regulated medical waste and “sharps” waste containers to enhance the accuracy of the regulations and reduce misunderstanding of the standards. In addition, the Postal Service adopts additional limitations for regulated medical waste and “sharps” waste containers to protect packaging integrity during Postal Service handling and to provide a greater level of safety for Postal Service employees and the public.
• Standardization of the maximum weight limit in DMM C023 for several different types of mailable, hazardous materials as 25 pounds or less. This change affects nonflammable compressed gases, matches, regulated medical waste, “sharps” waste, and nonspillable wet batteries.
• Reinstatement of former DMM C024.18.0 (DMM Issue 56) with revised text to clarify the mailability of odd-shaped items in paper envelopes and to support the restrictions for harmful matter in DMM C021. Additional clarifying text is also added to DMM C050.2.2d.
• Revisions to DMM F010 that prohibit the use of the ancillary service endorsement “Change Service Requested” on Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package Services items containing mailable hazardous materials under DMM C023. Also, a revision to require a return or forwarding endorsement on Standard Mail containing mailable hazardous materials.

Effective Date

Although the DMM revisions are effective June 12, 2003, mailers are provided with a phase-in period through January 1, 2004, for implementation of the new packaging requirements for diagnostic specimen mailpieces using a business reply mail format and medical waste mailpieces (including “sharps” waste) using a merchandise return service format. This time period will allow mailers to exhaust any existing packaging stock presently in circulation.

These DMM changes will help to support an acceptable level of security and safety during USPS handling for the limited types and quantities of hazardous materials that that are permitted in the mail.

Clarification of the Nonmachinable Surcharge for Shrubs and Trees

Each spring, people ask us questions about the mailability of shrubs and trees.

Nursery stock such as shrubs and trees completely enclosed in boxes or cartons are considered machinable. The required dimensions for machinable parcels, as described in DMM C050.4, are as follows:

• Minimum 6 inches, maximum 34 inches in length.
• Minimum 3 inches, maximum 17 inches in height.
• Minimum ¼ inch, maximum 17 inches in thickness.
• Minimum 6 ounces, maximum 35 pounds in weight.

Shrubs and trees that are placed in plastic, vinyl, or paper bags (sealed or unsealed) are nonmachinable. Items that are nonmachinable have characteristics (such as inadequate packaging) that could result in damage to the contents, other parcels, or USPS machinery if mechanical sortation is used. These items require more costly manual sortation and therefore must be assessed the applicable nonmachinable surcharge. For more information on the characteristics of nonmachinable items, see DMM C700.2.

Bound Printed Matter (BPM) — Nonprint Attachments and Enclosures

The standards for BPM nonprint attachments and enclosures state that the combined weight of all nonprint attachments and enclosures included with a mailpiece must be less than or equal to 25% of the weight of the BPM in the mailpiece. The individual cost of each nonprint attachment or enclosure must be less than or equal to the cost of a “low cost” item as defined in DMM E670.5.11. In addition, the combined cost of all nonprint attachments and enclosures must not exceed two times the cost of a “low cost” item.

As a clarification to the 25 percent rule, the weight of all nonprint matter in a mailpiece must be totaled. The container is not included in this calculation. If the total weight of the nonprint matter exceeds 25 percent of the weight of the BPM in the mailpiece all of the nonprint matter is subject to Standard Mail rates of postage.

For example, If the eligible BPM material weighs two pounds and there are two nonprint enclosures that weigh five ounces each, they would not be eligible as an enclosure at the BPM rates. The combined weight of the two pieces (ten ounces) would equate to 31.25 percent thus exceeding 25 percent of the BPM material. The 25 percent allowance is all or nothing, the nonprint matter cannot be split to qualify a portion and pay Standard Mail rates for the remainder.

Additionally, if the combined quantity of permissible enclosures, printed and nonprint matter, weighs in excess of the BPM material, the “Host Piece” rule as referenced in Customer Support Ruling PS-303 must be applied.