Title 39Postal ServiceRelease 119-73

§406 Postal services at Armed Forces installations

Title 39 › Part PART I— - GENERAL › Chapter CHAPTER 4— - GENERAL AUTHORITY › § 406

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Postal Service may set up branch post offices at military camps, posts, bases, stations, and other defense or strategic sites. The Secretaries of Defense and Transportation must arrange with the Postal Service to have postal services provided by personnel they pick at those branch offices. The Secretary of Defense must let U.S. citizens who work for NATO and support U.S. forces use a branch post office outside the United States only if the Secretary writes that it is in the Defense Department’s best interest and allowed by the host nation. No money may be spent to create, maintain, or expand a branch post office for that NATO-worker use.

Full Legal Text

Title 39, §406

Postal Service — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Postal Service may establish branch post offices at camps, posts, bases, or stations of the Armed Forces and at defense or other strategic installations.
(b)The Secretaries of Defense and Transportation shall make arrangements with the Postal Service to perform postal services through personnel designated by them at or through branch post offices established under subsection (a) of this section.
(c)(1)The Secretary of Defense shall authorize the use of a post office established under subsection (a) in a location outside the United States by citizens of the United States—
(A)who—
(i)are employed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and
(ii)perform functions in support of the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(B)if the Secretary makes a written determination that such use is—
(i)in the best interests of the Department of Defense; and
(ii)otherwise authorized by applicable host nation law or agreement.
(2)No funds may be obligated or expended to establish, maintain, or expand a post office established under subsection (a) for the purpose of use described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2023—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “shall authorize the use” for “may authorize the use” in introductory provisions. 2019—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–92 added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

39 U.S.C. § 406

Title 39Postal Service

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73