USPS Adds Rules Explaining Postmarks and When They Take Your Mail
Published Date: 11/24/2025
Rule
Summary
The Postal Service is adding a new rule to explain what postmarks are, how they work, and how you can prove when your mail was accepted. This won’t change how mail is handled but will help everyone understand postmarks better, especially with new mail tracking methods coming soon. The rule kicks in on December 24, 2025, so get ready to know your mail dates like a pro!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Processing Postmarks May Not Show Acceptance Date
The rule says a postmark applied at a processing facility confirms the Postal Service had the mailpiece on the postmark date, but that date does not always match the date the Postal Service first accepted the mailpiece—this mismatch may occur more often under the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) framework. The clarification is part of DMM Section 608.11, effective December 24, 2025.
Get a Free Manual (Local) Postmark
You can request a manual (local) postmark at any Postal Service retail location free of charge, and that manual postmark will bear the date that aligns with the day you handed the mail to the Postal Service. The new DMM language (Section 608.11) that takes effect December 24, 2025, explicitly tells customers this is an available no-cost option.
Certificate of Mailing Remains Available For Purchase
If you want a receipt proving the date the Postal Service first accepted your mailpiece, you may purchase a Certificate of Mailing. The final rule (DMM 608.11, effective December 24, 2025) states customers may buy a Certificate of Mailing to retain proof of the acceptance date.
IMb Scans Are Not Proof of Acceptance Date
Scans from Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) show that the Postal Service had possession of a mailpiece, but the rule states IMb scans do not constitute proof of the date the Postal Service first accepted the mailpiece. DMM 608.11 clarifies this point as of December 24, 2025.
USPS Will Educate Customers and Election Officials
The Postal Service will publish customer-facing information on usps.com and include DMM 608.11 details in its Kit 600 communications to Boards of Election; it will do targeted outreach to election officials and other mailing communities to explain postmarks and options like manual postmarks and Certificates of Mailing. These outreach efforts are tied to the new DMM language effective December 24, 2025.
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Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
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2026-22498, Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference
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