People relying on the U.S. Postal Service to mail time-sensitive documents may need to take additional steps to make sure postmarks aren’t late if they’re cutting it close to key deadlines.
A new federal rule that took effect last week clarifies the postmark — the stamp that provides proof the postal service has your mail — does not necessarily show the date the post office initially got the mail.
So if you put an envelope in the mailbox today, for example, you shouldn’t assume the postmark will reflect the date.
According to the postal service, this doesn’t reflect a change in the agency’s operations but aims to clarify to the public exactly what a postmark means.
Here’s what the new guidelines mean when people send important mail:
What’s the difference with the new rule?
Many people long assumed that the date mail was picked up by a letter carrier or was dropped off at the post office is the date that would appear on the postmark.
But the new rule clarifies that the postmark may show a later date.
That’s because most postmarks are stamped at processing facilities, not at the post office.
Misalignment between the date that mail was received by the postal service and the date a postmark is applied at a processing facility “has and will become more common,” the agency said.
This comes as the postal service is implementing new transportation schedules under the Delivering for America Plan, which aims to modernize the service, cut costs and grow revenues. The plan includes concentrating more postal operations in regional centers and changing transportation schedules.
“These changes are intended to create more reliable and efficient transportation schedules, but they also alter when a piece of mail technically enters the USPS system for sorting and delivery,” according to The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Why does it matter?
Several entities rely on a postmark to determine whether mail was sent before a deadline.
For example, tax returns must be postmarked by the April 15 deadline.
But if someone puts their tax return in the mail on April 15, they can’t automatically assume it’ll be postmarked with that date under the new rules.
In some states, voters’ mail-in ballots are counted only if the postmark shows the ballot was submitted by election day.
But in Pennsylvania, ballots must be in hand by 8 p.m. on election day, so voters weren’t counting on postmarks to determine whether their ballots were tallied anyway.
Charitable contributions, legal filings, rent payments and other bills frequently rely on postmarks to determine if something is considered on time.
How can people get mail postmarked on the day they give it to the postal service?
There are a few options.
For no additional fee, customers can ask an employee to manually postmark their mail at any post office.
A Postage Validation Imprint, or PVI, label — which is applied when a customer pays for postage at a retail counter — also will show the date the mail is being handed over to the postal service.
People can also pay to have their items sent by certified mail, which provides mailing receipts and tracking.
Who will be most impacted by postmark delays?
The Brookings Institution said the impacts are “most pronounced” in rural areas, where regional processing centers may be farther away.
Metropolitan areas are generally closer to processing facilities, meaning they’ll see less impact, according to Brookings.
Changes to how often mail is sent to processing centers could cause further delays in some areas.
But Brookings ranked Pennsylvania as among the states with the lowest risk of postmark delays.
Other states, including Wyoming, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont — were ranked as far more likely to see delays.
Can people bypass this system?
In the digital age, people can bypass the mail altogether and opt for online options that don’t rely on the postal service.
The IRS, for instance, has an e-file system, which avoids any delay between when someone files their taxes and when that filing is received.
People also can apply for things like retirement benefits or Medicare online, avoiding any hassle through the post office.
