Updates to USPS Postmark practices

Recent changes at the US Postal Service could affect how your mail is handled. For many years we have always known if we took an envelope to the Post Office on a specific date that the item would receive a postmark for that day. This is no longer always the case. Per the USPS website “we have made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mail pieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed. This means that the date on the postmarks applied at our processing facilities will not necessarily match the date on which the customer’s mail piece was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a retail location.”

What does this mean for you? In most cases, nothing. However, if you are mailing an item that is required to be post marked by a certain date, then this is an important change to take note. This time of year, specifically it could affect timely tax return filing. Also, if you are contributing to an IRA for 2025, the post mark matters. Both of these items should be postmarked, or even better, received before April 15, 2026

How can you protect yourself? The safest way would be to be sure you send out your item in plenty of time before the required date. This would ensure it would be at the processing facility and postmarked in time. USPS has also stated that you can ask for an original Postmark at the counter of your local post office. Instead of placing the item in your mailbox at home or even the big blue USPS boxes, take it inside during business hours and ask a postal worker for a postmark.