Federal

Title 39 — Postal Service

181 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 1001 — Appointment and status
• § 1002 — Political recommendations
• § 1003 — Employment policy
• § 1004 — Supervisory and other managerial organizations
• § 1005 — Applicability of laws relating to Federal employees
• § 1006 — Right of transfer
• § 1007 — Seniority for employees in rural service
• § 1008 — Temporary employees or carriers
• § 1009 — Personnel not to receive fees
• § 101 — Postal policy
• § 1010 — Administration of oaths related to postal inspection matters
• § 1011 — Oath of office
• § 102 — Definitions
• § 1201 — Definition
• § 1202 — Bargaining units
• § 1203 — Recognition of labor organizations
• § 1204 — Elections
• § 1205 — Deductions of dues
• § 1206 — Collective-bargaining agreements
• § 1207 — Labor disputes
• § 1208 — Suits
• § 1209 — Applicability of Federal labor laws
• § 2001 — Definitions
• § 2002 — Capital of the Postal Service
• § 2003 — The Postal Service Fund
• § 2004 — Repealed. Pub. L. 105–33, title VII, § 7003(a)(1) , Aug. 5, 1997 , 111 Stat. 663 ]
• § 2005 — Obligations
• § 2006 — Relationship between the Treasury and the Postal Service
• § 2007 — Public debt character of the obligations of the Postal Service
• § 2008 — Audit and expenditures
• § 2009 — Annual budget
• § 2009a — Budgetary treatment of the Postal Service Fund
• § 201 — United States Postal Service
• § 2010 — Restrictions on agreements
• § 2011 — Provisions relating to competitive products
• § 202 — Board of Governors
• § 203 — Postmaster General; Deputy Postmaster General
• § 204 — General Counsel; Judicial Officer; Chief Postal Inspector
• § 205 — Procedures of the Board of Governors
• § 206 — Advisory Council
• § 207 — Seal
• § 208 — Reservation of powers
• § 2201 — No postal equipment or supplies manufactured by convict labor
• § 2401 — Appropriations
• § 2402 — Annual report
• § 2601 — Collection and adjustment of debts
• § 2602 — Transportation of international mail by air carriers of the United States
• § 2603 — Settlement of claims for damages caused by the Postal Service
• § 2604 — Delivery of stolen money to owner
• § 2605 — Suits to recover wrongful or fraudulent payments
• § 2801 — Definitions
• § 2802 — Strategic plans
• § 2803 — Performance plans
• § 2804 — Program performance reports
• § 2805 — Inherently Governmental functions
• § 2901 — Definitions
• § 2902 — Property management
• § 2903 — Use of funds from sale of property
• § 3001 — Nonmailable matter
• § 3002 — Nonmailable motor vehicle master keys
• § 3002a — Nonmailability of locksmithing devices
• § 3003 — Mail bearing a fictitious name or address
• § 3004 — Delivery of mail to persons not residents of the place of address
• § 3005 — False representations; lotteries
• § 3006 — Repealed. Pub. L. 106–168, title I, § 105(b)(1) , Dec. 12, 1999 , 113 Stat. 1811 ]
• § 3007 — Detention of mail for temporary periods
• § 3008 — Prohibition of pandering advertisements
• § 3009 — Mailing of unordered merchandise
• § 3010 — Mailing of sexually oriented advertisements
• § 3011 — Judicial enforcement
• § 3012 — Civil penalties
• § 3013 — Semiannual reports on investigative activities of the Postal Service
• § 3014 — Nonmailable plants
• § 3015 — Nonmailable plant pests and injurious animals
• § 3016 — Administrative subpoenas
• § 3017 — Nonmailable skill contests or sweepstakes matter; notification to prohibit mailings
• § 3018 — Hazardous material
• § 3201 — Definitions
• § 3202 — Penalty mail
• § 3203 — Endorsements on penalty covers
• § 3204 — Restrictions on use of penalty mail
• § 3205 — Accounting for penalty covers
• § 3206 — Reimbursement for penalty mail service
• § 3207 — Limit of weight of penalty mail; postage on overweight matter
• § 3208 — Shipment by most economical means
• § 3209 — Executive departments to supply information
• § 3210 — Franked mail transmitted by the Vice President, Members of Congress, and congressional officials
• § 3211 — Public documents
• § 3212 — Congressional Record under frank of Members of Congress
• § 3213 — Seeds and reports from Department of Agriculture
• § 3214 — Mailing privilege of former President; surviving spouse of former President
• § 3215 — Lending or permitting use of frank unlawful
• § 3216 — Reimbursement for franked mailings
• § 3217 — Correspondence of members of diplomatic corps and consuls of countries of Postal Union of Americas and Spain
• § 3218 — Franked mail for survivors of Members of Congress
• § 3219 — Mailgrams
• § 3220 — Use of official mail in the location and recovery of missing children
• § 3401 — Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States
• § 3402 — Repealed. Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1331(e)(3)(A) , Sept. 27, 1979 , 93 Stat. 482 ]
• § 3403 — Matter for blind and other handicapped persons
• § 3404 — Unsealed letters sent by blind or physically handicapped persons
• § 3405 — Markings
• § 3406 — Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
• § 3621 — Applicability; definitions
• § 3622 — Modern rate regulation
• § 3623 to 3625 — Repealed. Pub. L. 109–435, title II, § 201(b) , Dec. 20, 2006 , 120 Stat. 3205 ]
• § 3626 — Reduced rates
• § 3627 — Adjusting free rates
• § 3628 — Repealed. Pub. L. 109–435, title II, § 201(b) , Dec. 20, 2006 , 120 Stat. 3205 ]
• § 3629 — Reduced rates for voter registration purposes
• § 3631 — Applicability; definitions and updates
• § 3632 — Action of the Governors
• § 3633 — Provisions applicable to rates for competitive products
• § 3634 — Assumed Federal income tax on competitive products income
• § 3641 — Market tests of experimental products
• § 3642 — New products and transfers of products between the market-dominant and competitive categories of mail
• § 3651 — Annual reports by the Commission
• § 3652 — Annual reports to the Commission
• § 3653 — Annual determination of compliance
• § 3654 — Additional financial reporting
• § 3661 — Postal services
• § 3662 — Rate and service complaints
• § 3663 — Appellate review
• § 3664 — Enforcement of orders
• § 3681 — Reimbursement
• § 3682 — Size and weight limits
• § 3683 — Uniform rates for books; films; other materials
• § 3684 — Limitations
• § 3685 — Filing of information relating to periodical publications
• § 3686 — Bonus authority
• § 3691 — Establishment of modern service standards
• § 3692 — Performance targets and transparency
• § 3701 — Purpose
• § 3702 — Definitions
• § 3703 — Postal Service program for State governments
• § 3704 — Postal Service program for other Government agencies
• § 3705 — Transparency and accountability for nonpostal services
• § 401 — General powers of the Postal Service
• § 402 — Delegation of authority
• § 403 — General duties
• § 404 — Specific powers
• § 404a — Specific limitations
• § 405 — Printing of illustrations of United States postage stamps
• § 406 — Postal services at Armed Forces installations
• § 407 — International postal arrangements
• § 408 — International money-order exchanges
• § 409 — Suits by and against the Postal Service
• § 410 — Application of other laws
• § 411 — Cooperation with other Government agencies
• § 412 — Nondisclosure of lists of names and addresses
• § 413 — Postal services at diplomatic posts
• § 414 — Special postage stamps
• § 415 — Prohibition on restriction or elimination of services
• § 416 — Authority to issue semipostals
• § 5001 — Provisions for carrying mail
• § 5002 — Transportation of mail of adjoining countries through the United States
• § 5003 — Establishment of post roads
• § 5004 — Discontinuance of service on post roads
• § 5005 — Mail transportation
• § 5006 — Lien on compensation of contractor
• § 5007 — Free transportation of postal employees
• § 501 — Establishment
• § 502 — Commissioners
• § 503 — Rules; regulations; procedures
• § 504 — Administration
• § 505 — Officer of the Postal Regulatory Commission representing the general public
• § 5201 to 5215 — Repealed. Pub. L. 109–435, title X, § 1002(a)(1) , Dec. 20, 2006 , 120 Stat. 3254 ]
• § 5401 — Authorization
• § 5402 — Contracts for transportation of mail by air
• § 5403 — Fines
• § 5601 — Sea post service
• § 5602 — Termination of contracts for foreign transportation
• § 5603 — Transportation of mail by vessel as freight or express
• § 5604 — Fines on ocean carriers
• § 5605 — Contracts for transportation of mail by vessel
• § 601 — Letters carried out of the mail
• § 602 — Foreign letters out of the mails
• § 603 — Searches authorized
• § 604 — Seizing and detaining letters
• § 605 — Searching vessels for letters
• § 606 — Disposition of seized mail