U.S. Code of Federal Regulations

Regulations most recently checked for updates: Oct 07, 2025

All TitlesTitle 39Chapter IPart 320 - PART 320—SUSPENSION OF THE PRIVATE EXPRESS STATUTES
Collapse to view only § 320.2 - Suspension for certain data processing materials.

§ 320.1 - Definitions.

The definitions in § 310.1 apply to part 320 as well. 1

1 Several of the items enumerated in § 310.1(a)(7) do not self-evidently lie outside of the definition of “letter”. To the extent, however, that there is any question whether these items may properly be excluded by definition, the Postal Service has determined by adoption of these regulations that the restrictions of the Private Express Statutes are suspended pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 601(b).

 [39 FR 33212, Sept. 16, 1974]

§ 320.2 - Suspension for certain data processing materials.

(a) The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a) (1) through (6) and § 310.2(b) (1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes for data processing materials defined in paragraph (c) of this section on the terms detailed in paragraph (b) of this section, subject to the operating requirements in § 320.3.

(b) The suspension referred to in paragraph (a) of this section is for data processing materials conveyed (1) to a data processing center, if carriage is completed within 12 hours or by noon of the addressee's next business day and if data processing work is commenced on such materials within 36 hours of their receipt at the center; or (2) back from the data processing center to the address of the office originating the incoming materials, if carriage is completed within 12 hours or by noon of the addressee's next business day, and if data processing work was commenced on the incoming materials within 36 hours of their receipt at the center. For purposes of the time limitations for completion of delivery referred to in the preceding sentence, delivery of shipments between a domestic point and a foreign point shall be deemed to begin at the time materials of foreign origin are received at the international gateway city or end at the time materials of domestic origin leave the international gateway city. This suspension does not apply to carriages from or to originating offices that are neither part of the firm owning the data processing center nor data processing customers of the firm owning the data processing center.

(c) For purposes of this suspension, (1) “addressee's next business day” means the first calendar day, stated in his local time, on which he conducts business, following the calendar day of dispatch, stated in the sender's local time; (2) “data processing” means electro-mechanical or electronic processing and includes the recording of data by electro-mechanical or electronic means for further processing; and (3) “data processing materials” means materials of all types that are sent exclusively for data processing and are ready for immediate data processing, but only if they are produced recurringly in the course of the normal business operations of the office originating them or receiving them back from the processing center. The performance of clerical work which is merely preparatory and incidental to the commencement of data processing is not, for purposes of this suspension, inconsistent with the requirement that the materials be sent exclusively for data processing and be ready for immediate data processing.

[44 FR 52834, Sept. 11, 1979]

§ 320.3 - Operations under suspension for certain data processing materials.

(a) Carriers intending to establish or alter operations based on the suspension granted pursuant to § 320.2 shall, as a condition to the right to operate under the suspension, notify the Manager, Mailing Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Rm. 3436, Washington, DC 20260-3436, of their intention to establish such operations not later than the beginning of such operations. Such notification, on a form available from the office of Mailing Standards, shall include information on the identity and authority of the carrier and the scope of its proposed operations.

(b) Carriers operating under the suspension granted pursuant to § 320.2 are responsible for making sure that their carriage of matter under the suspension meets all conditions contained in § 320.2. (See § 310.4.) The containers or covers of any matter carried under the suspension must be made available for examination upon request by a properly identified representative of Mailing Standards. Carrier records—either in the form of notations on the containers or covers of any matter carried under the suspension granted pursuant to § 320.2 or in the form of records kept by employees of the actual times they make delivery or pickup stops—must be sufficient to show that the delivery of such matter was completed within the applicable time limitation prescribed in § 320.2. The provisions of this paragraph shall not restrict the Postal Service in the exercise of search powers conferred upon it by law.

(c) The filing of notifications under this section does not relieve the operator of responsibility for assuring that its operations conform to applicable statutes and regulations.

(d) Failure to comply with the notification requirements of this section and carriage of material or other action in violation of other provisions of this part and of part 310 are grounds for administrative revocation of the suspension as to a particular carrier for a period of not less than one year, in a proceeding instituted by the General Counsel, following a hearing by the Judicial Officer Department in accordance with the rules of procedure set out in part 959 of this chapter.

Note:

The form referred to in § 320.3 is reproduced below.

 Notice of Intent To Establish Operations Under Suspension of the Private Express Statutes 1

1 Information relates exclusively to operations under the suspension for data processing materials. This form should be used for an initial notice of operations and for any amendments to the initial or subsequent notices.

 (see 39 CFR part 320, suspension of the private express statutes) Private Carriage of Letters Name of Carrier Address State of Incorporation Geographical Area To Be Served

1. Designate the specific markets or areas in which operations will be conducted.

2. Describe specifically any authorizations issued by local, state, or federal regulatory agencies under which operations will be conducted.

(Signature of Officer) (Name and Title)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this —— day of —————, 197——.

Notary Public

Seal

My commission expires (Note:

False statements contained herein are punishable by law, 18 U.S.C. 1001.)

 [39 FR 33212, Sept. 16, 1974; 39 FR 34533, Sept. 26, 1974, as amended at 40 FR 23295, May 29, 1975; 44 FR 52835, Sept. 11, 1979; 69 FR 54006, Sept. 7, 2004; 75 FR 12123, Mar. 15, 2010]

§ 320.4 - Suspension for certain letters of college and university organizations.

The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a) (1) through (6) and § 310.2(b) (1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes to permit colleges and universities to carry in their internal mail systems the letters of their bona fide student or faculty organizations to campus destinations. This suspension does not cover the letters of faculty members, students, or organizations other than bona fide student or faculty organizations of the carrying college or university. Colleges and universities choosing to provide their student or faculty organizations access to their internal mail systems are responsible for assuring that only letters of bona fide student or faculty organizations addressed to campus destinations are carried. (See § 310.4.) For purposes of this suspension, “internal mail systems” are those which carry letters on, between, and among the various campuses of a single college or university and which operate in accordance with the Letters of the carrier exception in 39 CFR 310.3(b).

[44 FR 52835, Sept. 11, 1979]

§ 320.5 - Suspension for certain international-ocean carrier-related documents.

The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a) (1) through (6) and § 310.2(b) (1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes for documents, sent by a shipper or an ocean carrier from a foreign origin to a United States ocean-carrier port city destination or from a United States ocean-carrier port city origin to a foreign destination, that would be excepted under § 310.3(a) if the documents accompanied the cargo. This suspension covers only shipments to or from ports where the cargo to which the documents relate is actually loaded on, or unloaded from, an ocean vessel. For purposes of this suspension “foreign origins” or “foreign destinations” means origins or destinations outside the contiguous 48 states.

[44 FR 52835, Sept. 11, 1979]

§ 320.6 - Suspension for extremely urgent letters.

(a) The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a) (1) through (6) and § 310.2(b) (1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes for extremely urgent letters if the conditions of either paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, and of the other paragraphs of this section, are met.

(b)(1) For letters dispatched within 50 miles of the intended destination, delivery of those dispatched by noon must be completed within 6 hours or by the close of the addressee's normal business hours that day, whichever is later, and delivery of those dispatched after noon and before midnight must be completed by 10 A.M. of the addressee's next business day. For other letters, delivery must be completed within 12 hours or by noon of the addressee's next business day. The suspension is available only if the value or usefulness of the letter would be lost or greatly diminished if it is not delivered within these time limits. For any part of a shipment of letters to qualify under this paragraph (b), each of the letters must be extremely urgent.

(2) Letters sent from the 48 contiguous states of the United States to other jurisdictions of the United States or to other nations are deemed “delivered” when they are in the custody of the international or overseas carrier at its last scheduled point of departure from the 48 contiguous states. Letters sent from other jurisdictions of the United States or from other nations into the 48 contiguous states are deemed “dispatched” when they are in the custody of the domestic carrier, having been passed by United States Customs, if applicable, at the letters' point of arrival in the 48 contiguous states.

(3) Except as provided in this paragraph (b)(3), the times and time limits specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section are not applicable to any locations outside the 48 contiguous states. The times and time limits specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section are applicable to letters dispatched and delivered wholly within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or a territory or possession of the United States. The regulations provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section relating to the delivery and dispatch of letters are applicable by analogy to letters shipped between these jurisdictions and other nations.

(c) It will be conclusively presumed that a letter is extremely urgent and is covered by the suspension if the amount paid for private carriage of the letter is at least three dollars or twice the applicable U.S. postage for First-Class Mail (including priority mail) whichever is the greater. If a single shipment consists of a number of letters that are picked up together at a single origin and delivered together to a single destination, the applicable U.S. postage may be computed for purposes of this paragraph as though the shipment constituted a single letter of the weight of the shipment. If not actually charged on a letter-by-letter or shipment-by-shipment basis, the amount paid may be computed for purposes of this paragraph on the basis of the carrier's actual charge divided by a bona fide estimate of the average number of letters or shipments during the period covered by the carrier's actual charge.

(d) The sender must prominently mark the outside covers or containers of letters carried under this suspension with the words “Extremely Urgent” or “Private Carriage Authorized by Postal Regulations (39 CFR 320.6)” or with a similar legend identifying the letters as carried pursuant to this suspension. In addition, each outside container or cover must show the name and address of the carrier, and the name and address of the addressee. Carrier records must be sufficient to show that the delivery of the letters was completed within the applicable time limitations, if carried under the authority of paragraph (b) of this section, and must be made available for inspection at the request of the Postal Service. The required records may be either in the form of notations on the containers or covers of any letters asserted to be carried under this suspension, or in the form of records kept by employees of the actual times they pick up and deliver such materials.

(e) Violation by a shipper or carrier of the terms of this suspension is grounds for administrative revocation of the suspension as to such shipper or carrier for a period of one year in a proceeding instituted by the General Counsel, following a hearing by the Judicial Officer Department in accordance with the rules of procedure set out in Part 959 of this chapter. The period of the revocation may be reduced or be extended for not to exceed one additional year by the Judicial Officer, depending on such mitigating or aggravating factors as the extent of the postal revenue lost because of the violation and the presence or absence of good faith error or of previous violations. The failure of a shipper or carrier to cooperate with an authorized inspection or audit conducted by the Postal Inspection Service for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms of this suspension shall be deemed to create a presumption of a violation for the purpose of this paragraph (e) and shall shift to the shipper or carrier the burden of establishing the fact of compliance. Revocation of this suspension as to a shipper or carrier shall in no way limit other actions as to such shipper or carrier to enforce the Private Express Statutes by administrative proceedings for collection of postage (see § 310.5) or by civil or criminal proceedings.

(f) The following examples illustrate the application of this suspension.

Example (1).The headquarters of a city police department each night compiles a list of the license plate numbers and descriptions of automobiles reported stolen within the metropolitan area during the previous 24 hours. This list is delivered by 7 a.m. the following day to each of the local precinct offices located throughout the city. By 9 a.m. that day, the list is circulated for use by law enforcement units operating from each office. Effective police recovery of stolen vehicles depends upon having this information handed out in written form to all units on at least a daily basis. The private carriage of these lists would qualify under the test set in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (2).The same police department headquarters also from time to time distributes memoranda advising the local precinct officers on departmental policy and vacation schedules, and responding to inquiries from the local precinct offices. Nothing substantial turns on whether these memoranda arrive by midnight or by 10 a.m. of the next business day or whether their transmission takes a day or more longer to complete. The private carriage of these memoranda would not qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (3).A health maintenance organization (HMO) operating its own hospital, clinics, and medical laboratory daily sends test samples and specimens from the HMO's hospital and clinics to its medical laboratory in a different location for immediate analysis. In return, the HMO laboratory sends to the HMO's hospital and clinics the laboratory reports for these samples and specimens on the day the reports are completed. The reports are then promptly utilized by the hospital and clinics as part of regular diagnostic procedures. The private carriage of these reports would qualify under the loss-of-value test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (4).The same HMO's hospital and clinics send requisitions and invoices to the HMO's central office as the need arises for the ordering of and payment for goods and services, which are handled centrally. Every other Friday, the central office sends to the hospital and clinics reports and memoranda on expenditures for personnel, supplies, utilities, and other goods and services. Nothing substantial turns on whether these materials arrive the same day or by 10 a.m. of the next business day or whether their transmission takes a day or more longer to complete. The private carriage of these materials would not qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (5).On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, the central office of a regional grocery store chain sends out to its various stores in the area inventory bulletins prepared over the previous 24 hours showing the current availability and prices of meat, produce, dairy products, breadstuffs, frozen foods and similar items. Early the following afternoon, each store must send these inventory bulletins back to the central office with a notation of the store's orders to assure that the central office can ship sufficient supplies of such items for sale by the store on its next business day. The private carriage of these bulletins would qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (6).On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, the central office of a different regional grocery chain sends out to its various stores in the area inventory bulletins showing the current availability and prices of meat, produce, dairy products, breadstuffs, frozen foods and similar items. Early in the afternoon of the second day following receipt of the bulletins, each store sends the bulletins back to the central office so that supplies of such items may be shipped to the store four days later. Nothing substantial turns on whether these bulletins arrive within 12 hours or by noon of the next business day or whether their transmission takes a day or more longer to complete. The private carriage of these materials would not qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (7).The headquarters office of a large bank each business day prepares and sends to its branch offices lists showing current foreign exchange rates and similar information that must be updated and distributed to the branches on a daily basis in order for the bank to avoid the risk of serious financial loss. Within three hours of their receipt by each branch office, these lists are circulated and utilized by officials of the branch office in conducting regular banking procedures involving the use of such lists. The private carriage of these lists would qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (8).The field office of an insurance company daily sends the insurance applications it has taken in that day to the company's central office. The applications are bound (i.e., constitute evidence of insurance) for 30 days, but may be canceled by the company. Few if any policies have been canceled by the company within 48 hours of their receipt at the central office, though the company normally begins processing the applications soon after their receipt. Nothing substantial turns on whether these bound applications arrive within 12 hours or by noon of the next business day or whether their transmission takes a day or more longer to complete. The private carriage of these materials would not qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (9).An organization of real estate brokers in a community issues periodic bulletins containing information about properties which have been listed for sale by the constituent brokers. Each broker is entitled to show the properties to prospective buyers. In order to provide each broker with substantially equal opportunity to secure a buyer, it is necessary that the bulletins be delivered on the same day and within the shortest time span within that day. The bulletins constitute the basic source of information for the brokers and delivery in the foregoing manner is a key element in the functioning of the brokers. The private carriage of the bulletins would therefore qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. Example (10).The same organization distributes memoranda regarding speakers at real estate seminars, sales figures for a given period, and other information of significance and interest to real estate brokers but which does not affect their competitive positions. A failure to make simultaneous or near simultaneous delivery to the brokers, or a failure to make delivery within a specified period of time, has no material bearing upon the day-to-day operations of the brokers and private carriage of these materials would not qualify under the test set out in paragraph (b) of this section. [44 FR 61181, Oct. 24, 1979]

§ 320.7 - Suspension for advertisements accompanying parcels or periodicals.

(a) The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a) (1) through (6) and § 310.2(b) (1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes for advertisements enclosed with merchandise in parcels or accompanying periodicals under the following circumstances:

(1) The advertisements must not be marked with the names or addresses of the intended recipients.

(2) The advertisements must be incidental to the shipment of the merchandise or the periodical.

(i) An advertisement is incidental to the shipment of the accompanying merchandise or the periodical when the merchandise or the periodical has been ordered by or would otherwise be sent to the recipient even without the accompanying advertisement.

(ii) Notwithstanding § 320.7(a)(2)(i), an advertisement is not incidental to the merchandise when the pertinent circumstances, such as the nominal value of the merchandise, its shipment on an unsolicited basis, or its status as a sample, reasonably indicate that the shipper's primary purpose is the conveyance of the advertisement itself and that the merchandise is merely an adjunct to the advertisement.

(b) An item is an advertisement if its primary purpose is to cause or induce the purchase of goods or services from the shipper or others.

[45 FR 59874, Sept. 11, 1980]

§ 320.8 - Suspension for international remailing.

(a) The operation of 39 U.S.C. 601(a)(1) through (6) and § 310.2(b)(1) through (6) of this chapter is suspended on all post routes to permit the uninterrupted carriage of letters from a point within the United States to a foreign country for deposit in its domestic or international mails for delivery to an ultimate destination outside the United States.

Example (1).The letters to overseas customers of commercial firm A in Chicago are carried by Carrier B to New York where they are delivered to Carrier C for carriage to Europe. Carrier C holds the letters in its distribution center overnight, then sorts them by country of destination and merges them with letters of other firms to those countries before starting the carriage to Europe in the morning. The carriage of firm A's letters is not interrupted. The suspension for international remailing applies to the carriage by Carrier B and by Carrier C. Example (2).The bills addressed to foreign customers of the Chicago branch office of commercial firm D are carried by Carrier E to New York where they are delivered to the accounting department of firm D's home office. The accounting department uses the information in the bills to prepare its reports of accounts receivable. The bills are then returned to Carrier E which carries them directly to Europe where they are entered into the mails of a foreign country. The carriage of the bills from Chicago to Europe is interrupted in New York by the delivery to firm D's home office. The suspension for international remailing does not apply to the carriage from Chicago to New York. It does apply to the subsequent carriage from New York to Europe.

(b) This suspension shall not permit the shipment or carriage of a letter or letters out of the mails to any foreign country for subsequent delivery to an address within the United States.

Example (1).A number of promotional letters originated by firm F in Los Angeles are carried by Carrier G to Europe for deposit in the mails of a foreign country. Some of the letters are addressed to persons in Europe, some to persons in the United States. The suspension for international remailing does not apply to the letters addressed to persons in the United States.

(c) Violation by a shipper or carrier of the terms of this suspension is grounds for administrative revocation of the suspension as to such shipper or carrier for a period of one year in a proceeding instituted by the General Counsel in accordance with part 959 of this chapter. The failure of a shipper or carrier to cooperate with an inspection or audit authorized and conducted by the Postal Inspection Service for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms of this suspension shall be deemed to create a presumption of a violation for the purpose of this paragraph (c) and shall shift to the shipper or carrier the burden of establishing the fact of compliance. Revocation of this suspension as to a shipper or carrier shall in no way limit other actions as to such shipper or carrier to enforce the Private Express Statutes by administrative proceedings for collection of postage (see § 310.5) or by civil or criminal proceedings.

[51 FR 29638, Aug. 20, 1986]

§ 320.9 - Revocation or amendment of suspensions.

These suspensions may be revoked or amended in accordance with § 310.7. No revocation of the suspension provided in § 320.2 will curtail operations of particular carriers existing at the time of the revocation to a level of operations (in dollar or volume terms, whichever is larger) lower than that antedating the revocation in a particular market served prior to the revocation. Should the suspension referred to in § 320.2 be revoked, carriers, as a condition to continuing operations under this section, will be required to provide reasonably complete and accurate data to support estimates of past operating levels in particular markets.

[44 FR 52835, Sept. 11, 1979. Redesignated at 44 FR 61181, Oct. 24, 1979]
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