USPS Shifts Postmarks to Processing Date, Not Drop-Off Date, for Up to 50 Hand-Canceled Items
Updated
Updated · AL.com · Jun 2
USPS Shifts Postmarks to Processing Date, Not Drop-Off Date, for Up to 50 Hand-Canceled Items
2 articles · Updated · AL.com · Jun 2
Summary
Late 2025 changes mean USPS postmarks can now show the date mail is first processed by automated sorting machines, potentially days after customers dropped items off.
USPS said transportation adjustments are meant to streamline operations and cut costs, but they can leave postmark dates out of sync with collection by carriers, retail counters or mailbox drop-offs.
Mail-in ballots, tax returns and other deadline-sensitive items could be affected because eligibility or timeliness often depends on the postmark date rather than the mailing date.
Up to 50 pieces can still get the actual mailing date if customers ask a retail clerk to hand-cancel them at no charge; larger batches require contacting a local postmaster.
USPS also points customers to certificates of mailing, certified mail or registered mail as alternatives when proof of mailing date matters.