New Postal Service postmark policy can create unexpected late fees on payments sent through the mail
With recent changes in the United States Postal Service’s postmark rule, Franklin County Probate Judge wants residents to be aware of the new rules in an effort to avoid unexpected late fees when paying monthly solid waste fees or property taxes.
Moore and the Franklin County Commission discussed the new policy at the commission’s January 12th work session.
The USPS postmark rule change took effect December 24, 2025. Essentially, the new policy clarifies that a postmark reflects the date mail enters a USPS regional sorting facility, NOT when the postal customer drops the mail off. The Postal Service said the change was necessary due to ‘network consolidation.’
This policy change can impact deadlines for bills, taxes, ballots and other time-sensitive mail, meaning the mail now needs to be sent several days earlier, although the customer can enter the post office and ask for a hand-stamped postmark representing the deposit date.
Otherwise, it may be several days after you drop a check in the mail before it’s postmarked, creating the risk of late fees being added to the account.
The new policy applies to all domestic mail.
Postmarks previously reflected the actual date the customer drops a letter into the mailbox, but that’s no longer the case and it could be several days before the letter is postmarked at the regional sorting facility.
Most utility bill payment policies use postmarks to determine if a payment is mailed on time. With the new policy, utilities and other entities receiving payments by mail will see the later postmark, which could fall after the payment deadline.
The one method to circumvent this possibility is for the customer to go into the post office and ask the clerk to denote a local postmark on the letter. That will keep the postmark on the actual day the sender mails the payment.
You can read the new policy, as well as access all USPS policies and procedures, by visiting www.about.usps.com.