Dear Clients and Colleagues,
We are writing to alert you to an important change in U.S. Postal Service postmarking and dating rules that took effect in late December 2025. This change may affect the timing and validity of bill payments, legal filings, applications, and other time-sensitive documents sent by mail.
What Has Changed
Under the new rules, mail is now postmarked based on the date it is processed at a postal facility, not the date it is placed in a mailbox or dropped off.
As a result:
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A document may be considered “late” even if it was mailed on or before a deadline.
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Delays between mailbox drop-off and postal processing can impact compliance with statutory, contractual, or court-imposed deadlines.
Important Exception
If you need a document to reflect a specific mailing date, you must request a manual postmark at a USPS retail counter at the time of mailing.
Why This Matters
These changes can impact:
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Court filings and legal notices
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Bill and tax payments
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Government or benefit applications
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Time-sensitive correspondence requiring proof of timely mailing
In many cases, relying on mailbox drop-off alone is no longer sufficient to ensure compliance with deadlines.
Our Recommendations
To avoid potential issues, we strongly recommend:
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Mailing time-sensitive documents earlier than the stated deadline whenever possible
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Using certified mail, overnight delivery, or courier services when deadlines are critical
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Requesting a manual postmark at a USPS counter for items that must be timely mailed
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Using electronic filing or payment options when available
Our firm is adjusting internal procedures accordingly, and we encourage our clients to do the same.
If you have questions about how this change may affect a specific matter, filing, or payment, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Hoffman, Larin & Agnetti
