Outgoing Mail

• General Policy
• Mail Services Requisition Form
• Return Addresses
• Addressing Envelopes
• Large Size Mail
• International Mail
• Non-Profit (Bulk) Mail

General Policy

ALL OUTGOING MAIL must be bundled and separated by type as follows:

• Letter size mail
• Flat size mail (8 1/2" x 11 1/2")
• Express mail
• Foreign mail
• Inter-office mail

Please indicate on the Mail Services Requisition Form the Postal Class you wish each bundle of mail to be sent through U.S. Postal Service. If not designated, all mail will be processed as first class mail.

It is absolutely the sending department's responsibility to separate and bundle the mail; Mail Services will not pick up mail that is not prepared as listed above!

Mail Services Requisition Form

Mail Services Requisition Form

Return Addresses

All mail to be sent off-campus must have a return address. The return address should include the department's name and must include the campus Zip+4. The return address is absolutely necessary in case Mail Services needs to contact the sender's department before mailing an item or if an item is returned by the U.S. Post Office. Opening envelopes to determine the sender is extremely time-consuming and often inconclusive, and therefore Mail Services cannot guarantee return of any items without a return address.

Addressing Envelopes

Delivery Address Placement

On a letter-size piece, the recommended address placement is within the optical character reader (OCR) read area, which is a space on the address side of the mailpiece defined by these boundaries (see Example OCR Read Area) OCR Read Area}:

1. Left: 1/2 inch from the left edge of the piece.
2. Right: 1/2 inch from the right edge of the piece.
3. Top: 2-3/4 inches from the bottom edge of the piece.
4. Bottom: 5/8 inch from the bottom edge of the piece.

Example OCR Read Area

Address Placement Causing Mail to be Nonmailable or Nonmachinable

The location of the delivery address on a letter-size mailpiece determines which dimensions are the length and the height of the piece. Consequently, the placement of the address may render a piece nonmailable or nonmachinable.

Large Size Mail

Please notify Mail Services in advance when you have an unusually large mailing. Mail bins should never be more than 3/4 full. Please notify us a day in advance if you require extra mail bins.

Substantial savings can be realized by departments that do frequent or large mailings of certain types of correspondence. Please see our web page devoted to categories and classes of mail to see if a cheaper alternative to First Class Mail is possible for at least some of your mail.

International Mail

All International Mail over 13 oz. must have a Customs Declaration Form attached! If customs regulations are not followed completely and documentation is not exact, the mail will be impounded by customs until the addressee makes arrangements for clearance and pays the required duties for the release of the package.

The recipient's country name must be spelled out in capital letters in English and should always go on the last line of any foreign address.

Non-Profit (Bulk) Mail

All non-profit (bulk) mail must consist of at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds. All envelopes must arrive in Mail Services in zip code order. Each piece of mail must be identical in size, weight, and content in order to qualify for the non-profit rate. Foreign mail does not qualify.

Please call (631) 632-1189 for more detailed information on this service.