December 30, 2025 The USPS has clarified its “Postmarks and Postal Possession” rules to state that postmarks will no longer "necessarily indicate the first day that the Postal Service had possession of the mailpiece." See Federal Register :: Postmarks and Postal Possession ( https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession#p-73 ), § 11.3 . Instead, the postmark will reflect either the "date of the first automated processing op
