Title 39 — Postal Service
Part I · Chapter 6 — Private Carriage of Letters
§ 601. Letters carried out of the mail
Statutory text
A letter may be carried out of the mails when—
it is enclosed in an envelope;
the amount of postage which would have been charged on the letter if it had been sent by mail is paid by stamps, or postage meter stamps, on the envelope;
the envelope is properly addressed;
the envelope is so sealed that the letter cannot be taken from it without defacing the envelope;
any stamps on the envelope are canceled in ink by the sender; and
the date of the letter, of its transmission or receipt by the carrier is endorsed on the envelope in ink.
A letter may also be carried out of the mails when—
the amount paid for the private carriage of the letter is at least the amount equal to 6 times the rate then currently charged for the 1st ounce of a single-piece first class letter;
the letter weighs at least 12½ ounces; or
such carriage is within the scope of services described by regulations of the United States Postal Service (including, in particular, sections 310.1 and 320.2–320.8 of title 39 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on ) that purport to permit private carriage by suspension of the operation of this section (as then in effect).
Any regulations necessary to carry out this section shall be promulgated by the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Postal Reorganization Act
Pub. L. 91–375 · 84 Stat. 719
Enacted · 39 U.S.C. § 601
Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 727
Source evidence
Code source credit
Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 727Pub. L. 109–435 title V § 503(a) · 120 Stat. 3198
Added · 39 U.S.C. § 601(b); 39 U.S.C. § 601(c)
Pub. L. 109–435 added subsecs. (b) and (c)
Struck · 39 U.S.C. § 601(b); 39 U.S.C. § 601(c)
Pub. L. 109–435 struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The Postal Service may suspend the operation of any part of this section upon any mail route where the public interest requires the suspension.”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 109–435 added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The Postal Service may suspend the operation of any part of this section upon any mail route where the public interest requires the suspension.”Enacted provision · exact public law section
(a) In General.— Section 601 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: “(b) A letter may also be carried out of the mails when— “(1) the amount paid for the private carriage of the letter is at least the amount equal to 6 times the rate then currently charged for the 1st ounce of a single-piece first class letter; “(2) the letter weighs at least 12½ ounces; or “(3) such carriage is within the scope of services described by regulations of the United States Postal Service (including, in particular, sections 310.1 and 320.2–320.8 of title 39 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on July 1, 2005) that purport to permit private carriage by suspension of the operation of this section (as then in effect). “(c) Regulations. Any regulations necessary to carry out this section shall be promulgated by the Postal Regulatory Commission.” .Effective date note
Pub. L. 109–435, title V, § 503(b), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3235, provided that: “This section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date as of which the regulations promulgated under section 3633 of title 39, United States Code (as amended by section 202) take effect [Dec. 10, 2007, 72 F.R. 63662, 64155].”
2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 109–435 added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The Postal Service may suspend the operation of any part of this section upon any mail route where the public interest requires the suspension.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Pub. L. 109–435, title V, § 503(b), , 120 Stat. 3235, provided that: “This section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date as of which the regulations promulgated under section 3633 of title 39, United States Code (as amended by section 202) take effect [, 72 F.R. 63662, 64155].”
Effective Date
Section effective , pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title.
Study of Private Carriage of Mail: Reports to President and Congress
Pub. L. 91–375, § 7, , 84 Stat. 783, required the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service to make a study of the restrictions on the private carriage of letters and packets and to submit a report and recommendations for modernization to the President and to the Congress within 2 years after the effective date of this section.
Provisions of section 7 of Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after , on date established therefor by the Board of Governors and published by it in the Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of this title.
Credits
1970–2006 · 2 acts
Show as published
(Pub. L. 91–375, , 84 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 109–435, title V, § 503(a), , 120 Stat. 3234.)