The U.S. Postal Service is making changes to the postmark process for 2026. The USPS postmark used to indicate the date when mail was placed in a mailbox or handed over to a clerk at the post office. The new postmark process now reflects the date an item is first processed by an automated sorting machine, not the date it was dropped off.
In the past, people did not have to worry about these extra days when they dropped off their mail at the post office. This new change could affect any time-sensitive mail, such as bill payments, tax returns, legal issues, and voting ballots.
These changes are part of the Delivering For America initiative, which includes consolidating mail processing and modernizing infrastructure.
Time-sensitive mail should be sent several days before the deadline, or mailed using one of the following methods suggested by The National Society for Tax Professionals:
Ensuring a Postmark on the Date of Delivery: To assure a postmark is applied on the same day a document is delivered to the USPS, individuals must utilize specific retail services. The final rule outlines the following methods:
- Request a Manual Postmark: Customers may present a mail piece at a retail counter and request a “manual (local) postmark”. This postmark is applied at the time of acceptance, so the date aligns with the date the USPS took possession.
- Postage Validation Imprint (PVI): When a customer pays for postage at a retail counter, the PVI label applied by the employee also indicates the date of acceptance.
- Certificates of Mailing: Customers may purchase a Certificate of Mailing, or use Registered or Certified Mail, to obtain a receipt that serves as evidence of the date the item was presented for mailing.
Please note that you must visit a U.S. Post Office to use one of these methods. The closest location is 2860 Maybank Highway on Johns Island, or you can click here to find other locations. The Post & Computer Center in Freshfields does not put a date on the services it provides. For instance, Certified Mail is only dated at the post office or an automated sorting machine, not when it is prepared at the Post & Computer Center.
Remember to keep these changes in mind when sending time-sensitive mail, such as tax documents, legal documents, or mail-in ballots.
–Tidelines Editors
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