I own a small business, and I have been placing flyers w/ business cards in mailboxes. A friend of mine believes that this is illegal, per US Postal Service guidelines. She uses the example of restaurant menus, gas/oil delivery receipts, etc which are all placed on or around mailboxes (or on a front door handle), but not in a mailbox. I would like to avoid any issues!
2006-06-05 10:56:30 · 14 answers · asked by Krzysztof 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Your friend is correct. A mailbox considered a property of the US post office. Tampering (or just opening and placing a harmless piece of paper) is seen as a crime and subject to fines. Really, it's just the post office/government wanting to make sure they make their revenue numbers. Now with heightened security, it's also seen as a secutity risk. An except from the source link below:
"In 1934, Congress enacted a law known as the “mailbox restriction” that prohibits anyone from placing mailable matter without postage into any mailbox. This law, 18 U.S.C. 1725, gives the Postal Service a virtual monopoly over mailboxes and currently reads as follows:
“Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.”
Under current law, a violation of the mailbox restriction law is an
infraction that can be punished by a fine but not by imprisonment. The maximum fine for each offense is $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations."
2006-06-05 11:13:24 · answer #1 · answered by snowpealeaf 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Residential Mailbox
2016-10-01 12:06:38 · answer #2 · answered by delevik 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Babs0850, I'm going to jump in here even though there are lots of answers above me. Consider getting a mailbox that doesn't care if it gets hit by a bat. I think Rubbermaid makes one, and I'm sure there are others. The box simply deforms when it's hit - kinda takes all their fun away. I should also mention that those mailboxes are typically mounted on a 4x4 which can be broken, so I'd suggest having a 'socket' in the ground to make it easy to replace the post if necessary. Good luck with it!
2016-03-15 01:08:28 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, mailboxes are only for mail delivered by the US Postal service. Door hangers are a better solution. Make sure placing them does not violate a local ordinance.
2006-06-05 11:00:44 · answer #4 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
believe me man..i worked several years in door to door advertising and it is illegal to touch the mailbox, there is always someone willing to place a lawsuit if you place a flier or a business card or whatever in the mailbox, and they are entitled to do it according to us laws,the mailbox is supposed to be us mail post office property or federal property only advertising through mail can enter the mailbox.Be careful and stop doing it a lawsuit is very expensive.good day brave
2006-06-05 11:03:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Only mail being delivered through the U.S. Postal service may legally be placed in mailboxes. For a small fee the Postal service will deliver the flyers for you. I suggest you contact your local box office or go to
www.usps.gov for more info
2006-06-05 12:01:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is illegal. You can put it on their door, or on the windshields of cars, but you are not supposed to put anything in a mailbox that has not gone through the postal service with the requisite postage paid.
2006-06-05 10:59:04 · answer #7 · answered by zartsmom 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you put the ads in mailboxes you are in violation of postal law. You have to pay postage for each of those items. A better solution would be the door hangers.
2006-06-05 11:03:18 · answer #8 · answered by Mama Pastafarian 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm an attorney in California and I've researched the issue before. The other responses that you have received are all correct: unless you are mailing the flyers, you are commiting a crime by placing them in residential mail boxes.
2006-06-05 11:26:55 · answer #9 · answered by Carl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a felony. Nevertheless, you should stop the practice right away. The mail box is for the postal service only. Even though you own the box only the postal carrier can put things in it intended for the recipient. You can put stuff in your own box if it is intended for postal pickup. Aside from that any act of placing something in a mail box can be construed as an act of terrorism. Be very careful.
2006-06-05 11:02:58 · answer #10 · answered by tercir2006 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋