
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 39USC601]

 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                             PART I--GENERAL
 
                 CHAPTER 6--PRIVATE CARRIAGE OF LETTERS
 
Sec. 601. Letters carried out of the mail

    (a) A letter may be carried out of the mails when--
        (1) it is enclosed in an envelope;
        (2) 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;
        (3) the envelope is properly addressed;
        (4) the envelope is so sealed that the letter cannot be taken 
    from it without defacing the envelope;
        (5) any stamps on the envelope are canceled in ink by the 
    sender; and
        (6) the date of the letter, of its transmission or receipt by 
    the carrier is endorsed on the envelope in ink.

    (b) The Postal Service may suspend the operation of any part of this 
section upon any mail route where the public interest requires the 
suspension.

(Pub. L. 91-375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 727.)


                             Effective Date

    Chapter effective July 1, 1971, 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

    Section 7 of Pub. L. 91-375 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 Aug. 12, 1970, 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.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 602 of this title; title 18 
section 1696.
