The National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1993, is housed in what was the city’s post office from 1914-86. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Postmarks have often been the proof, so to speak, of when a letter, card or package was first put in the mail. Or so many people believed. According to the U.S. Postal Service, that has never truly been the case.

“There is no change in postmarking policy with regard to how or what we postmark. Given the variety of ways mail pieces enter the postal network, the U.S. Postal Service has never guaranteed same-day postmarking,” Meiko Patton, USPS spokesperson, said.

Still, it was just last December that the USPS updated its policies to underscore the above statement. It added section 608.11 Postmarks and Postal Possession to the Domestic Mail Manual.

“This new language in the DMM does not change any existing postal operations or postmarking practices, but is instead intended to improve public understanding of postmarks and their relationship to the date of mailing,” the USPS’ website says.

Recent and ongoing changes to the USPS regional transportation system is definitely causing a delay in postmarks.

“These transportation changes can change the timeline for the postmark. As we modernize our transportation network and our mail processing network, most mail and package volume will be processed more quickly, but it is becoming more common that the date on the postmarks applied at those facilities may not necessarily match the date on which the mail piece was collected by a letter carrier, dropped off at a retail location, or placed in a collection box,” Patton said.

Confusion in postmarks is not uncommon, with the USPS updating its “Changes in Service Standards – FAQs” in February.

Some of the most common mail people want postmarked involve tax documents and ballots. Don’t wait until the last day to mail those items is the Postal Service’s recommendation.

“Most importantly, for domestic, nonmilitary voters who choose to use the mail to return a completed ballot, our general recommendation is that, as a common-sense measure, they should mail their completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week before the deadline by which their completed ballot must be received by their local election office,” Patton said. “Some states may recommend allowing even more time for mailing completed ballots.”

For those who didn’t plan far enough in advance, don’t worry. People may go to a local post office to request a manual postmark from the person working the counter. There is no extra charge for this service.

It was in 1792 that the postal system officially started in the United States. It’s been evolving ever since. Mail has been delivered by horseback, ship, train, automobile, plane and truck.

“In Colonial America, mail was often brought to local taverns and inns which doubled as post offices. Local residents would gather to socialize and collect their mail—if there was any,” according to the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

Stamps as a prepaid form of delivery were invented in 1837 by Rowland Hill, with the British government implementing his idea two years later. Until then, mail recipients usually paid the postal fee.

ZIP (zoning improvement plan) codes became a reality in the United States in 1963 to make it easier to sort mail to specific areas.

Note: A version of this story first appeared in the Tahoe Mountain News.