notice will be left in the box requesting that the customer call for the mail. If an ordinary parcel is involved and it can be placed in the box, delivery will be made in that manner.

§ 155.6 Apartment house receptacles.

(a) Requirements for delivery. The delivery of mail to individual boxes in apartment houses, family hotels, residential flats, and business flats in residential areas containing three or more apartments having a common street entrance or common street number is contingent on the installation and maintenance of Postal Service approved mail receptacles, one for each apartment, including resident manager and janitor, unless the management has arranged for the mail to be delivered at the office or desk for distribution by its employees. The cost of receptacles and their installation is paid by the owner of the building.

(b) Address number. The delivery of mail in a new apartment house where approved mail receptacles are installed at two or more entrances is contingent on assignment of a different address number to each entrance. The tenants' correct mailing address shall be the address of the entrance at which their mail receptacles are located.

(c) Improved receptacles. Owners and managers of apartment houses, family hotels, and flats, equipped with obsolete apartment house mail receptacles are urged to install up-to-date and approved receptacles to assure more adequate protection to the mail of occupants. When these buildings are remodeled to provide additional apartments or when a material change in the location of boxes is made, they shall be equipped with approved receptacles.

(d) Installation, specifications, and approvals. The conditions requiring installation, specifications for construction, installation procedures, and approval procedures for manufacturers are covered in Publication 17, "Apartment House Mail Receptacles, Regulations and Instructions."

[35 F.R. 19459, Dec. 23, 1970, as amended at 37 F.R. 24346, Nov. 16, 1972]

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 156 issued under 39 U.S.C. 401.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 156 appear at 35 F.R. 19459, Dec. 23, 1970, unless otherwise noted.

§ 156.1

Rural stations and branches.

(a) Establishment. Rural stations and branches, both personnel and nonpersonnel, are established and maintained in communities where a considerable number of people would be seriously inconvenienced if required to transact postal business with rural or star route carriers only, and where it is determined inadvisable to establish an independent post office.

(b) Functions. (1) Personnel rural stations and branches accept, dispatch, receive, and deliver mail, including registered, insured, COD, and certified mail, issue money orders and sell stamps and stamped paper.

(2) Nonpersonnel rural stations and branches are self-service units which furnish essential mail services such as the collection and delivery of ordinary mail and sale of stamps. Services such as the sale of money orders, and the acceptance and delivery of certified, insured, registered, and COD mail are provided customers of nonpersonnel rural stations and branches by the rural carrier at the time he services the unit. Carriers are required to remain at the unit a minimum of 15 minutes each day their routes are scheduled to operate, to afford customers the services not otherwise available from the unit.

(c) Hours. Personnel and nonpersonnel rural stations and branches are open during ordinary business hours of each weekday, except National holidays.

(d) Treatment of mail. Mail addressed to a personnel rural station branch will be kept there to be called for, unless the addressee is a customer of a rural route starting from the rural station, or of an adjoining route, in which case the mail will be delivered to the customer's box by the carrier. Mail addressed to a nonpersonnel rural station or branch will be placed in the addressee's lockbox at the station or branch. § 156.2

Delivery routes.

(a) Establishment. A petition signed by the heads of families desiring establishment of a rural route should be submitted to the postmaster of the post office from which delivery service is desired, or to the Postal Service. Form 4027, Petition

for Change in Rural Delivery, may be obtained from the postmaster for this purpose. The general rule is that a newly established route should serve an average of at least one family per 0.67 (or approximately 0.7) mile. Consider unusual conditions such as volume and type of mail. On routes of less than 10 miles, an average of at least 6 families per mile should be served.

(b) Extensions. Requests or petitions for extension of rural routes should be submitted to the postmaster of the office from which the route operates. Form 4027 is available from the postmaster for use in submitting requests. Extensions should ordinarily serve an average of at least one family per 0.67 mile of additional travel including retrace. Consider other factors, such as financial transactions, and type and volume of mail. Roads generally should be public, must be maintained in good condition, and be passable for vehicles year around. If an extension is proposed over a road not maintained by road authorities, postmaster must obtain and submit with Form 4027 a letter from the person responsible for maintaining the road that it will be kept passable at all times. This letter should include the statement "It is understood that if the road is not properly maintained, rural delivery service will be withdrawn." Rural mail delivery may be extended to families at noncity delivery offices of the first-, second-, and thirdclass who reside outside a 0.25 mile radius of the post office if other such service is requested and the other requirements are met.

(c) Road conditions. Roads on which rural delivery service is desired must be in good condition and so maintained, unobstructed by gates. There must be no unbridged streams not fordable at all seasons of the year.

(d) Obstructions to travel. Notify customers and officials in charge of highways on Form 4024, Request to Repair Roads, of road conditions obstructing the delivery of mail. If repairs are not made promptly, withdraw service, and submit Form 4003 to the designated sectional center postmaster for transmission to the postal data center.

(e) Multiple routes. In rural areas, a customer living on a road traveled by two or more rural carriers may select the carrier by whom he prefers to have his mail delivered and collected, in which case only the designated carrier will handle his mail. Unless selection is made

by the customer, each carrier passing the box will deliver mail to it and collect from it any mail that he can expedite in dispatch or delivery, provided the box is on the right-hand side of the road as traveled by the carrier. In suburban or congested areas, the postmaster will designate the route that will provide service.

(f) Star route delivery. Persons residing on roads traveled by both rural and star route carriers may qualify as customers of either or both routes. If one box is used for both routes, it must be an approved standard rural route box. § 156.3 Carrier service.

(a) Availability. (1) Rural carrier service is provided to persons who erect approved boxes on the line of travel of the rural carriers, except those residing within city delivery limits.

(2) Door delivery service will be provided to apartment houses and other multiple dwellings which use or qualify to use apartment house mail receptacles as provided in § 155.6 of this chapter.

(b) To residence. Rural carriers deliver registered, certified, numbered insured, COD, and special delivery mail to the customer's residence if it is not more than one-half mile from the route and if there is a passable road leading to it. Unnumbered insured mail will be delivered the same as ordinary mail. This same service will be accorded customers of nonpersonnel and personnel rural stations and branches.

(c) Parcel delivery. When an ordinary parcel too large to be delivered into the customer's box is received, the carrier will leave a notice on Form 3570, Notice of Attempt to Deliver Mail, in the box requesting the customer to indicate the date on which he will meet the carrier to receive the parcel. If the addressee has filed a written order that the Postal Service and carriers are relieved of all responsibility in case of loss or depredation when large parcels are placed outside boxes, the carrier will deliver large parcels outside the box. If a customer lives within hailing distance of a route, the carrier will make a reasonable effort to hail the customer so he may come to the box to receive the parcel before it is left outside the box.

(d) Contagious disease. A rural carrier will deliver mail to the box of a customer if a quarantined disease exists, when this can be done without exposure to contagion. No mail will be collected

from such box while the quarantine is in force.

(e) Withdrawal of service. Service will not be withdrawn from any box without specific authority from the Regional Postmaster General except that postmasters may withdraw service if a customer continues to provide a conconforming box after notification.

§ 156.4 Payment of postage.

(a) Acceptance of mail. (1) A rural carrier will accept any mailable matter, provided postage is fully prepaid or money equal to the required postage is furnished, unless the purpose of handling mail to the carrier for deposit into one office is to "boycott" another office or deprive it of legitimate revenue. During December customers are required to affix stamps to all greeting cards and letter mail.

(2) When a rural carrier finds unstamped mail in a customer's box and the required amount of money for postage, he will normally collect the mail and money and affix the necessary postage. The carrier has stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal cards for sale. For convenience and safety, customers who leave mail and money in rural boxes to be collected by the carrier should either wrap the money, place it in a coin-holding receptacle, or attach it to the mail by means of a clip or other fastener.

(b) Postage uncertain. When mail is given to a rural carrier for mailing and he is unable to determine the postage, he will accept from the sender an amount sufficient to insure full payment of postage. On the next trip he will return to the sender any excess money.

(c) Insufficient postage. When mailable matter is deposited in a box and the required postage has not been paid nor sufficient money left to purchase stamps, the rural carrier will, when the identity of the sender is known, place in the box a notice that such matter cannot be dispatched until the necessary postage is paid. If the identity of the sender is unknown, the matter will be taken to the post office and treated as unpaid mail.

(d) Unpaid mailable matter in box. When a rural carrier finds in a rural box mailable matter on which postage is unpaid, addressed to or intended for the person in whose box it is deposited, the

In general, boxes may be constructed in any size between the maximum and minimum outside dimensions specified on approved drawings, provided the height, width, and length proportions and the general shape are maintained.

(2) Drawings. Construction standards and drawings for guidance in the manufacture of rural mailboxes may be obtained by writing to the Delivery Services Department, Customer Services Group, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC 20260.

(3) Approval. To secure approval of rural boxes, submit to the Delivery Services Department, Customer Services Group:

(i) Not less than two complete boxes of each style made of exact materials, construction, coating paint, etc., to be identical in every way with the boxes intended to be marketed. (Two boxes will be damaged during testing.)

(ii) The identification of all parts of the box, by material, alloy, heat treatment, and (for nonmetallic parts) physical properties.

(iii) The complete composition, formula, and trade name and designation, of all paints and nonmetallics.

(iv) A sample showing the marking required by subparagraph (4) of this paragraph.

(v) A copy of the instructions required by section S-12 of the standards. (vi) Color samples showing all color schemes expected to be used.

(vii) The boxes wrapped in the packaging proposed for shipping them.

Written notification of approval or disapproval, including reasons for disapproval, will be issued. All boxes submitted will be returned, including those damaged during testing; unless the Postal Service is authorized, in writing, to retain them.

(4) Marking. All boxes shall have the following inscription legibly embossed into the door of the box (after approval of the box):"U.S. Mail" and "Approved by the Postmaster General." The name of the supplier and the month and year of manufacture shall also be noted on the box, either by embossing in small letters on the rear of the box or by a permanent conspicuous marking on one inside wall of the box. This marking may be accomplished by embossing, stenciling, stamping, or a permanent-type decal. The address of the supplier may be included, if desired.

(5) List of approved manufacturers. Following is a list of manufacturers and suppliers of rural and contemporarystyle suburban mailboxes whose samples have been approved by the Postal

Service:

Babco Manufacturing, Inc.,

11677 Sheldon Street,

Sun Valley, CA 91352.

C

Chicago Heights Furnace Supply Co., Inc.,

96-104 East 22d Street,

Chicago Heights, IL 60411.

1-1A-2

E. Z. Manufacturing Co.,
Springfield, SD 57062.

(Door Conversion Kit for No. 2)

Falls Stamping & Welding Co.,
Post Office Box 153,
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44222.
1-2

Fulton Corp.,
Fulton, IL 61252.

1-1A-2-C

General Housewares Corp.,

800 West Willard Street, Muncie, IN 47302.

C

Hermitage Stamping Co.,

7119 Cockrill Bend Industrial Road, Post Office Box 7885,

Nashville, TN 37209.

1

Jackes-Evans Manufacturing Co., 11737 Administration Drive,

St. Louis, MO 63141.

1-1A-2

rural mailboxes constructed by individuals who for esthetic or other reasons do not wish to use an approved manufactured box. The custom built box must conform generally to the same requirements as approved manufactured boxes relative to the flag, size, strength and quality of construction.

(b) Painting and identification. The Postal Service prefers that rural boxes and posts or supports be painted white, but they may be painted other colors if desired. Where box numbers are used, the box number must be inscribed in contrasting color in neat letters and numerals not less than 1 inch high on the side of the box that is visible to the carrier as he regularly approaches, or on the door if boxes are grouped. Where street names and house numbers have been assigned by local authorities, and the postmaster has authorized use of a street name and house numbers as a postal address, the house number will be shown on the box. If the box is located on a different street than the customer's residence, the street name and house number will be inscribed on the box. The placing of the owner's name on the box is optional. Advertising on boxes or supports is prohibited.

(c) Posts and supports-(1) Construction. Posts or other supports for rural boxes must be neat and of adequate strength and size. They may not be designed to represent effigies or caricatures that would tend to disparage or ridicule any person. The box may be attached to a fixed or movable arm.

(2) Newspaper receptacles. A receptacle for newspapers, not restricted to any one paper, may be placed above or below the box or on the post or support, provided it will not interfere with the delivery of mail, obstruct the view of the flag, or present a hazard to the carrier (or his vehicle. The receptacle must not extend beyond the front of the box when the box door is closed. No advertising shall be displayed on the outside of the receptacle except that the name of a publication may be shown.

(d) Location. Rural boxes must be placed so that they may be safely and conveniently served by carriers without leaving their conveyances, and must be located on the right-hand side of the road in the direction of travel of the carriers in all cases where traffic conditions are such that it would be dangerous for the carriers to drive to the left in order to reach the boxes, or where

their doing so would constitute a violation of traffic laws and regulations. (EXCEPTION: See § 156.3(a) (2).) On new rural routes, all boxes must be located on the right of the road in the direction of travel of the carrier. Boxes must be placed to conform with State laws and highway regulations. Rural carriers are subject to the same traffic laws and regulations as are other motorists. Customers must remove obstructions, including snow, that make delivery difficult.

(e) Grouping. Boxes should be grouped wherever possible, especially at or near cross roads, at service turnouts, or at other places where a considerable number of boxes are located. A simple and practicable support consists of a board erected on firmly planted posts.

(f) More than one family. More than one family, but not more than five families, may use the same box, provided a written notice of agreement, signed by the heads of the families, or by the individuals who desire to join in the use of such box, is filed with the postmaster at the distributing office.

(g) Locks. The use of locks on boxes is not required. If customers provide locks, the keys should be delivered only to the postmaster, who will assign them to the carrier. The carrier will unlock and lock the boxes when serving them. To facilitate the carrier's work, customers should, as far as practicable, adopt locks for each route of such pattern that a master key may be provided the carrier for unlocking the boxes.

(h) Unstamped newspapers. Rural boxes are to be used for mail only, except that publishers of newspapers regularly mailed as second-class mail may, on Sundays and national holidays only, place copies of the Sunday or holiday issues in the rural and star route boxes of subscribers, with the understanding that copies will be removed from the boxes before the next day on which mail deliveries are scheduled.

(i) Boxes that do not conform to regulations. Rural carriers will report any boxes that do not conform to the regulations to postmasters, who will send to the owners of these boxes Form 4056, "Your Mail Box Needs Attention", requesting that the irregularities or defects be remedied.

[35 F.R. 19459, Dec. 23, 1970, as amended at 36 F.R. 23216, Dec. 7, 1971; 37 F.R. 18535, Sept. 13, 1972; 38 FR 18877, July 16, 1973; 38 FR 19041, July 17, 1973]