Download a copy of PS Form 3615, Mailing Permit Application and Customer Profile.
Copies are also available from your
Business Mail Entry Unit or Post Office.
Take your completed PS Form 3615 to your local Business Mail Entry Unit or Post Office.
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Most permit imprint numbers are given out through the main Post Office in your area,
which may not be the place where you'll take your mail. Before heading out, call your
local Post Office and ask where you need to take your application. Use the
Post Office locator to find phone numbers and addresses.
At the Post Office, submit your PS Form 3615 and pay the
permit imprint application fee.
This fee covers the costs of setting up an account in your organization's name. This is a one-time only fee, and it is separate from the
annual mailing fee.
Make your first deposit into your permit imprint account.
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You are not required to put money into this account when you set it up,
or keep a balance in this account. You can wait until you bring in your first mailing
to deposit money into your account, and simply pay each time you mail. But YOU MUST have
money in this account in order to mail. Most mailers make deposits when they bring in a mailing.
The Postal Service will give you a permit imprint number and a receipt. Now you're ready to mail using
permit imprint! Your receipt will be a perforated "stub" off the PS Form 3615, and it will have your permit
imprint number, the date, and some additional information.
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Keep this stub in a safe place. You don't need to bring it with you when you come to the post office, but it's an important receipt to keep.
It's possible to have a different permit number for each method of payment you use: one for your precanceled stamps,
one for your permit imprint, and one for your postage meter. Remember to use the right one!
