First-Class Mail.

§ 121.1 First-Class Mail. (a) A same day service standard is applied to USPS Connect TM Local Mail pieces properly accepted at participating Destination Delivery Units before the day-zero Critical Entry Time (CET); a one day service standard is applied to USPS Connect TM Local Mail pieces accepted via carrier pick-up or properly accepted at participating Destination Delivery Units after the day-zero CET. (b) A 1-day (overnight) service standard is applied to intra-Sectional Center Facility (SCF) domestic Presort First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted at the SCF before the day-zero Critical Entry Time (CET), except for mail between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and mail destined to American Samoa and the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska (or designated portions thereof): 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999. (c) A 2-day service standard is applied to: (1) Intra-SCF single-piece domestic First-Class Mail properly accepted before the day-zero CET if: (i) The SCF is also the origin Processing & Distribution Center or Facility (P&DC/F), or (ii) the combined drive time between the origin P&DC/F, destination Area Distribution Center (ADC), and destination SCF is 3 hours or less; (2) inter-SCF domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET if the combined drive time between the origin P&DC/F, destination ADC, and destination SCF is 3 hours or less; (3) Presort First-Class Mail properly accepted before the day-zero CET with an origin and destination that are separately in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and (4) intra-SCF Presort First-Class Mail properly accepted before the day-zero CET with an origin or destination that is in American Samoa or one of the following 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Alaska (or designated portions thereof): 995 (5-digit ZIP Codes 99540 through 99599), 996, 997, 998, and 999. (d) A 3-day service standard is applied to domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET, if the 1-day and 2-day service standards do not apply, the combined drive time between the origin P&DC/F, destination ADC, and destination SCF is 20 hours or less, and both the origin and the destination are within the contiguous 48 states. (e) A 4-day service standard is applied to domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET, if the 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day service standards do not apply, and: (1) The combined drive time between the origin P&DC/F, destination ADC, and destination SCF is 41 hours or less, and both the origin and the destination are within the contiguous 48 states; (2) The origin is in the contiguous 48 states, and the destination is in any of the following: The city of Anchorage, Alaska (5-digit ZIP Codes 99501 through 99539); the 968 3-digit ZIP Code area in Hawaii; or the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Puerto Rico; (3) The origin is in the 006, 007, or 009 3-digit ZIP Code areas in Puerto Rico, and the destination is in the contiguous 48 states; (4) The origin is in Hawaii, and the destination is in Guam, or vice versa; (5) The origin is in Hawaii, and the destination is in American Samoa, or vice versa; or (6) Both the origin and destination are within Alaska. (f) A 5-day service standard is applied to all remaining domestic First-Class Mail pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET. (g) The service standard for Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International TM ; pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET is equivalent to the service standard for domestic First-Class Mail pieces originating from the same 3-digit ZIP Code area and destined to the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which the designated International Service Center is located. (h) The service standard for Inbound Letter Post pieces properly accepted before the day-zero CET is equivalent to the service standard for domestic First-Class Mail pieces destined to the same 3-digit ZIP Code area and originating from the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which the designated International Service Center is located. [86 FR 43952, Aug. 11, 2021, as amended at 87 FR 73469, Nov. 30, 2022]