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Preparing and Addressing Outgoing Domestic Mail

The USPS requires that all outgoing NIH official mail bearing a NIH (G-series) Permit Imprint number, Business Reply Mail (BRM) permit number or a Government postage meter stamp, must have a complete NIH return address and bear the required penalty statement "Official Business Penalty for Private Use, $300".

Return Address

The return address tells the USPS where the sender wants the mail returned, if it is undeliverable. If a return address is not included, the mail is sent to the dead letter section of the Post Office where it will eventually be destroyed.

A complete return address should be included on all correspondence. The following format for the return address is recommended:

Return Address

Mailer's Name (Optional)
Mailer's Organization (Institute, Center, Division, Branch, etc.)
Mailer's Street Address (bldg, street name, rm., MSC)
Mailer's City, State, and Nine-digit Zip Code

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300

Sample Return Address

Dr. John Doe
National Institutes of Health/NIAAA
22 Success Pl Rm 9030 MSC 0080
Bethesda MD 20892-0080

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300

Section VI of this mail guide contains a sample of a properly addressed envelope, a listing of USPS directional and secondary address indicators, a list of state abbreviations and a list of the most commonly used street abbreviations.

It is best to capitalize the address and eliminate all punctuation as this will speed machine processing by the USPS. The USPS list of common address and state abbreviations on pages 29-30 of this guide should be used. Always place the address or post office box on the line above the city and state and always place the ZIP+4 Code on the last line.

NIH ZIP Codes

The following city, state, and ZIP Codes should be used when receiving mail through the NIH main mail center:

Domestic Mail: Bethesda MD 20892-MSC
International Mail: Bethesda MD USA 20892-MSC
Business Reply Mail: Bethesda MD 20814-9692

Note: The ZIP Code “20894-MSC" should only be used by National Library of Medicine Buildings 38 and 38A
(See NIH Street Addresses at Http://dmcs.ors.od.nih.gov/asp/mscaddresssearch.asp)

Delivery Address

A complete delivery address is necessary on all NIH official mail dispatched via the USPS. The address must have all of the elements to allow an exact match with the USPS ZIP+4 file (addressee name, firm, or other identifier; street number and name; secondary address (APT, STE, etc.); city and state; and a correct five-digit ZIP Code with ZIP+4 Code (if known).

The following format is recommended for addressing outgoing official mail:

Delivery Address

Recipient’s Name
Recipient’s Organization/Company
Recipient’s Street Address
Recipient’s City, State, ZIP Code or ZIP+4 (if known)
 

Sample Delivery Address

JANE DOE
SUNNY DAY INSTITUTE
6721 SMILEY AVE STE 400
BERKELEY CA 94700-3201

Forwarding Domestic First-Class Mail

To forward First-Class Mail to persons no longer assigned to NIH activities or employed by NIH, a forwarding address should be used to avoid mail from being returned to sender. Using a black or blue pen, draw a single diagonal line through the address and write the following statement and address directly above the address line and place the piece back into the mail stream:

FORWARD TO: Write the forwarding address

Returning Domestic First-Class Mail

First-Class Mail addressed to persons no longer assigned to NIH activities or employed by NIH and no forwarding address is available should be returned to the sender. Use a black or blue pen, draw a single diagonal line through the address and write the following statement directly above the address line and place the mail back into the mail stream:

RETURN TO SENDER: No longer at NIH/address unknown​

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