Poster 7 - Rules and Regulations Governing Conduct on Postal Service Property

Rules and Regulations Governing Conduct on Postal Service Property

Applicability

These rules and regulations apply to all

real property under the charge and control

of the U.S. Postal Service

, to all tenant

agencies, and to all persons entering in or

on such property. These rules and regula-

tions must be kept posted at a conspicu-

ous place on all such property. These rules

and regulations shall not apply to:

a. Any portions of real property, owned or

leased by the Postal Service™, that are

leased or subleased by the Postal Ser-

vice to private tenants for their exclu-

sive use.

b. With respect to restrictions on solicit-

ing, electioneering, collecting debts,

vending, advertising and posting or de-

positing literature on sidewalks along

the street frontage of Postal Service

property falling within the property lines

of the Postal Service that are not physi-

cally distinguishable from adjacent mu-

nicipal or other public sidewalks and

any paved areas adjacent to such side-

walks that are not physically distin-

guishable from such sidewalks.

Inspection,

Recording Presence

a. Purses, briefcases, and other contain-

ers brought into, while on, or being re-

moved from the property are subject to

inspection. However, items brought di-

rectly to a Postal Service facility’s cus-

tomer mailing acceptance area and de-

posited in the mail are not subject to

inspection, except as provided by the

Administrative Support Manual, section

274. A person arrested for violation of

this section may be searched incident

to that arrest.

b. Vehicles and their contents brought

into, while on, or being removed from

restricted nonpublic areas are subject

to inspection. A prominently displayed

sign shall advise in advance that vehi-

cles and their contents are subject to

inspection when entering the restricted

nonpublic area, while in the connes of

the area, or when leaving the area. Per-

sons entering these areas who object

and refuse to consent to the inspection

of the vehicle, its contents, or both may

be denied entry; after entering the area

without objection, consent shall be im-

plied. A full search of a person and any

vehicle driven or occupied by the per-

son may accompany an arrest.

c. Except as otherwise ordered, properties

must be closed to the public after nor-

mal business hours. Properties also

may be closed to the public in emergen-

cy situations and at such times as may

be necessary for the orderly conduct of

business. Admission to properties when

closed to the public may be limited to

authorized individuals who may be re-

quired to sign the register and display

identication when requested by Secu-

rity Force personnel or other authorized

individuals.

General Restrictions

Preservation of Property

Improperly disposing of rubbish, spitting,

creating any hazard to persons or things,

throwing articles of any kind from a build-

ing, climbing upon the roof or any part of

the building, or willfully destroying, dam-

aging, or removing any property or any

part thereof is prohibited.

Conformity with Signs and

Directions

All persons in and on property shall com-

ply with ofcial signs of a prohibitory or

directory nature and with the directions of

Security Force personnel or other autho-

rized individuals.

Specic Restrictions

Disturbances

Disorderly conduct, or conduct that cre-

ates loud and unusual noise, or which im-

pedes entrance to or departure from Post

Ofces™ or otherwise obstructs the usual

use of entrances, foyers, corridors, ofc-

es, elevators, stairways, and parking lots,

or which otherwise tends to impede or dis-

turb the public or employees in the perfor-

mance of their duties, or which otherwise

impedes or disturbs the general public in

transacting business or obtaining the ser-

vices provided on Postal Service property,

is prohibited.

Gambling

Participating in games for money or other

personal property, the operation of gam-

bling devices, the conduct of a lottery or

pool, or the selling or purchasing of lottery

tickets is prohibited on postal premises.

This does not apply to state lottery tickets

at vending facilities operated by licensed

blind persons where such lotteries are au-

thorized by state law.

Alcoholic Beverages, Drugs, and

Smoking

Anyone under the inuence of alcohol or

any drug that has been dened as a “con-

trolled substance” may not enter Postal

Service property or operate a motor vehi-

cle on Postal Service property. The pos-

session, sale, or use of any “controlled

substance” (except when permitted by

law) or the sale or use of any alcoholic

beverage (except as authorized by the

Postmaster General or designee) on Postal

Service premises is prohibited. The term

“controlled substance” is dened in Title

21, United States Code, section 802.

Smoking is prohibited in all Postal Service

buildings and ofce space, including public

lobbies.

Soliciting, Electioneering,

Collecting Debts, Vending, and

Advertising

Soliciting alms and contributions, cam-

paigning for election to any public ofce,

collecting private debts, commercial solic-

iting and vending, displaying or distributing

commercial advertising, and collecting

signatures on petitions, polls, or surveys

(except as otherwise authorized by Postal

Service regulations) are prohibited on

Postal Service property. These prohibitions

do not apply to the following:

a. Commercial or nonprot activities per-

formed under contract with the Postal

Service or pursuant to the provisions of

the Randolph-Sheppard Act.

b. Posting notices on employee bulletin

boards as authorized by Title 39, Code

of Federal Regulations (CFR) 243.2.

c. The solicitation of U.S. Postal Service

and other federal military or civilian

personnel for contributions by recog-

nized agencies as authorized by the

Manual on Fund Raising Within Federal

Service, issued under Executive Order

12353.

Tables, Chairs, Freestanding Signs

or Structures

Except as part of authorized postal activi-

ties, no tables, chairs, freestanding signs

or posters, structures, or furniture of any

type may be placed in postal lobbies or on

postal walkways, steps, plazas, lawns or

landscaped areas, driveways, parking lots,

or other exterior spaces.

Public Assembly and Public

Address

Leaeting, distributing literature, picket-

ing, and demonstrating by members of the

public are prohibited in lobbies and other

interior areas open to the public. Public

assembly and public address, except when

conducted or sponsored by the Postal Ser-

vice, are prohibited in lobbies and other

interior areas open to the public.

Depositing Literature

Depositing or posting of handbills, yers,

pamphlets, signs, posters, placards, or

other literature (except ofcial Postal Ser-

vice and other governmental notices and

announcements) on the grounds, walks,

driveways, parking and maneuvering ar-

eas, exteriors of buildings, and other

structures, or on the oors, walls, stairs,

racks, counters, desks, writing tables,

window ledges, or furnishings in interior

public areas on Postal Service premises is

prohibited. This does not apply to the

following:

a. Posting notices on employee bulletin

boards as authorized by 39 CFR 243.2.

b. Interior space assigned to tenants for

their exclusive use.

c. Posting of notices by U.S. Govern-

ment-related organizations.

Photographs for News, Advertising,

or Commercial Purposes

Photographs for news purposes may be

taken in entrances, lobbies, foyers, corri-

dors, or auditoriums when used for public

meetings except where prohibited by

ofcial signs or Security Force personnel

or other authorized personnel or a federal

court order or rule. Other photographs may

be taken only with the permission of the

local Postmaster or installation head.

Dogs and Other Animals

Dogs and other animals (except those used

to assist persons with disabilities) must

not be brought onto Postal Service property

for other than ofcial purposes.

Vehicular and Pedestrian Trafc

Drivers of all vehicles in or on Postal Ser-

vice property must be in possession of a

current and valid driver’s license and vehi-

cle registration, and the vehicle must dis-

play all current and valid tags and licenses

required by the jurisdiction in which it is

registered. Drivers who have had their

privilege or license to drive suspended or

revoked shall not drive any vehicle in or on

Postal Service property during such period

of suspension or revocation.

Drivers of all vehicles in or on Postal Ser-

vice premises shall drive in a careful and

safe manner at all times and shall comply

with signals and directions of Security

Force personnel, other authorized individ-

uals, and all posted trafc signs.

Blocking of entrances, driveways, walks,

loading platforms, or re hydrants is

prohibited.

Parking without authority, parking in un-

authorized locations or in reserved loca-

tions, or parking continuously in excess of

18 hours without permission or contrary to

the direction of posted signs is prohibited.

Supplemental specic trafc directives

may be issued by the Postmaster or instal-

lation head. When issued and posted, such

directives shall have the same force and

effect as if made a part hereof.

Voter Registration

Provided that all required conditions are

met, voter registration may be conducted

on Postal Service property only with the

approval of the Postmaster or installation

head. See 39 CFR 232.1(h)(4) for the con-

ditions that apply to voter registration ac-

tivities on Postal Service property.

Weapons and Explosives

Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or

regulation, no person while on Postal Ser-

vice property may carry rearms, other

dangerous or deadly weapons, or explo-

sives, either openly or concealed, or store

the same on Postal Service property, ex-

cept for ofcial purposes.

Nondiscrimination

No person entering on postal property

shall be subjected to discrimination on the

basis of race, color, sex, religion, national

origin, or disability in using any of the fa-

cilities or services of a public nature pro-

vided by the U.S. Postal Service.

Penalties and Other Law

Alleged violations of these rules and regu-

lations are heard, and the penalties pre-

scribed herein are imposed, either in a

federal district court or by a federal mag-

istrate in accordance with applicable court

rules. Individuals found guilty of violating

these rules and regulations while on prop-

erty under the charge and control of the

Postal Service are subject to a ne as pro-

vided in 18 U.S.C. 3571 or imprisonment

of not more than 30 days, or both. Nothing

contained in these rules and regulations

shall be construed to abrogate any other

federal laws or regulations or any state or

local laws and regulations applicable to

any area in which the property is situated.

Enforcement

Security Force personnel will exercise the

powers under 18 U.S.C. 3061(c)(2) and are

responsible for enforcing the regulations in

this notice in a manner that will protect

U.S. Postal Service property. Postmasters

or installation heads may, with the approv-

al of the Chief Postal Inspector or desig-

nee, enter into agreements with State and

local enforcement agencies to insure en-

forcement of the regulations in a manner

that will protect U.S. Postal Service prop-

erty. Postal Inspectors, Ofce of Inspector

General Special Agents, and anyone desig-

nated by the Chief Postal Inspector may

also enforce these regulations.

Poster 7, August 2016 PSN 7690-03-000-9181