Mail Privacy Statute (1971)


  • protects U.S. postal mail from being opened by another without the recipient’s consent
  • Domestic mail can be opened without consent only if there is a valid search warrant for that mail
  • only applies to postal mail

Info

The mailbox restriction rule allows only the U.S. Postal Service to put postal mail in a person’s physical mailbox at his or her home.

  • adopted in 1934
  • is the reason why other commercial delivery services cannot deliver parcels to mailboxes