Regulations regarding mail that cannot be delivered and has been redirected (C.R.C., c. 1298)

Regulations for Mail That Cannot Be Delivered or Is Redirected

C.R.C., c. 1298

CANADA POST CORPORATION ACT

Rules for Managing Undeliverable and Redirected Mail

Name of the Regulations

1 These Regulations shall be referenced as the Undeliverable and Redirected Mail Regulations.

Definitions

2 For the purposes of these Regulations:

• address mailaddress mail[Repealed, SOR/88-442, s. 1]
• redirected mailredirected mail refers to mail that cannot be delivered to its recipient at their original address because they have requested the mail to be redirected with the Corporation using the appropriate form; (envoi réexpédié)
• request mailrequest mail[Repealed, SOR/88-442, s. 1]
• request to redirect mailrequest to redirect mail[Repealed, SOR/90-16, s. 1]
• undeliverable mailundeliverable mail refers to mail that cannot be delivered to its recipient for any reason, including mail that is prohibited by law or refused by the recipient or mail on which the sender has not paid the requested postage. (objet non livrable ou envoi tombé en rebut ou rebuts)

SOR/86-1106, s. 1 SOR/88-442, s. 1 SOR/90-16, s. 1 SOR/98-558, s. 3(E)

Application

3 These Regulations apply to mail that is undeliverable or redirected.

Redirected Mail

4 Unless sections 5 or 6 are applicable, redirected mail shall be forwarded to the recipient at the forwarding address they provided upon payment of the appropriate redirection fee.

SOR/82-29, s. 1 SOR/86-1106, s. 2 SOR/87-165, s. 1 SOR/88-442, s. 2 SOR/98-556, s. 1 SOR/2003-382, s. 7(F) 4.1 and 4.2 [Repealed, SOR/94-209, s. 1]

When an individual's mail is addressed to an organization with commercial characteristics, the Corporation is not authorized to redirect the mail to the individual's forwarding address inside or outside of Canada, even if the individual has submitted a mail redirection form to the Corporation. However, when an individual files a mail redirection form with a forwarding address outside of Canada, the Corporation is obligated to redirect the individual's mail to the forwarding address, unless the sender objects to redirection. If a redirected letter mail contains a request to return the mail to the sender, and if the sender has previously entered into an agreement with the Corporation for such returns, the mail will be returned to the sender. However, if addressed admails contain "or occupant" or similar wording following the addressee's name, they cannot be redirected by the Corporation. If a person believes that another individual is sending addressed admails through Canada Post to receive a forwarding address not otherwise obtainable, the employee is authorized to redirect the mail to the addressee. Redirected mail that is returned to the sender or forwarded to the addressee will incur any accrued postage due charges.

Section 8.1 of SOR/82-29, s. 2 SOR/83-61, s. 2 SOR/87-165, s. 3 SOR/88-442, s. 4 SOR/90-16, s. 3 SOR/91-638, s. 2 SOR/98-556, s. 3 SOR/2003-382, s. 9(F) [Repealed, SOR/94-209, s. 3] states that any item of mail that includes international letters, printed papers, small packets, or literature for the blind with an endorsement on the address side exempting redirection to the addressee will be considered undeliverable.

Undeliverable mail, according to section 9 (1), should be returned to the sender or forwarded to the addressee after paying the applicable fee. If the mail is returned or forwarded, it will also be charged an accrued postage due fee. However, subsection (2.1) of this section states that admail or unaddressed admail will be returned by the Corporation on the written request of the sender who must disclose the special circumstances that necessitated the return of the mail. The sender must also agree to pay the stipulated fee.

Section 10 of the act mandates that undeliverable mail is returned to the sender by the Corporation if the cover bears the sender's return address. The mail is returned to the sender only if the address of the sender is in Canada, but if the sender's address is outside of Canada, it is handled under section 15. However, subsection (2) of the same section requires that mail designated as incentive letter mail, addressed admail, publications mail, or advertising or promotional matter addressed to householders, marked undeliverable mail, and bearing the return address of a Canadian sender must be handled as per the guidelines set out in the Canada Postal Guide from June 1, 2010.

Regulation SOR/88-442, Section 6 SOR/88-622, Section 3 SOR/90-803, Section 3 SOR/91-638, Section 4 SOR/2003-376, Section 2 SOR/2003-382, Section 11(F) SOR/2008-285, Section 4 SOR/2010-289, Section 4 11 Mail that is undeliverable due to insufficient or incorrect address on the cover of the mail cannot be redirected or returned to the sender. Such mail must be sent to the appropriate regional undeliverable mail office where it will be opened to determine if it contains the address of the sender or addressee, if it was posted in Canada. In cases where the mail was posted elsewhere than in Canada, it must be handled as per Section 15.

Procedure for Handling Domestic Undeliverable Mail

12 (1) Undeliverable mail that is opened pursuant to section 11 and has the address of the sender or addressee in Canada shall be separated and returned to the sender or forwarded to the addressee unless it is incentive letter mail, admail, publications mail, or advertising or promotional matter addressed to householders, which must be handled in accordance with the Canada Postal Guide of June 1, 2010.

(2) If an item of undeliverable mail that is opened under section 11 is incentive letter mail as defined in the Canada Postal Guide, addressed admail, publications mail or advertising or promotional matter addressed to householders, it must be handled in a manner set out in the Canada Postal Guide, as it read on June 1, 2010.

SOR/88-442, s. 7 SOR/88-622, s. 4 SOR/90-803, s. 4 SOR/91-638, s. 5 SOR/2003-376, s. 3 SOR/2003-382, s. 11(F) SOR/2008-285, s. 5 SOR/2010-289, s. 5 13 If undeliverable mail opened under section 11 does not contain enough information to return it to the sender or forward it to the addressee, this is how it will be handled:

• (a) Mail without any apparent value will be destroyed;
• (b) Cash found in the mail will be deposited to the credit of the Canada Post Corporation;
• (c) Merchandise found in the mail will be sold or otherwise disposed of in a way approved by the Canada Post Corporation, and the proceeds will be deposited to the credit of the Corporation;
• (d) Merchandise that, according to any Canadian or provincial law, is dangerous or of an immoral or indecent character, or whose disposition in line with paragraph (c) is against any Canadian or provincial law, will be disposed of in a way approved by the Corporation.

SOR/81-841, s. 1 SOR/82-347, s. 1

Detained Domestic Undeliverable Mail

14 Mail posted in Canada, detained by the Minister per paragraph 47(3)(a) of the Canada Post Corporation Act, and declared undeliverable mail as per paragraph 47(3)(b) or deemed undeliverable mail by subsection 47(4) of the Act must be handled as follows:

Mail that falls under any of the following categories will be destroyed and may not be returned to the sender, according to the Minister's order:

• (i) mail with no apparent value,
• (ii) mail that violates any provision of Canada's Criminal Code or other law, and

(iii) any other mail deemed unfit for return by the Minister. All other mail should be handled in accordance with sections 10 to 13.

Undeliverable mail posted outside Canada will be dealt with as follows:

• (a) Mail posted in certain countries with a return address and current postage shall be returned directly to the sender.

(b) Mail posted in countries not mentioned in (a) with current postage will be returned to the country of origin, unless it falls under subsection 1.1.

(c) Mail with insufficient postage will be sent to the appropriate regional undeliverable mail office and handled according to subsections (2) and (3), except for mail posted in the United States, which will be returned to the sender.

Postcards that do not bear a return address and are posted in countries not mentioned in (a) will be destroyed.

A regional undeliverable mail office will return undeliverable registered printed papers or packets, literature for the blind, and books to the country of origin. Mail that is not registered, undeliverable printed papers, and does not bear a return request will be destroyed.

Undeliverable parcels posted outside Canada that do not bear a request for abandonment will be sent to the appropriate exchange office to be returned to the country of origin.

If a subscriber has moved from the addressed place, newspapers or periodicals addressed to that place may be forwarded to the subscriber's new address for one month. With the subscriber's request and payment for postage, the newspaper or periodical may continue to be forwarded for up to six months following the address change.

If a subscriber fails to submit a mail redirection request to the Corporation or if the requested redirection period has expired, the newspaper or periodical will be regarded as undeliverable mail. However, if the subscriber files a request with the Corporation, the publisher of the newspaper or periodical may be informed of the change of address. The notification will follow the format specified in Schedule III.

International mail detained by the Minister as per paragraph 47(3)(a) of the Canada Post Corporation Act, and declared undeliverable under paragraphs 47(3)(b) or deemed undeliverable under subsection 47(4) of the same Act that is without any obvious value, contravenes a provision of the Criminal Code or another Canadian law, and cannot be returned to the sender by Ministerial order, shall be destroyed. Any other mail will be handled as per sections 15 and 16.

Any undeliverable mail deemed non-mailable per the Non-mailable Matter Regulations will be dealt with accordingly.

Mail may be detained by the Canada Post Corporation for up to 30 days if it is believed to serve the interest of the sender or addressee.

Schedules I and II have been repealed. Schedule III can be found in Section 17.

Date modified: 2023-06-12.