PS Form 3624 is the USPS application your organization files to get nonprofit mailing authorization. Searchers often call this a nonprofit mailing permit, but USPS treats it as authorization to mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices. Once approved, your organization receives a nonprofit authorization number that gets used with qualifying mailings.
If you are planning a fundraising letter, church mailing, donor renewal, or neighborhood outreach campaign, PS Form 3624 may determine whether your organization can use nonprofit postage. AccurateAZ can help you understand how the authorization process fits into the mailing plan, what USPS commonly asks for, and what needs to be confirmed before a nonprofit-rate mailing is quoted or scheduled.
If your job requires PS Form 3624 filing support, permit/BMEU entry, or nonprofit-rate mail fulfillment, we will confirm the exact workflow before we promise that service for your mailing.
Ask about a nonprofit mailing quote
What PS Form 3624 Does
PS Form 3624 is the application to mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices. It is not the same thing as a one-time mailing job, a design file, or a general business permit. It is the USPS authorization process that says your organization qualifies for nonprofit mailing privileges.
USPS is specific about who can apply. The form is for organizations, not individuals, and it must be signed by a responsible official of the organization. A printer or mailing agent can help prepare the filing, but USPS says the applicant signing the form must represent the applying organization.
This matters because nonprofit mailing privileges belong to the authorized organization. They cannot be loaned to another group, used for unrelated commercial promotions, or applied to someone else’s mailing just because your nonprofit is involved.
Who Can Qualify
PS Form 3624 asks you to choose the category that best matches your organization’s primary purpose. USPS lists categories including religious, educational, scientific, philanthropic, agricultural, labor, veterans, fraternal, qualified political committee, and voting-registration official.
A 501(c)(3) IRS exemption letter is strong evidence for many organizations, but DMM 703.1 makes an important distinction: federal tax exemption helps prove eligibility, but it is not the only factor USPS looks at. The organization must be organized and operated for a qualifying primary purpose.
Some organizations can be nonprofit for tax or state-law purposes and still not qualify for Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices. This is why the 3624 filing should be treated as a postal eligibility process, not just a copy of your IRS letter.
What You Need Before Filing
Before you file PS Form 3624, gather documents that show both nonprofit status and the organization’s purpose. Depending on your organization, that may include:
- IRS exemption letter showing the tax-exempt section, if available.
- Articles of incorporation, constitution, charter, trust indenture, or other organizing documents.
- Materials that show how the organization actually operates, such as newsletters, bulletins, meeting minutes, financial statements, membership forms, brochures, or a recent list of activities.
- For qualified political committees or voting-registration officials, the specific organizational or legal documentation USPS asks for on the form.
The names need to match. The organization name on PS Form 3624 should line up with the documents you submit. If the names differ, USPS may ask for an explanation or correction before approving the application.
Where to Submit PS Form 3624
The completed PS Form 3624 is submitted to the Post Office where the nonprofit mailings will be deposited. USPS notes that the application should identify the Post Office where authorization is requested and where bulk mailings will be made.
Once approved, the authorization can apply nationwide, but the initial filing still starts with the Post Office tied to the mailing operation. If you later mail through a different location that needs confirmation, USPS uses PS Form 3623 to confirm authorization or pending authorization.
USPS does not charge a filing fee for PS Form 3624 itself. That does not mean every related mailing cost disappears. DMM 703.1 also says nonprofit mailing authorization does not remove the normal obligation to obtain mailing permits and pay required fees for presorted mailings.
Can You Mail While the Application Is Pending?
The mailing can still go out, but it cannot use nonprofit prices until authorization is approved. USPS says an organization may not mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices before PS Form 3624 is approved.
There is a refund path in some cases: while an application is pending, mailings may be entered at regular USPS Marketing Mail prices, and if the authorization is later approved, USPS may refund the difference for eligible pending mailings. That refund depends on USPS rules, the Post Office used, the effective date, and whether the mailing met the required conditions.
In plain language: do not assume the discount applies until the authorization is approved. If you have a deadline, build the filing into the schedule early.
What Approval Gives You
When USPS approves the application, it issues a national Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail authorization number. That number is used on the postage statement that accompanies qualifying mailings.
Approval gives your organization access to nonprofit postage, including eligible EDDM entered through the BMEU/permit path when the nonprofit authorization is properly tied to the mailing. That can lower postage compared with standard retail EDDM when the mailing qualifies.
Each mailing still has to qualify. The piece needs to identify the authorized organization, and the mail must be the organization’s own matter. USPS has restrictions around cooperative mailings, advertising, financial products, travel offers, and other content that can make a piece ineligible.
That is the part many organizations miss: there is the authorization, and then there is the eligibility of the actual mailing. Both matter.
How Nonprofit Postage Rates Fit In
This post is about the authorization process, not a rate table. Nonprofit postage can be lower than regular commercial USPS Marketing Mail, and eligible nonprofit EDDM can use nonprofit pricing when it is entered through the BMEU/permit path with the nonprofit authorization properly connected. The exact rate still depends on factors like presort level, automation compliance, shape and weight, entry point, and whether the mailing qualifies as nonprofit or commercial.
For the current rate discussion, use our separate nonprofit bulk mail rates and rules guide. If you want help with appeal letters, donor lists, EDDM, or mailing support, contact AccurateAZ so we can confirm the right service path before you prepare the mailing.
How AccurateAZ Can Help With Nonprofit Mailing
Nonprofit mailing has two parts that need to line up: the USPS authorization and the actual mailing. We can help you sort out what your organization has already done, what USPS may still need, and which mailing path makes sense for the campaign.
If you already have nonprofit mailing authorization, the next step is matching the job to the right service: a donor-list mailing, a neighborhood EDDM campaign, or another bulk-mail path. If you still need authorization, we will confirm the filing and mailing workflow before quoting it as a done-for-you service.
Tell us what you are mailing, when it needs to land, and whether your organization already has nonprofit mailing authorization. We will confirm the next step before you spend time preparing the wrong materials.
Ask about nonprofit mailing support
PS Form 3624 FAQs
Is PS Form 3624 the same as a nonprofit mailing permit?
Yes and no. Many people use “nonprofit mailing permit” as shorthand, but PS Form 3624 is the USPS application for nonprofit mailing authorization. After authorization, you may still need the normal mailing permits and fees tied to presorted mail entry.
Who signs PS Form 3624?
A responsible official of the organization, such as a president, treasurer, or other authorized representative. USPS says printers and mailing agents may not sign for the organization.
Is there a fee to file PS Form 3624?
USPS does not charge a fee to file PS Form 3624. Related mailing permits, presort fees, print costs, postage, and mailing-service costs are separate.
Can a 501(c)(3) use nonprofit postage automatically?
A 501(c)(3) exemption letter is useful evidence, but the organization still needs USPS nonprofit mailing authorization before mailing at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail prices.
Can our nonprofit let another group use our authorization?
The authorization belongs to the approved organization. USPS says an authorized organization may mail only its own matter at nonprofit prices and may not lend or delegate its nonprofit authorization to another person or organization.
Can AccurateAZ file PS Form 3624 for us?
We can help you understand the filing requirements and prepare for the mailing, but we should confirm the specific filing, permit, and BMEU workflow before promising done-for-you filing or nonprofit-rate fulfillment. USPS requires a responsible official of the organization to sign PS Form 3624.
