How many issues must a periodical mail?

Recently a newspaper publisher called and asked how many issues the newspaper was required to mail in order to maintain its Periodical mailing privileges.

Answer: Part E211.5.1 of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) states "Each Periodicals publication must be issued at a regular frequency of at least four times a year."

Part E211.5.2 of the DMM states, "The publisher must adopt a statement of frequency showing how many issues are to be published each year and at which regular intervals (E.G., DAILY; WEEKLY; QUARTERLY; four times a year in January, February, October and November; weekly during school year; monthly except during July and August)."

Part E211.5.3 of the DMM states; "All issues must be published regularly as called for by the statement of frequency. To change the number of issues scheduled or the statement of frequency, the publisher must file an application for reentry. If a publication does not maintain regular issuance according to its stated frequency, even after USPS notice, the RCSC serving the known office of publication revokes the publication’s Periodicals mailing privileges."

So the answer is none. There is no requirement to mail a Periodical publication in order to maintain Periodicals mailing privileges. The publication must be published at the stated frequency and comply with other eligibility requirements listed in the Domestic Mail Manual.