Is it illegal to put flyer type business cards in people's mailboxes?

Okay I live in Central PA in a rural area about 5 miles from a small city (20,000 people about.) Would it be illegal to go and put my flyers basically stating that if you have appliances and metal, that if you want to get rid of it , into people's mailboxes? I have about 100 fliers in the center console of my truck that I want to get rid of so I can redesign my flyer and I'm looking to get rid of these. I could either drive my truck and have a friend or someone put them in as we go or go for a walk or something. I just want to get the word out around my general area. I need to start getting some inventory to start off my summer. Any help/advice is much appreciated, thanks.

"In 1934, Congress enacted a law known as the “mailbox restriction” that prohibits anyone from placing mailable matter without postage into any mailbox. This law, 18 U.S.C. 1725, gives the Postal Service a virtual monopoly over mailboxes and currently reads as follows:

“Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.”

Under current law, a violation of the mailbox restriction law is an
infraction that can be punished by a fine but not by imprisonment. The maximum fine for each offense is $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations."
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I suggest hitting a local mall or shopping center and do the old windshield wiper tag i believe it is legal to do so in most places.

Inside the mailbox- YES illegal.
You may have restrictions in your area about placing on the outside of the box as well. Talk to your local Post office to make sure you are following the correct laws.. they will be happy to tell you.

I'm going to google it quick see what I find about outside the mailbox.

Isn't there something where you can take fliers to your post office and pay to have them distributed?

Just as a follow up, while it is not illegal to put flyers in the newspaper receptacle attached to a mailbox, it IS a waste of time and money. Have distributed thousands that way. They get zero response.

Now door hangers are another story. I've had pretty good response with those.

EDDM is still the cheapest, most reliable way to go.

What does EDDM Stand for? Lol Sorry I'm still learning. So I can put the fliers in the newspaper receptacle?

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Originally Posted by Kochy

What does EDDM Stand for? Lol Sorry I'm still learning. So I can put the fliers in the newspaper receptacle?

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EDDM stands for every door direct mail, a service offered by the post office.

Yes, you CAN put them in the newspaper receptacle. Please re-read what I wrote. I GET that you don't want to spend money. I am trying to save you from wasting time AND money. I am telling you; zero results in paper receptacles.

Oh alright. I'll check in to EDDM

If you do the door hangers that were suggested, wear a decent set of work clothes and wash your car/truck. You want to look respectable.

Oh Alright, I always have my truck clean, I hate when it gets muddy.

through usps direct mail program you can

My ex-partner tried something similar with a doggie-poo business he tried to get started. What they ended up doing was taking the flier and rolling it up and using a rubber band and fastened it to the handle of the door or the flag arm of the mailbox. As long as it's on the outside of the box I don't think they can say anything.

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Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

Now door hangers are another story. I've had pretty good response with those.

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Just be careful with areas that do not tolerate door to door soliciting. Our townhouse community doesn't tolerate it, but then again, there is no way to enforce it either lol.

It is illegal to put anything in or on a mailbox that doesnt have a stamp on it. So hanging a flyer on the flag is also breaking the postal law.

Also I have another question, I usually use a 5 by 10' trailer to take scrap to the yard, since I have a short bed chevy and its stepside, I can't haul much in the bed, so I'm going to be using the trailer alot of pickups aswell, Would I have to register/pay/tax/have a business or any of that crap to put some on the ramp gate about if you have scrap metal to call me or something like that?

You're talking about attaching/painting advertising to the trailer? Check your state laws.

I'm a news carrier in western PA and was told to never put my papers in the mailbox even if a customer requests that I do so. I've seen a few door-to-door promos on my customers' doors. If you're going to deliver them on foot, you could either use pre-cut door hangers, the rubber band method mentioned above or just roll the ad and tuck it in a screen door handle. If the neighborhood has mailboxes on the houses themselves instead of at the street, those sometimes have prongs/hoops beneath them for newspapers and it should be fine to hang your ads from those.

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Originally Posted by Rollerwings

.... If the neighborhood has mailboxes on the houses themselves instead of at the street, those sometimes have prongs/hoops beneath them for newspapers and it should be fine to hang your ads from those.

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Not there, either. That's for magazines.