---
type: "LegalText"
title: "39 U.S.C. § 3205"
description: "Accounting for penalty covers"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 39
title_name: "POSTAL SERVICE"
chapter_number: "32"
chapter_name: "PENALTY AND FRANKED MAIL"
section: "3205"
citation: "39 U.S.C. § 3205"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc39@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t39/s3205"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-39/usc39.xml"
source_hash: "da04def3b14bbe8fec184f49c18a542137d05fd97f3d897bfe9a7e076b9838f8"
raw_snapshot_hash: "ccea35969be78d053165f1170bf2aa826a68e5b4dea1fe3356d8a09e86e19a65"
text_hash: "9abcdd7ed37636d22f2080f24e81301c388d6e284b09da55c62d02a8d2494f4c"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 39 U.S.C. § 3205 - Accounting for penalty covers

## Text

Executive departments and agencies, independent establishments of the Government of the United States, and organizations and persons authorized by law to use penalty mail, shall account for all penalty covers through the Postal Service.

(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 753.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title.