Junk Mail Magic

Understand the two choices on USPS Form 1500

USPS Form 1500 describes two protections concerning sexual advertising. A mailer-specific prohibitory order concerns an advertisement offering goods or services that the addressee judges erotically arousing or sexually provocative. The separate listing concerns unsolicited sexually oriented advertisements as defined in the form. Knowing a sender’s name is not, on its own, the criterion for choosing the order.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated .

Match the mail to an option

  1. Read the instructions printed with Form 1500. They define each option's scope.
  2. Read the mailer-specific order’s stated criterion and make your own judgment about the advertised matter. Do not describe ordinary unwanted mail inaccurately to fit a form. For the listing, read its separate definition and application instructions.
  3. Check what each application needs. The prohibitory order requires the original entire advertising piece and its opened wrapper. The listing does not require a mailpiece.
  4. List anything the instructions leave unclear and ask the Post Office. Send forms and original mailpieces only to USPS.

What happens after USPS processes it

The two processes can be used for their respective purposes; the form is not a universal block for unwanted catalogs. If you are unsure which provision fits, take the question to the Post Office before applying.

USPS sends the effective date and reporting instructions after processing. Neither process physically prevents every mailing from arriving. Keep the confirmation for any later question about an apparent violation.

Private decision sheet

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Private Form 1500 decision sheet Official instructions read on: [date] Process considered: [mailer-specific order / listing / unsure] Does the stated criterion apply to my situation? [my assessment or question for USPS] Specific mailer, if relevant: [name] Original piece and wrapper retained if applying for an order: [yes / no] Question for the Post Office: [question] Do not enter children’s identifiers on this worksheet.

Next step for each answer

If the sheet points to the prohibitory order, keep the original piece and wrapper together before you start the form. If it points to the listing, go straight to the form instructions.

Official source

Prepare the mailpiece for a USPS prohibitory-order applicationReview a USPS prohibitory order before changing addressReview a sexually oriented advertising listing after a moveReport mail that may violate an existing prohibitory orderMailing-list programsAll practical mail guides

Choose the route that matches the mailing

Use the official route described in this guide for this kind of mail. For a separate ordinary advertisement, Junk Mail Magic can help prepare a sender-specific removal request.

Compare removal routes