External Law Enforcement Agency
REQUEST FOR MAIL COVER
Complete all sections of the mail cover template below and attach a cover letter on your agency
letterhead with an original signature by your immediate supervisor. These should be placed in an
envelope endorsed RESTRICTED INFORMATION. Seal the request in the envelope, place it in a
second envelope, and mail to the CISC. The mail cover request should be addressed as follows:
CISC Manager
Attn: MC Specialist
222 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1265
Chicago, IL 60606-6117
For further instructions on mail cover requests submitted by external law enforcement agencies,
please see Publication 55, USPS Procedures for Mail Cover Requests. This publication may be
requested by contacting our Mail Covers Unit at 312-669-5673.
1.

DATE OF REQUEST

2.

New Request:
Extension:
Fugitive:
Forfeiture:
4.

3.

TYPE OF REQUEST:

NUMBER OF DAYS: Indicate the
number of days requested:
30 days

(Complete only Item 13)
(Refer to Item 7)
(Refer to Item 8)

Fugitive only:
30 days

60 days

SUBJECT OF MAIL COVER NAME & ADDRESS: Only one subject address may be requested on each mail cover
template. Identify the individual(s) or business(es) to be covered by indicating full name(s), address, and ZIP+4 Code:
Name(s):
Address:
City:
State & Zip+4:
If coverage of “All Other Names” receiving mail at the subject address listed above is needed, provide justification.
Also, indicate any names that should be excluded from this request.
All Names at Subject Address:

Yes (provide justification below)

No

Justification:
5.

INDICTMENT: Has the subject been formally charged, i.e. indictment or information with the offense that is the basis
of this mail cover request?
Yes
No

6.

ATTORNEY:

7.

a)

Does the subject(s) of the investigation have a known attorney?
If so, state the attorney’s name and address.

Yes

No

b)

If this request involves a fugitive, does the fugitive have a known attorney?
If so, state the attorney’s name and address.

Yes

No

c)

Is the mail cover subject a judicial officer (e.g. attorney, judge, etc.)?

Yes

No

FUGITIVE: If the cover involves a fugitive, state the fugitive’s name, aliases, and any relationship between the
fugitive and the mail cover subject.

August 2005

-1-RESTRICTED INFORMATION-

8.

FORFEITURE: If the only purpose of the mail cover is to identify property for forfeiture, state the legal basis for the
forfeiture investigation, including the applicable forfeiture statute.

9.

VIOLATION: State the applicable violation description, statute number, and penalty. If this involves a fugitive and the
statute for the warrant is Unlawful Flight or Failure to Appear, also state the original charge.
Violation Description, e.g. Wire Fraud:
Statute, e.g. Title 18 USC 1343:
Penalty, e.g. Ten Years:
Is this violation a felony with imprisonment more than one year?

Yes

No

10. REASONABLE GROUNDS:
a)

Basis - How has the mail cover subject violated, or is suspected of violating, the criminal statute? Make a definite
statement that an official investigation into the possible violation of this criminal statute, fugitive search, or asset
forfeiture is being conducted and cite the applicable section(s) of the United States Code or applicable State or
Local law. Explain in detail your justification.

b)

Purpose – What information do you expect to obtain from the mail cover? How will the mail cover facilitate the
investigation, including the location of property or assets for forfeiture, or the location of a fugitive, e.g. banking
information, co-conspirators, etc.?

c)

Connection - If the mail cover subject is not the subject of the investigation, describe the affiliation of the mail
cover subject to the subject of the investigation.

August 2005

-2-RESTRICTED INFORMATION-

11. CLASS OF MAIL:

Indicate the class of mail requested. Justification must be included for other than First Class.

First-Class Mail (Personal or business correspondence: Includes Priority Mail [generally over 11 oz.] and Express
Mail)
Package Services (Parcel Post, bound printed materials, media mail and library mail)

Provide further justification for these classes of mail:
Periodicals

(Magazines, newspapers)

Justification:
Standard Mail

Foreign Mail
Justification:

(Bulk Business Mail)

Justification:
12. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: State any special instructions or concerns about this particular request.

13. REQUEST FOR EXTENSION: (For an extension request, complete only the section below.)
At the expiration of the mail cover period, or prior thereto, the requesting authority may request and be granted additional
30-day periods (60-day periods for fugitives). To ensure there is no gap in the mail cover, the extension request should be
submitted a minimum of 10 days prior to the end of the mail cover. The requesting authority must provide a statement of
the investigative benefits of the mail cover and the anticipated benefits to be derived from its extension. The request for
an extension must state whether the subject has been indicted or an information filed and if the subject is represented by
an attorney.
Per Postal Regulations, no mail cover shall remain in force longer than 120 continuous days unless personally approved for
further extension by the Chief Postal Inspector.
(a) MAIL COVER REFERENCE NO.:
(b) State, in detail, how the results of the prior mail cover assisted, or did not assist, the investigation.

(c) Describe the anticipated benefits to be derived from this mail cover extension.

(d) Regarding the violation under investigation, has the subject’s indictment status changed since the previous mail
cover approval?
Yes
No

(e) Has the subject’s legal representation status changed since the last mail cover approval? If so, state the nature of
the change, including attorney’s name and address.
Yes
No

August 2005

-3-RESTRICTED INFORMATION-

Mail covers are issued only to law enforcement agencies empowered by statute or regulation to
conduct criminal investigations and are strictly controlled to assure proper use.
Mail Covers are an investigative tool, and are not to be used as an initial investigative step.
14. AGENCY NAME, REQUESTOR NAME, ADDRESS WHERE MAIL COVER RESULTS SHOULD BE MAILED (with Zip +4
code), TELEPHONE NUMBER, FAX NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS:

In order to process this request, all fields below are required to be completed (fax and e-mail are
optional fields)
Agency Name:
Is this a law enforcement agency?

Yes

No

Requestor’s First Name:
Requestor’s Last Name:
Requestor’s Title:
Address:
City/State/Zip+4:
Telephone Number:
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address:
15. NAME, TITLE, AND SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISOR AUTHORIZING MAIL COVER REQUEST:
Supervisor’s First Name
Supervisor’s Last Name
Supervisor’s Title
Supervisor’s Address:
Supervisor’s City/State/Zip+4:
Supervisor’s Telephone Number:
Supervisor’s Signature and Date: ____________________________________________________________________

AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS FORM IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST BY CONTACTING THE
MAIL COVERS UNIT AT 312-669-5673.
AS INFORMATION, ALL COMPLETED MAIL COVER REQUESTS WILL NEED TO BE SENT VIA THE
UNITED STATES MAIL TO THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS SERVICE CENTER PER INSTRUCTIONS
AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS TEMPLATE.
(For CISC Internal Use Only)

Reviewer’s Initials & Date: _________________________

August 2005

-4-RESTRICTED INFORMATION-