PS Form 13 is the USPS internal routing slip that postal employees clip to documents when sending them to another person or office within a facility. To complete it, fill in who the paperwork is going to and who it’s from, check one or more of the twelve boxes describing the action you need, add any short notes in the Remarks section, and attach the slip to the top of the document before dropping it in inter-office mail.
What the Form Covers
The slip is a single page with three working areas: addressing fields at the top, a checklist of twelve common actions in the middle, and an open Remarks section at the bottom.1APWU SAAAL Local 0195. PS Form 13 Routing Slip Use ink rather than pencil so the instructions stay legible and can’t be altered in transit.
Filling In the To and From Fields
Start at the top with the “To” line. The field is labeled “Dept., Office or Room No. To,” so you can enter a name, a department, an office, or a room number, whichever will get the paperwork to the right desk.1APWU SAAAL Local 0195. PS Form 13 Routing Slip Below that, put your own name or office on the “From” line. Two smaller fields let you add your phone extension and room number so the recipient can reach you without hunting.
Checking the Action Boxes
The middle of the form lists twelve checkboxes. Mark the one that tells the recipient what to do with the attached document:1APWU SAAAL Local 0195. PS Form 13 Routing Slip
- Approval — review and approve the attached material.
- Signature — sign one or more of the enclosed documents.
- Comment — provide written feedback.
- See Me — come speak with the sender about the file.
- As Requested — the paperwork fulfills something the recipient previously asked for.
- Information — for awareness only; no action needed.
- Read and Return — review the document and send it back.
- Read and File — review the document and keep it on file.
- Necessary Action — handle whatever the document requires.
- Investigate — look into the matter described.
- Recommendation — offer a recommendation on the issue.
- Prepare Reply — draft a response to the enclosed correspondence.
Check more than one box when several actions apply. If you’re forwarding a draft letter that needs both edits and a signature, mark Comment and Signature together.
Using the Remarks Section
The Remarks area at the bottom is open space for anything the checkboxes don’t cover. Add a deadline, point to a specific page, or explain context the recipient will need. Keep the notes short and specific. “Please sign page 3 and return by Friday” is more useful than a paragraph of background the recipient can read in the attachment itself.
Attaching and Routing the Slip
Clip the completed slip to the top of the primary document. A paperclip is the standard choice because the recipient can separate the slip easily; a staple works if the package is thick enough that pages might scatter. Put the combined package in your facility’s inter-office mail receptacle or the outgoing departmental bin, and internal mail clerks will pick it up during their scheduled rounds.
Delivery speed depends on the size of the facility. A small post office may hand-deliver the same day, while a large processing center with multiple buildings can take a day or two. If the matter is urgent, walking the package over yourself and having the recipient initial the slip on the spot is faster than waiting for the next mail sweep.
What To Do With the Slip Afterward
Once the recipient acts on the request, the slip has done its job. For routine correspondence sent with Information or Read and File checked, most employees discard it. If the attached documents concern personnel actions, financial records, or anything subject to audit, keep the slip with the file to show who handled the paperwork and when.
General USPS policy is that duplicate records and non-record material should be disposed of once they have served their purpose.2Government Publishing Office. 39 CFR Part 263 – Records Retention and Disposition A standalone routing slip with no audit significance fits that description. When the slip accompanies records that carry a defined retention period, hold it for the same period as those records; the USPS Administrative Support Manual points to its records retention schedules in ASM Section 89 for the specific timelines.3United States Postal Service. Appendix – Records Control Schedules
Where To Get a Blank Copy
PS Form 13 is distributed through internal USPS supply channels rather than the public forms catalog. Request copies through your facility’s administrative office or supply room using standard procurement procedures. Some local union offices also keep copies for reference.1APWU SAAAL Local 0195. PS Form 13 Routing Slip Because the form isn’t listed in Publication 223, the USPS Directives and Forms Catalog, it isn’t available through the electronic ordering system used for public-facing forms.4United States Postal Service. Publication 223 – Directives and Forms Catalog