USPS Postmarked Payments

Important Notice Regarding Mailed Property Tax Payments and USPS Postmarks
Taxpayers who choose to mail their property tax payments should be aware of recent changes (see here) in United States Postal Service (USPS) postmark practices that may affect how payment timeliness is determined.


Under updated USPS policy, the date printed on a postmark usually reflects when the mailpiece is first processed by USPS sorting machinery, not necessarily the date the payment was placed in a mailbox or dropped off at a post office. This processing can occur one or more days after drop-off, particularly during periods of high mail volume.

Because Ohio law relies on the postmark date to determine whether a mailed payment is timely, taxpayers mailing payments close to a due date are strongly encouraged to:

  • Allow additional mailing time, or
  • Inquire at their local post office about postmark procedures and processing timelines, or
  • Request an in-person hand-stamped postmark at the post office counter, or
  • Use an alternative payment method (see here) to ensure timely receipt.

Payments that are postmarked after the due date may be subject to penalties as required by law.