The Central Illinois Postal Customer Council - Mail Design Professional (MDP) Online

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Many members have requested information on the Mail Design Professional certification course. GREAT NEWS! It’s available online at NO COST and can be accessed at any time.

Below is information from PostalPro regarding the online course and exam. Once on PostalPro, enter MDP into the search bar and click on Mail Design Professional (MDP) Online.

Mail Design Professional (MDP) Online

Mail Design Professional is a self-paced online certification course approved by the U.S. Postal Service®. The course can be accessed at any time and as many times as desired for free. It is estimated at 12 hours for full completion, but this will vary depending on the individual. In addition to the free course material online, if a student would like to become a certified Mail Design Professional, successful completion of the exam is required. Please visit https://imbg.usps.com/mdp to enroll.

This course is ideal for those who wish to maximize their proficiency in designing letter-size and flat-size mail to meet USPS® standards and obtain certification as a Mail Design Professional. The course includes:

Postal addressing standards
Classes of mail and processing categories
Intelligent Mail® and package barcode format and print specifications
Designing automation letters and flats (tabbing, polywrap, deflection, flexibility, etc.)
Reply mail (Business, Courtesy, Meter, Permit Reply and Merchandise Return Service)
Address Information products and Move Update

Learners will also receive information on design standards for:

Customized Market Mail
Repositionable Notes
Election Mail Logos
Privately Printed Labels
Reusable Envelopes

To become a certified Mail Design Professional, successful completion of the exam is required. You can sign up to take the exam from the MDP website. The certification is good for a two-year period once you have successfully completed the 100-question exam at 80% proficiency.

Please remember that the new exam is completed online on the MDP website.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

USPS National and Illinois News

News from USPS National and USPS Great Lakes Area.

Postal Service To Release Stunner of Stamp To Honor Bruce Lee

USPS News 01/09/2026 13:06

The U.S. Postal Service will honor Bruce Lee, the renowned Chinese American martial artist and actor, with a new Forever stamp. Lee captivated film audiences with his skill, charisma and screen presence and inspired a generation of young fans to explore action movies, mixed martial arts and Asian culture.

USPS News 01/09/2026 09:05

KENOSHA, WI — The U.S. Postal Service today issued a new 4-cent Angel’s Trumpets stamp.

USPS News 01/05/2026 14:29

WASHINGTON - As part of longstanding policies to safeguard the American public from trucking-related safety incidents, and in line with recent Department of Transportation (DOT) policies to make American roadways safer, the U.S. Postal Service will begin working with its contracted trucking providers to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver's License (CDL) operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

USPS News 01/02/2026 12:00

The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book, with the 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series.

USPS News 12/17/2025 11:13

The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state with the issuance of Colorado Statehood, a Forever stamp featuring a photograph of Jagged Mountain by nature photographer John Fielder. The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public.

Notice of Comment Period

Illinois News Releases 11/19/2025 11:47

The U.S. Postal Service will mail a postcard to the impacted community, announcing a proposed relocation of the Muncie, IL Main Post Office formerly located at 101 North Main Street, Muncie, IL 61857. The postcard provides information about the public comment period.

Illinois News Releases 10/01/2025 07:58

HANOVER PARK, IL — The U.S. Postal Service today highlighted upgrades and new technology at the Hanover Park Sorting and Delivery Center (SDC). The upgrades come as part of the organization’s transformation and modernization strategies intended to increase operational precision and improve service performance across the country. The Postal Service’s sweeping operational overhaul is modernizing and optimizing its unrivaled integrated mail and package network.

Illinois News Releases 08/26/2025 09:56

Chicago, IL - The Greater Illinois Postal Customer Council (PCC), Chicagoland’s largest mailer event is extending a cordial invitation to all business partners to attend the 2025 National Postal Customer Council Week celebration. The theme – “Leading Forward” – is a continuation of the concepts shared at the 2025 National Postal Forum in Nashville earlier this year.

Illinois News Releases 08/12/2025 11:11

At the 2025 Great American Stamp Show in Schaumburg IL, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a set of stamps in anticipation of the Boston 2026 World Stamp Exposition. Issued to celebrate this once-a-decade extravaganza, these two stamps highlight the special role of Boston in the American Revolution as the Postal Service prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation.

USPS Stamp Encore Voting Open Now

Illinois News Releases 08/06/2025 15:55

Chicago, IL — Today, the U.S. Postal Service is excited to announce the Stamp Encore Contest. To celebrate the organization’s 250th anniversary, and gear up to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, the public is invited to select a stamp pane from the past for re-printing as part of the 2026 Stamp program.

PostalPro News

News from PostalPro.

USPS APIs Release Notes

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For the latest updates, please review the USPS APIs Release Notes.

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USPS Mail Flow 101 Webinar Recording

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July 2026 Release Overview

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Note: For the latest technical specifications, please see the July 2026 Price Change Release Notes as they are published. Mail.dat and Mail.XML updates required for this release.

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