County Project

The County Project serves county and municipal addressing authorities.1PostalPro: County Project“The County Project is for county and municipal addressing authorities working with AGT to improve address quality.”USPS original An authority may submit its address file up to once a year at no cost.1PostalPro: County Project“The service is free. County addressing authority may submit their file up to once a year at no cost.”USPS original AGT, the USPS Addressing and Geospatial Technology office in Memphis, Tennessee, runs it.1PostalPro: County Project“The United States Postal Service Addressing and Geospatial Technology (AGT) office located in Memphis, TN is working with local county and municipal addressing authorities to improve address quality in both of our databases by resolving addresses that differ and reviewing congressional and county code differences.”USPS original

AMS, the Address Management System, is USPS's national database of every delivery address with its ZIP Code, ZIP+4 and city and state.2Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 9“The national USPS database of every delivery address with its associated ZIP Code, ZIP+4 code, and city/state name that serves as the foundation of data for all address correction tools.”USPS original The project's goal is better address quality in both databases, the authority's and AMS.1PostalPro: County Project“The County Project's goal is to improve address quality in both of our databases by resolving addresses that differ and reviewing congressional and county code differences.”USPS original It resolves addresses that differ and reviews county and congressional codes that differ.1PostalPro: County Project“The County Project's goal is to improve address quality in both of our databases by resolving addresses that differ and reviewing congressional and county code differences.”USPS original

An accurate address contains only elements that are complete and correct.3County Project SOPpage 1“An accurate address contains only elements that are complete and correct.”USPS original A mailpiece with missing or incorrect address elements needs extra handling, including manual processing.3County Project SOPpage 1“When a mailpiece is missing address elements or contains incorrect address elements, it requires additional handling, including manual processing.”USPS original That can delay delivery or make it impossible.3County Project SOPpage 1“This can delay delivery or even make delivery impossible.”USPS original A standardized address also helps the authority exchange data with other organizations.3County Project SOPpage 1“In addition to improving the delivery of your mail, a standardized address can also help more easily exchange data with other organizations based on the standardized address.”USPS original

USPS wants every physical and mailing address on file in case it must help during an emergency.3County Project SOPpage 1“For the USPS, we want to ensure we have all physical addresses, as well as all mailing addresses in case we are called upon to assist during an emergency situation; we want to ensure the most accurate congressional and county information is being utilized especially when funds are involved; and we want to ensure our address database accurately reflects official addresses for the purpose of improving mail delivery for your constituents.”USPS original It also wants accurate county and congressional data, especially where funds are involved.3County Project SOPpage 1“For the USPS, we want to ensure we have all physical addresses, as well as all mailing addresses in case we are called upon to assist during an emergency situation; we want to ensure the most accurate congressional and county information is being utilized especially when funds are involved; and we want to ensure our address database accurately reflects official addresses for the purpose of improving mail delivery for your constituents.”USPS original

An authority applies once with PS Form 5118, then sends its file to AGT once approved.1PostalPro: County Project“Send completed PS Form 5118 to AGT for processing. When notified of application approval, send your file to AGT for processing.”USPS original

The authority's file can be any of four types:4County Project SOPpage 2“Acceptable File Types: Excel (.xls) Comma Delimited (.csv) Fixed-length text files (.txt)* (.xml)”USPS original

• Excel, .xls
• comma-delimited, .csv
• fixed-length text, .txt
• XML, .xml

The file name starts with the customer id, then four digits for the month and day of submission.4County Project SOPpage 2“The file name must: 1. Begin with the unique customer id assigned by NCSC 2. Followed by four numbers, reflecting the month and day the file was submitted, (mmdd), and saved as an acceptable file type”USPS original For customer id YYY submitting on September 25, the name is YYY0925.TXT.4County Project SOPpage 2“For example, if your unique customer id that NCSC assigned is YYY and the 4 numbers representing the submit date are 0925, September 25th, then YYY0925.TXT would be a valid file name.”USPS original The zip file keeps the same first seven characters, as YYY0925.ZIP.4County Project SOPpage 2“The first seven characters of the zipped file name must be the same as the first seven characters of the text file name (e.g., if your text file name is YYY0925.TXT, the ZIP file name must be YYY0925.ZIP).”USPS original

A fixed-length text file uses a 323-byte record with these fields.5County Project SOPpage 4“Use the following file layout to prepare your fixed-width text files. … LATITUDE** 15 Not Required LONGITUDE** 15 Not Required CR/LF 2 Required Total Record Length 323 Bytes”USPS original

KEY holds a customer-supplied identification code or record ID, such as PUBLICJQD5.5County Project SOPpage 4“* A customer supplied identification code or record ID (Example: PUBLICJQD5)”USPS original AGT returns the key on matched records, so the authority can match each one back to its own record.6County Project SOPpage 3“Any record key provided on the records were returned for ease of matching back to the original record.”USPS original LATITUDE and LONGITUDE must be right-justified with leading spaces.5County Project SOPpage 4“** Must be right-justified with leading spaces”USPS original

CONGRESSIONAL CODE comes from the AMS Congressional Table.7County Project SOPpage 5“The AMS congressional code required in the input file is located in the AMS Congressional Table.”USPS original That table is a semicolon-delimited file whose first four bytes hold the code, such as TN02.7County Project SOPpage 5“The layout below identifies the congressional code as the first four (4) bytes in this semi-colon delimited file (Example: TN02).”USPS original The code is the 2-digit state abbreviation followed by the 2-digit congressional district number.7County Project SOPpage 5“These four bytes consist of the 2-digit state abbreviation and the 2-digit congressional district number.”USPS original

COUNTY CODE comes from the AMS County Name Table.7County Project SOPpage 5“The AMS county name code required in the input file is located in the AMS County Name Table.”USPS original Its first five bytes hold the code, such as TN157.7County Project SOPpage 5“The layout below identifies the county code as the first five (5) bytes in this semi-colon delimited file (Example: TN157).”USPS original The code is the 2-digit state abbreviation followed by the 3-digit county number.7County Project SOPpage 5“These five bytes consist of the 2-digit state abbreviation and the 3-digit county number.”USPS original It is the same as the Federal Information Processing Standard code for the county or parish.7County Project SOPpage 5“The AMS county code is the same as the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code assigned to a given county or parish within a state.”USPS original

AGT returns up to seven files once processing is complete.6County Project SOPpage 3“Up to seven (7) files will be returned to you after processing is complete.”USPS original Each name gives the processing date, preceded by a letter, then the type of data.6County Project SOPpage 3“Each file name identifies the date your file was processed and the type of data contained in each file. … Date file processed preceded by an alpha character.”USPS original The files are text or zip files.6County Project SOPpage 3“Returned files are in .txt format or .ZIP.”USPS original

For matched addresses, the authority decides whether to update its database to the standardized address.6County Project SOPpage 3“The only action here is to decide if you will (or can) update your database to use the standardized address.”USPS original The DPFE911 file holds base records only, for streets, buildings and rural and HC routes, with no firms or PO Boxes.6County Project SOPpage 3“D022610.DPFE911.ZIP This file contains AMS address records that are not found in the County input file. … File includes BASE records only (no alternates, alias, etc) for Streets, Buildings, and Rural/HC Route records only (no Firms and no PO Boxes).”USPS original It appears in the download listing only after a request and a check that a non-disclosure agreement is on file.6County Project SOPpage 3“This file will appear in the download listing after a request is made to receive this file and verification of an existing nondisclosure agreement is confirmed.”USPS original

The No Match review finds errors such as these:6County Project SOPpage 3“We're finding several things such as the AMS database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional that needs to be corrected; the county database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional; the address is a physical address with a structure and needs to be added to the AMS database; or the address is physical but is an empty lot, parking lot, etc so we wouldn’t add it to the AMS database.”USPS original

• AMS has a typo, or the wrong suffix or directional.6County Project SOPpage 3“We're finding several things such as the AMS database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional that needs to be corrected; the county database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional; the address is a physical address with a structure and needs to be added to the AMS database; or the address is physical but is an empty lot, parking lot, etc so we wouldn’t add it to the AMS database.”USPS original
• The county database has a typo, or the wrong suffix or directional.6County Project SOPpage 3“We're finding several things such as the AMS database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional that needs to be corrected; the county database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional; the address is a physical address with a structure and needs to be added to the AMS database; or the address is physical but is an empty lot, parking lot, etc so we wouldn’t add it to the AMS database.”USPS original
• The address is a physical address with a structure, and AMS needs to add it.6County Project SOPpage 3“We're finding several things such as the AMS database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional that needs to be corrected; the county database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional; the address is a physical address with a structure and needs to be added to the AMS database; or the address is physical but is an empty lot, parking lot, etc so we wouldn’t add it to the AMS database.”USPS original
• The address is physical but an empty lot or parking lot, which AMS doesn't add.6County Project SOPpage 3“We're finding several things such as the AMS database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional that needs to be corrected; the county database has a typo or the wrong suffix or directional; the address is a physical address with a structure and needs to be added to the AMS database; or the address is physical but is an empty lot, parking lot, etc so we wouldn’t add it to the AMS database.”USPS original

A secondary address can differ between the two databases, as when the county has units 1, 2 and 3 and AMS has units A, B and C.6County Project SOPpage 3“If so, work with your local AMS office to correct in the AMS database (i.e. County has Units 1, 2, 3 and AMS Units A, B, C).”USPS original The authority corrects an invalid one in its own database.6County Project SOPpage 3“This file should be reviewed to ensure the secondary addresses are valid (Apt., Suite, Unit, etc.). If not, correct.”USPS original When its own is valid, it works with the local AMS office to correct AMS.6County Project SOPpage 3“If so, work with your local AMS office to correct in the AMS database (i.e. County has Units 1, 2, 3 and AMS Units A, B, C).”USPS original

For a possibly missing secondary address, USPS suggests looking the address up online, with Google Maps as a starting point.6County Project SOPpage 3“Start by looking these addresses up on the internet (Google maps is an excellent starting point) to see what is at the address.”USPS original When secondary information turns up, the authority updates its database, and AMS should do the same.6County Project SOPpage 3“If secondary information is found, investigate and update the county database as appropriate. … AMS should do the same to ensure the AMS database is accurate as well.”USPS original

A county code difference matters mostly to mailers that mail to the county.6County Project SOPpage 3“This is important primarily for mailers that mail to your county.”USPS original Some companies also use the county to set mailing rates, beyond USPS control.6County Project SOPpage 3“Some companies also use this information for determining mailing rates among other things beyond USPS control.”USPS original A congressional district difference matters because congressional franking funds and other government funds depend on it.6County Project SOPpage 3“Congressional franking (mailing) funds are based on this information, and other government funds are often tracked against this information, so we need to make sure it is correct”USPS original

The AEC Department answers questions at cds.ncsc@usps.gov or 1-800-331-5746 ext. 6556.1PostalPro: County Project“For more information, contact the AEC Department at cds.ncsc@usps.gov or 1-800-331-5746 ext. 6556.”USPS original

Files on CD or DVD go by U.S. Mail to COUNTY PROJECT, NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER, 225 NORTH HUMPHREYS BOULEVARD STE 501, MEMPHIS TN 38188-1001.4County Project SOPpage 2“Submit County Project files to cds.ncsc@usps.gov or on CD/DVD media via U.S. Mail to: COUNTY PROJECT NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER UNITED STATED POSTAL SERVICE 225 NORTH HUMPHREYS BOULEVARD STE 501 MEMPHIS TN 38188-1001”USPS original