Forfeiture Seizures by USPIS

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) publishes notices on the forfeiture.gov website that the property listed in the notice was seized for federal forfeiture for
violation of federal law. Laws and procedures applicable to the forfeiture process can be found at 19 U.S.C. Sections 1602-1619, 18 U.S.C. Section 983, and 39 C.F.R. Section 233.7.

The notice explains how to file a claim. You may contest the forfeiture of the property listed below in U.S. District Court by filing a claim not later than 30 days after the date of final publication of this notice of seizure, unless you received a written notice via personal letter, in which case the deadline set forth in the letter shall apply.

A claim must describe the seized property, state your ownership or other interest in the property, and be made under oath, subject to penalty of perjury, or meet the
requirements of an unsworn statement under penalty of perjury. See 18 U.S.C. Section 983(a)(2)(C) and 28 U.S.C. Section 1746.

A claim need not be made in any particular form and may be filed online or in writing. See 18 U.S.C. Section 983(a)(2)(D). Claims must be sent to the USPIS pursuant to the instructions shown in this notice.

Filing a Motion to Request Release of Property Based on Hardship

After you file a proper claim, a claimant may request release of the seized property during the pendency of forfeiture proceedings due to hardship if the claimant can meet specific conditions. See 18 U.S.C. Section 983(f). The hardship request cannot be filed online and must be in writing. The claimant must establish the following:

• the claimant has a possessory interest in the property;
• the claimant has sufficient ties to the community to ensure that the property will be available at the time of trial; and
• the government’s continued possession will cause a substantial hardship to the claimant.

A complete list of the hardship provisions can be reviewed at 18 U.S.C. Section 983(f) and 39 C.F.R. Section 233.7(m). Some assets are not eligible for hardship release. The address to send the documents is listed in the notice and might include:

If using a Commercial Delivery Service such as FedEx or UPS, the address is listed in the notice and might include:

The notice explains how to file a Petition for Remission or Mitigation. If you fail to file a verified claim for court action before the deadline listed in the notice, then the property will be awarded to the government. If you file a petition for remission or mitigation instead of a claim, then you are allowing the agency to decide whether you get any portion of the property back.

This article was last updated on August 22, 2025.