Checklist for mailing a completed government form

Confirm the source before filling the form

Government forms change. An old copy may contain an expired revision date, outdated destination, or instructions that no longer match the agency's current process. Download the form from the issuing agency's official website and read the instructions published with that form. A third-party template or mailing service cannot declare an old form current.

Pre-mailing checklist

• Current form number and revision
• Every required page
• Required handwritten or approved electronic signatures
• Correct signature date
• Supporting documents in the requested order
• Copies rather than originals when the instructions require copies
• Payment or fee handled through an accepted method
• Correct filing destination for your form, location, payment status, or case
• Deadline and accepted delivery method
• A saved copy of the complete submission

Prepare a copy of the packet

1. Complete the form the agency's way.

   Complete the form outside IRIS using the method the agency accepts.

2. Decide whether a printed copy is acceptable.

   If the agency accepts printed copies, scan or export the completed packet for your own records; use an approved direct method when the original or sensitive contents cannot go through a print-and-mail service.

3. Keep every page legible.

   Keep every page in US Letter format and make sure seals, signatures, check boxes, barcodes, and printed values remain clear.

4. Proofread the final PDF.

   Open the final PDF and compare it page by page with the checklist.

5. Handle instruction pages.

   Remove instruction pages only when the agency permits their removal.

Choose the mailing record

Ordinary First-Class Mail may fit a routine submission when the agency requests no additional service. USPS Certified Mail offers a mailing receipt and tracking for an eligible piece; an optional Return Receipt can add delivery-signature information. IRIS order status and provider-reported events are not a downloadable USPS postmarked receipt or Return Receipt artifact. No postal record by itself establishes that the agency accepted the form as complete or timely.

What IRIS checks

IRIS checks technical mailing requirements such as PDF type, page dimensions, file size, address structure, and page limits; it does not validate a form's legal or agency requirements. You remain responsible for the revision, answers, signatures, enclosures, fees, deadline, filing method, and official destination. Without an applicable written agreement with IRIS, do not upload government identifiers, highly sensitive medical records, payment-card credentials, or other material needing a privacy or security commitment IRIS has not accepted. Use the agency's approved direct route for such documents.