Grace period allowed for using new ZIPs

If you are one of 45,000 Southern Nevadans affected by the new ZIP codes that go into effect today, don't fret if you are expecting mail with the old ZIP code -- it will get through.

The Postal Service is giving a grace period of one year for residential and business customers to make the necessary changes, Postal Service spokesman Tim Purcell said, noting that even then the mail still will get delivered.

"After July 1, 2000, your mail with the old ZIP code probably will be delayed because our automatic equipment won't recognize the boundary as being in that ZIP code," he said. "That mail will have to be sorted by hand."

The addition of 10 new ZIP codes affecting Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson is necessary in the wake of booming population growth, he said.

"The decision to change ZIP codes is based on projected future growth," Purcell said. "We do not expect any more changes for at least six years."

In recent years, there have been so many new Southern Nevada neighborhoods that the Postal Service is running out of "ZIP-Plus-Four" numbers that often appear after the five-digit ZIP codes on business mail but rarely are used by residents on everyday mail.

Such additional numbers, however, are important to the Postal Service because it further pinpoints the routes to which mail is to be delivered.

Last year, two ZIP codes were added in Southern Nevada -- part of 89102 became 89146 and part of 89117 was changed to 89147.

The 10 new ZIP codes that went into effect today are in two northeast areas in unincorporated Clark County, two southwest areas, four northwest Las Vegas areas, one West Las Vegas/North Las Vegas area and one Henderson area.

Residents and businesses in those areas have received postcards from the Postal Service informing them of the changes to their ZIP codes.

While the Postal Service also has notified large firms such as credit card companies, utilities and banks of the changes, it is up to residents to inform friends and others who regularly correspond with them to change the ZIP codes on their mailers, Purcell said.

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