Don't Give Your Ocean County Mail Carrier A Tip Or Gift Card

Stick with me for a minute before you get upset by that headline.

As the holiday season continues, many of us think about the folks who work hard every day with things that we may take for granted, like our mail carriers who head out in all of the different types of weather that Ocean County can serve up year-round.

But before you slip some cash or a gift card into an envelope in your mailbox to thank your hard working mail carrier, there's something that you should know.

They're not allowed to accept it.

According to the US Postal Service, mail carriers aren't allowed to accept cash, gift cards, checks, or any other cash equivalent.

Here's the official statement from the USPS:

Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount.

So by all means, do feel free to leave a card with a box of chocolate or a bottle of wine (just not a very fancy one, with the $20 value limit!), but unfortunately, if you leave cash or a gift card, federal law says that your mail carrier can't accept it.

Who do you make sure to tip when the holidays roll around? Tell us in the comments section below!