6 FAM 250
OFFICIAL STATIONErY
(CT:GS-205; 10-24-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/GIS/GPS)
6 FAM 251 DEPARTMENTAL STANDARDS
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
a. All Department of State stationery (including printed or embossed letterheads and envelopes, printed letterhead tissue, printed pads, etc.) must conform to the policy prescribed herein.
b. Government Printing and Binding Regulations issued by the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing, as currently revised and supplemented, and the Government Printing and Binding regulation S. Pub 101-9 Title – III, 43-45, prescribe standards to:
(1) Prohibit the procurement of embossed stationery and personalized stationery except for Cabinet members and diplomatic correspondence, unless approved by the Joint Committee on Printing;
(2) Assure economy in the procurement, stocking, and utilization of general-use stationery items; and
(3) Provide adequate size, types, grade and weight substance, and color and printing of stationery to fulfill the official business needs of the Government.
6 FAM 252 RESPONSIBILITIES
(CT:GS-183; 04-13-2015)
(State Only)
a. The Office of Global Information Services (A/GIS/GPS), is responsible for the maintenance of uniform standards of style and size of all types of letterhead stationery used in the Department and overseas.
b. Technical specifications for all stationery must conform to requirements of the General Services Administration and be approved by the Publishing Services Division, which is the Department’s liaison with the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing and the Government Printing Office.
6 FAM 253 TYPE OF STATIONERY
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
a. Memorandum and note pads are not stocked by the General Services Administration and will not be specially printed by the Department.
b. The types of stationery that are standard are stated below, and no others will be procured for use by the Department.
6 FAM 253.1 Printed Letterhead
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
a. The “Department of State” letterhead with printed seal will be the general-use stationery for the Department. It is stocked in one size only, 8-1/2 X 11 inches.
b. Post letterhead is printed with the seal and appropriate heading for type of post (for example, Embassy of the United States of America, etc.). Letterhead for posts is stocked in sizes 8-1/2 X 11 and 7-5/16 X 8-1/2 inches and must be requisitioned directly from the General Services Administration.
c. Department offices and all posts will use the standard letterhead as provided. Specially printed stationery is authorized only for those conditions set forth in 6 FAM 253.2.
6 FAM 253.2 Specially Printed Stationery
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
a. Specially printed letterhead stationery is authorized for use by the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, Under Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries, or equivalent.
b. Such special letterheads will be limited to sizes 8-1/2 X 11 and 7-5/16 X 8-1/2 inches. Requests for such authorization, as well as all requisitions for specially printed stationery, must be submitted on Form DS-5, Requisition for Publishing, Reproduction, and Distribution Services, and sent directly to A/GIS/GPS.
6 FAM 253.3 Exceptions to Specially Printed Stationery
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
In unusual circumstances, officials and offices below the Assistant Secretary level may also use specially printed letterhead stationery, provided specific approval is obtained from the Director, Foreign Affairs Information Management Center. Unusual circumstances might include Presidential Commissions, or offices not centrally located and having specific contact with the public, such as the Passport Office. Such special letterheads, if authorized, will be limited to size 8-1/2 X 11 inches.
6 FAM 253.4 Embossed Stationery
(CT:GS-195; 07-12-2017)
(State Only)
Embossed stationery will be limited to diplomatic notes and other authorized diplomatic and ceremonial correspondence. (See Correspondence Handbook.) All requests for embossed stationery are submitted to the Director, Foreign Affairs Information Management Center, for authorization. If authorized, such requests will be referred to the Publishing Services Division, which will arrange for the requisitioning of the embossed stationery.
6 FAM 254 THROUGH 259 UNASSIGNED