[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 39, Volume 1] [Revised as of July 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 39CFR222.2] [Page 39] TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PART 222--DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY--Table of Contents Sec. 222.2 Media of delegation. (a) All delegations of authority must be issued through official directives. (b) Headquarters or regional officials shall not orally authorize postmasters to deviate from published instructions, except in emergencies. An oral authorization must be confirmed by a memorandum or order dated subsequent to the issuance date of the most recently published instructions on the subject. Postal inspectors shall charge as irregularities any improperly authorized deviations observed in the course of office inspections. [38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, as amended at 51 FR 40797, Nov. 10, 1986]