LSU hopes to address lost mail problems through ZIP code consolidation

LSU’s Memorial Tower pictured on March 20, 2023. (Matthew Perschall/Louisiana Illuminator)

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that will consolidate LSU’s ZIP code, with an aim to fix the university’s chronic problem of mail being lost. 

The bill, which addresses U.S. Postal Service ZIP code issues in 14 other states, also creates a new code for Montz in St. Charles Parish. 

LSU’s primary ZIP code, 70803, will be expanded to include parts of the 70802, 70820 and 70808 mail zones. Only buildings and facilities from those ZIP codes that belong to LSU are proposed to be added into 70803. 

A map of zip codes near LSU

Currently, 70803 encompasses the core of campus, including its parade grounds, the quadrangle and student union. As LSU expanded beyond its historic boundaries, the ZIP code did not expand with it, creating logistical problems. 

“We have tried working with USPS for years to get Montz their own ZIP code, and to consolidate the balkanized ZIPs that fit in and around LSU. Simple, right? Wrong,” U.S. Rep. Garret Graves said in a news release. “The confusion of missing and disjointed ZIPs means that retirement checks, important documents and parish administration gets delayed, misdirected and confounded.” 

“Our provision requires USPS to once and for all establish clear, coherent ZIP codes for Montz and LSU,” Graves added. 

LSU’s Office of Planning, Design and Construction requested the consolidation, according to documents Graves’ office shared with the Illuminator. 

A proposed zip code map put forward by LSU

The university sorts all mail that goes to an address with its primary 70803 ZIP code. 

LSU has proposed a map to significantly increase the size of its ZIP code, but the U.S. Postal Service is not required to adopt those boundaries. The new 70803 ZIP code is likely to be similar to LSU’s proposal, Graves’ Chief of Staff Paul Sawyer said. The bill still needs Senate approval, but it will likely get a quick vote sometime next week.