Direct answer: A genuine, unused and intact ordinary USPS Forever stamp does not expire because of its age or a postage-rate increase. It continues to represent the current First-Class Mail one-ounce letter-rate value. The issue year does not change that result.
Direct Answer by Issue Year
This table answers the year-specific questions directly. It applies to an actual ordinary Forever stamp that is unused, intact and valid—not merely to any old stamp with a similar picture.
| Year shown or purchased | Can an ordinary Forever stamp still be used? | Important check |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | No USPS Forever stamp existed yet. | The first Forever stamp was issued in April 2007. Identify the stamp and use its assigned or printed value. |
| 2007 | Yes. | A genuine unused Liberty Bell Forever stamp remains valid. |
| 2008 | Yes. | Confirm it is marked or officially identified as Forever rather than a fixed-value stamp. |
| 2009 | Yes. | Age alone does not invalidate an unused ordinary Forever stamp. |
| 2010 | Yes. | Liberty Bell, Holiday Evergreens, and Lady Liberty/U.S. Flag Forever issues remain usable when valid. |
| 2011 | Yes. | USPS expanded one-ounce commemorative issues to Forever stamps in 2011. |
| 2012 | Yes. | The original price does not cap today’s ordinary Forever postage value. |
| 2013 | Yes. | Do not confuse an ordinary Forever stamp with the separate Global Forever category introduced in 2013. |
| 2014 | Yes. | USPS states that all new one-ounce First-Class stamps have been Forever stamps since 2014. |
| 2015 | Yes. | Postcard-rate Forever stamps are a separate type with a different applicable rate. |
| 2016 | Yes. | Additional-ounce and other nondenominated types must be used for their labeled category. |
| 2017 | Yes. | One ordinary Forever stamp covers only an eligible domestic one-ounce letter. |
| 2018 | Yes. | A valid 2018 ordinary Forever stamp remains usable after later price changes. |
| 2019 | Yes. | A price change does not require makeup postage solely because the stamp is older. |
| 2020 | Yes. | Check condition and whether the stamp has already been canceled or used. |
| 2021 | Yes. | The issue year does not freeze its value at the 2021 rate. |
| 2022 | Yes. | The finished mailpiece can still require extra postage for weight, shape or service. |
| 2023 | Yes. | The artwork does not change the ordinary Forever value. |
| 2024 | Yes. | It remains valid when genuine, unused and intact. |
| 2025 | Yes. | It remains valid when genuine, unused and intact. |
| 2026 | Yes. | It remains valid when genuine, unused and intact. |
Does a Price Increase Make an Old Forever Stamp Invalid?
No. If the ordinary one-ounce letter price rises after you buy the stamp, a valid ordinary Forever stamp follows the current ordinary one-ounce letter-rate value. You do not add postage solely because it was bought before a rate change. Additional postage may still be required when the finished mailpiece is heavier than one ounce, square, rigid, oversized, international, or uses another service.
When Will a Forever Stamp Not Count?
- It was already used or canceled: postage cannot be reused.
- It is mutilated, defaced or substantially incomplete: USPS mailing standards can make it invalid.
- It is not genuine USPS postage: an imitation or counterfeit is not valid postage.
- It is a different rate-linked type: Global, Postcard, Additional Ounce and Nonmachinable stamps follow their own labeled rate categories.
- It is fixed denomination: a stamp printed with a cent or dollar value contributes that printed value; it is not automatically an ordinary Forever stamp.
- The mailpiece needs more postage: a valid stamp can still be insufficient for the item being mailed.
Direct Answers to Common Validity Questions
Can I use an old Forever stamp today?
Yes. Use it if it is a genuine, unused, intact ordinary Forever stamp and the mailpiece qualifies for the postage value it supplies.
Do Forever stamps have an expiration date?
No. Ordinary Forever stamps do not receive an expiration date based on purchase or issue year.
Are 44-cent, 49-cent or 50-cent Forever stamps still good?
Yes, if they are actual ordinary Forever stamps. The amount paid years ago does not limit their current ordinary Forever value. A stamp with “44¢,” “49¢” or “50¢” printed as its denomination is instead fixed-value postage.
Can a Forever stamp bought before January 27 still be used after the price change?
Yes. A genuine unused ordinary Forever stamp bought before a January 27 rate change remains valid afterward and follows the current ordinary one-ounce letter-rate value.
Can I still mail a letter with one old Forever stamp?
Yes, when the finished item qualifies as an ordinary domestic one-ounce First-Class Mail letter. Weight, size, shape, rigidity, destination and added services can change the required amount.
Does the design make a Forever stamp expire?
No. A verified ordinary Forever issue does not expire because its design was retired from sale. Use the themed-stamp validity guide when the exact issue is uncertain.
Related Direct-Answer Pages
- Are themed Forever stamps still valid?
- Do Global Forever stamps expire?
- How long are Postcard Forever stamps valid?
- Do ordinary unused postage stamps expire?
- Forever stamps vs. fixed-denomination stamps
- Are Forever stamps being discontinued?
- What to do with old Forever stamps
- Where ordinary Forever stamps can be used in the United States
Sources checked August 25, 2026: USPS stamp history; USPS stamp types; USPS DMM 604 postage standards. Mailing standards can change; confirm unusual or damaged postage with USPS before mailing.