diff --git a/app/notifications/process_notifications.py b/app/notifications/process_notifications.py
index 4c7d985de..46b78941d 100644
--- a/app/notifications/process_notifications.py
+++ b/app/notifications/process_notifications.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from notifications_utils.recipients import (
 
 from app import redis_store
 from app.celery import provider_tasks
+from app.celery.letters_pdf_tasks import create_letters_pdf
 from app.config import QueueNames
 
 from app.models import (
@@ -149,6 +150,10 @@ def send_notification_to_queue(notification, research_mode, queue=None):
         if not queue:
             queue = QueueNames.SEND_EMAIL
         deliver_task = provider_tasks.deliver_email
+    if notification.notification_type == LETTER_TYPE:
+        if not queue:
+            queue = QueueNames.CREATE_LETTERS_PDF
+        deliver_task = create_letters_pdf
 
     try:
         deliver_task.apply_async([str(notification.id)], queue=queue)
diff --git a/app/service/send_notification.py b/app/service/send_notification.py
index 08bf6dd37..b80baf770 100644
--- a/app/service/send_notification.py
+++ b/app/service/send_notification.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy.orm.exc import NoResultFound
 
 from app.config import QueueNames
+from app.dao.notifications_dao import _update_notification_status
 from app.dao.service_email_reply_to_dao import dao_get_reply_to_by_id
 from app.dao.service_sms_sender_dao import dao_get_service_sms_senders_by_id
 from app.notifications.validators import (
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ from app.models import (
     PRIORITY,
     SMS_TYPE,
     EMAIL_TYPE,
+    LETTER_TYPE,
+    NOTIFICATION_DELIVERED,
 )
 from app.dao.services_dao import dao_fetch_service_by_id
 from app.dao.templates_dao import dao_get_template_by_id_and_service_id
@@ -78,11 +81,18 @@ def send_one_off_notification(service_id, post_data):
     )
 
     queue_name = QueueNames.PRIORITY if template.process_type == PRIORITY else None
-    send_notification_to_queue(
-        notification=notification,
-        research_mode=service.research_mode,
-        queue=queue_name
-    )
+
+    if template.template_type == LETTER_TYPE and service.research_mode:
+        _update_notification_status(
+            notification,
+            NOTIFICATION_DELIVERED,
+        )
+    else:
+        send_notification_to_queue(
+            notification=notification,
+            research_mode=service.research_mode,
+            queue=queue_name,
+        )
 
     return {'id': str(notification.id)}
 
diff --git a/tests/app/notifications/test_process_notification.py b/tests/app/notifications/test_process_notification.py
index 51ca2e94c..609a863d8 100644
--- a/tests/app/notifications/test_process_notification.py
+++ b/tests/app/notifications/test_process_notification.py
@@ -257,22 +257,35 @@ def test_persist_notification_increments_cache_if_key_exists(sample_template, sa
     ]
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('research_mode, requested_queue, expected_queue, notification_type, key_type',
-                         [(True, None, 'research-mode-tasks', 'sms', 'normal'),
-                          (True, None, 'research-mode-tasks', 'email', 'normal'),
-                          (True, None, 'research-mode-tasks', 'email', 'team'),
-                          (False, None, 'send-sms-tasks', 'sms', 'normal'),
-                          (False, None, 'send-email-tasks', 'email', 'normal'),
-                          (False, None, 'send-sms-tasks', 'sms', 'team'),
-                          (False, None, 'research-mode-tasks', 'sms', 'test'),
-                          (True, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'research-mode-tasks', 'email', 'normal'),
-                          (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'notify-internal-tasks', 'sms', 'normal'),
-                          (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'notify-internal-tasks', 'email', 'normal'),
-                          (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'research-mode-tasks', 'sms', 'test')])
-def test_send_notification_to_queue(notify_db, notify_db_session,
-                                    research_mode, requested_queue, expected_queue,
-                                    notification_type, key_type, mocker):
-    mocked = mocker.patch('app.celery.provider_tasks.deliver_{}.apply_async'.format(notification_type))
+@pytest.mark.parametrize((
+    'research_mode, requested_queue, notification_type, key_type, expected_queue, expected_task'
+), [
+    (True, None, 'sms', 'normal', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+    (True, None, 'email', 'normal', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_email'),
+    (True, None, 'email', 'team', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_email'),
+    (True, None, 'letter', 'normal', 'research-mode-tasks', 'letters_pdf_tasks.create_letters_pdf'),
+    (False, None, 'sms', 'normal', 'send-sms-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+    (False, None, 'email', 'normal', 'send-email-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_email'),
+    (False, None, 'sms', 'team', 'send-sms-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+    (False, None, 'letter', 'normal', 'create-letters-pdf-tasks', 'letters_pdf_tasks.create_letters_pdf'),
+    (False, None, 'sms', 'test', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+    (True, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'email', 'normal', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_email'),
+    (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'sms', 'normal', 'notify-internal-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+    (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'email', 'normal', 'notify-internal-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_email'),
+    (False, 'notify-internal-tasks', 'sms', 'test', 'research-mode-tasks', 'provider_tasks.deliver_sms'),
+])
+def test_send_notification_to_queue(
+    notify_db,
+    notify_db_session,
+    research_mode,
+    requested_queue,
+    notification_type,
+    key_type,
+    expected_queue,
+    expected_task,
+    mocker,
+):
+    mocked = mocker.patch('app.celery.{}.apply_async'.format(expected_task))
     Notification = namedtuple('Notification', ['id', 'key_type', 'notification_type', 'created_at'])
     notification = Notification(
         id=uuid.uuid4(),
diff --git a/tests/app/service/test_send_one_off_notification.py b/tests/app/service/test_send_one_off_notification.py
index c324da4f2..f8ffdf28a 100644
--- a/tests/app/service/test_send_one_off_notification.py
+++ b/tests/app/service/test_send_one_off_notification.py
@@ -258,6 +258,22 @@ def test_send_one_off_letter_notification_should_use_template_reply_to_text(samp
     assert notification.reply_to_text == "Edinburgh, ED1 1AA"
 
 
+def test_send_one_off_letter_should_not_make_pdf_in_research_mode(sample_letter_template):
+
+    sample_letter_template.service.research_mode = True
+
+    data = {
+        'to': 'A. Name',
+        'template_id': str(sample_letter_template.id),
+        'created_by': str(sample_letter_template.service.created_by_id)
+    }
+
+    notification = send_one_off_notification(service_id=sample_letter_template.service.id, post_data=data)
+    notification = Notification.query.get(notification['id'])
+
+    assert notification.status == "delivered"
+
+
 def test_send_one_off_sms_notification_should_use_sms_sender_reply_to_text(sample_service, celery_mock):
     template = create_template(service=sample_service, template_type=SMS_TYPE)
     sms_sender = create_service_sms_sender(