Put Your Mail on Hold While You're Away

You can request that the United States Postal Service (USPS) put your mail on hold if you need to temporarily suspend mail delivery due to vacation, business travel, hospital stays or other absences from your residence. When you have the post office hold your mail, it is kept safe and no one will need to retrieve it from your mailbox while you are away. Different methods are available through the post office for you to submit your request to hold mail.

Steps

  1. Decide when and for how long you want the post office to hold your mail.
    • The US post office will only hold mail for a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 30 days.
    • You must assign a starting and ending date to have mail held. Your mail carrier will not deliver mail on the starting date. Mail delivery will resume on the ending date.
  2. Determine when to submit your hold mail request. You may not submit a request to hold mail more than 14 days in advance. If you submit your request over the phone or in person, the soonest date the request can take effect is 1 day in advance. Online requests submitted before 2 a.m. CST will take effect the same day.
  3. Choose a method for requesting the USPS to hold your mail. You can submit your request to hold mail online, in person, or over the phone.
  4. Submit your request online.
    • Go to the USPS website and select the option "Hold Mail" under the menu "Manage Your Mail."
    • Enter your zip code into the designated field and click "Go." Not all areas of the country have hold mail submission forms available online. If your area has access to the online form, the hold mail form webpage will load.
    • Fill in the empty fields with your personal information. You will need to provide your name, address, the beginning and ending dates for when you want the post office to hold your mail, and you will need to choose a method for receiving the accumulated mail.
    • Choose to have your carrier deliver the accumulated mail at the ending date if you do not want to pick up your mail from the post office.
    • Check the box to pick up mail at the post office if you want to get your mail in person.
    • Submit the completed form.
    • Print out the confirmation page for your records. Note your confirmation number as you will need to enter it if you want to edit or cancel your hold mail request online or over the phone.
  5. Make your hold mail request over the phone.
    • Call the USPS customer service number Monday through Saturday.
    • Provide your personal information, start and end date you want the post office to hold mail, and your preferred method for receiving the accumulated mail at the end date.
    • Record your confirmation number, and place it in a safe place in case you wish to change or cancel your request to hold your mail.
  6. Complete a hold mail request in person.
    • Go to your local post office during business hours.
    • Fill out PS Form 8076.
    • Submit the completed form to the clerk at the front desk. Keep the confirmation number for your hold mail request.

After You Submit Your Request

  1. Edit or cancel your hold mail request if needed.
    • Have your confirmation number available. Enter the number if editing your request online, or provide the confirmation number to a customer service representative if you are changing your request over the phone or in person.
    • Update any personal information that may be incorrect, the start and ending dates for hold mail service, and/or the method for receiving accumulated mail.
  2. Retrieve your accumulated mail.
    • Open the mailbox and remove the mail your mail carrier delivered while you were away. If more mail accumulated than fits in your box, the mail carrier will have left a notice that you have overflow mail available for pickup at your local post office.
    • Go to your local post office during business hours if you chose to pick up your held mail. Bring photo identification. Normal mail delivery will resume the following USPS business day.

Tips

  • A hold mail request affects all residents at the same address. Discuss your plan to have your mail held if you live with others before submitting the request with the USPS.
  • You can designate a third party to pickup your held mail. Submit your authorization in writing at your local post office when you request that the office hold your mail.
  • You do not need to submit a hold mail request if you have a post office box. The post office allows mail to accumulate in post office boxes for up to 30 days.

Warnings

  • You must visit your local post office to edit or cancel a hold mail request in person if you submitted the original request in person.

Sources and Citations

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