The United States Postal Service (USPS) manages mail when a recipient is no longer present or a property is unoccupied. This process ensures mail is handled responsibly, preventing accumulation that could signal an unmonitored property. The fate of any mailpiece depends on the postal carrier’s observation of the delivery point and the class of mail being delivered.
How Delivery Points are Classified
The initial determination of a property’s status rests with the local postal carrier who services the route. Carriers are trained to distinguish between a temporary absence and an address that is truly vacant and will apply an initial internal marking to the address’s record. This classification process is supported by the USPS’s internal address management system, which uses a “Vacancy Indicator” to flag addresses that are not currently receiving mail, even though the address is valid.
The criteria for officially deeming a residence or business “vacant” involves a lack of observable activity over time. For city delivery addresses, this determination is often made at the carrier’s discretion. Rural addresses are classified as vacant if mail has not been collected for 90 consecutive days. Once flagged, the carrier stops delivering mail to prevent the receptacle from overflowing. The address is then categorized internally as “vacant,” which is distinct from a “no-stat” address considered invalid or non-existent.
The Default Action: Return to Sender
When an address is officially marked “Vacant” and no Change of Address (COA) or forwarding order has been filed, most mail is removed from the delivery stream. The mail is generally held at the local post office for a short period, typically 10 days, allowing time for a forwarding order to be filed.
The primary action for most First Class Mail is to endorse the piece with a reason for nondelivery, such as “Moved, Left No Address” (MLNA) or “Undeliverable as Addressed” (UAA). The mail then re-enters the mail stream to be returned to the original sender. This procedure notifies the sender that the mailpiece was not successfully delivered, allowing them to update their records.
Different Rules for Mail Classes
The ultimate fate of mail at a vacant address varies significantly depending on its class and the postage paid. First Class Mail, which includes letters, bills, and personal correspondence, is returned to the sender with the reason for nondelivery noted on the envelope.
In contrast, Standard Mail, often referred to as bulk or junk mail, is treated differently and is not typically returned to the sender. Mailers using the lower Standard Mail rate do not pay for the mail to be returned or forwarded. Consequently, this mail is generally disposed of locally, often by recycling it at the post office. Packages are often returned to the sender, but periodicals are only forwarded for a short period, such as 60 days, even with an active forwarding request.
Recipient-Initiated Mail Management
Individuals can proactively manage their mail when moving or temporarily absent to prevent the vacant mail process from starting. The most common measure is submitting a permanent Change of Address (COA) request, which initiates mail forwarding to a new location. Under a permanent COA, First Class Mail is forwarded for 12 months, providing the recipient time to update their address with various senders. The forwarding period can be extended up to a maximum of 30 months for an additional fee.
For temporary absences, such as a vacation, the USPS offers the Hold Mail service. This service pauses all mail delivery for a period between 3 and 30 days. The accumulated mail is held at the local post office until the recipient returns or is delivered on the final day of the hold.