You can write “Return to Sender” on mail you don’t want and drop it back in the mailstream for free, as long as the envelope or package is still sealed. Mark it, leave it in your mailbox with the flag up, hand it to your carrier, or put it in a blue collection box. USPS routes it back to the sender at no cost to you. Open it first, and that free option is gone.
What to Write on the Envelope
Two short notations do almost all the work:
- “Not at this address” for mail addressed to someone who doesn’t live there, such as a previous tenant or a name you don’t recognize.
- “Refused” for mail addressed to you that you don’t want, such as unsolicited offers or something you didn’t order.1FAQ | USPS. How is Undeliverable and Misdelivered Mail Handled
Don’t cross out, cover, or erase the delivery address or the sender’s return address. The carrier needs both to send the piece back.1FAQ | USPS. How is Undeliverable and Misdelivered Mail Handled Once you’ve written your notation, put the piece back in your mailbox with the flag raised, drop it in a blue USPS collection box, or hand it to your carrier directly.
You can also refuse a piece the moment the carrier tries to hand it to you. That works for every class of mail, including certified and registered items, as long as you haven’t signed for it yet.2USPS. Delivery Services – Section 611.1 Conditions
Mail for a Previous Tenant
The most common reason people look this up: someone moved out, never filed a change of address, and their mail keeps arriving. Write “Not at this address” on each piece and send it back into the mailstream.1FAQ | USPS. How is Undeliverable and Misdelivered Mail Handled Expect several rounds before the flow slows down, because different senders update their records at different speeds.
Advertising and marketing mail is a separate problem. When bulk mail can’t be delivered and the sender hasn’t printed a special handling endorsement, USPS disposes of the piece rather than returning it.1FAQ | USPS. How is Undeliverable and Misdelivered Mail Handled Writing “Return to Sender” on a catalog usually does nothing. To reduce it, contact the sender directly to be removed from their list, or register with DMAchoice.org to cut down on marketing mail overall.
When the Free Return Doesn’t Work
Open the envelope and you’ve accepted the piece in the eyes of the postal system. If you still want to send it back, you’ll need a new wrapper, a fresh address, and your own postage.3Postal Explorer. Customer Support Ruling – Mailpieces Opened After Delivery
Some categories can’t be refused for free even if they’re still sealed, once they’ve been delivered to your address. Registered mail, insured mail, certified mail, and collect-on-delivery (COD) items all fall into this group.4Domestic Mail Manual. D042 Conditions of Delivery – Section: 1.0 Basic Standards The clean move is to decline them at the door before signing. Refusing after delivery costs you postage.
International parcels are trickier. A refused international piece goes back through the postal system, but customs duties paid on import don’t automatically unwind, and the sender may owe return postage and foreign postal charges.5Postal Explorer. 770 Undeliverable Mail If you know a package is coming and you don’t want it, refuse it at the door.
Mail for Someone Who Has Died
If you shared an address with someone who has died, you can open and manage their mail yourself. You can also forward a single piece by crossing out the address, writing “Forward to” and the new address on the front, and leaving it for the carrier.6USPS. Mail Addressed to the Deceased – How to Stop or Forward Mail
Forwarding all of the deceased person’s mail requires a visit to a Post Office with proof that you’re the appointed executor or administrator. A death certificate on its own isn’t enough. To cut advertising mail addressed to the deceased, you can register the name on the Data & Marketing Association’s Deceased Do Not Contact List at DMAchoice.org for a $6 processing fee, with marketing mail typically dropping off within about three months.6USPS. Mail Addressed to the Deceased – How to Stop or Forward Mail
UPS and FedEx Packages
“Return to Sender” is a USPS mechanism. UPS and FedEx run their own refusal processes.
For UPS, leave a visible note for the driver with the tracking number, the sender’s name, and the reason for the refusal. If you have a UPS My Choice account, you may be able to select “Return to Sender” online after tracking the package, though some shippers block that option.7UPS. Want to Refuse or Send Back a Package
For FedEx, refuse the package when the driver arrives. The driver may ask you to sign a confirmation of refusal, after which FedEx contacts the shipper to decide whether the package goes back or gets destroyed.8FedEx. Can I Refuse to Accept an International Package On international FedEx shipments, refusing a package doesn’t automatically cancel duties or taxes assessed at import; a customs refund is a separate claim.
Don’t Just Throw It Away
Tossing mail that isn’t yours is a federal crime, and shared mailboxes, roommate situations, and previous-tenant mail all create the opportunity to do it without thinking.
Federal law makes it a crime to take mail before it reaches the intended recipient and then open, hide, or destroy it, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1702 – Obstruction of Correspondence A separate statute covers stealing mail from a mailbox, post office, or carrier, carrying the same five-year maximum.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1708 – Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally
If mail arrives that isn’t yours, mark it and put it back. Don’t open it, don’t shred it, and don’t let it stack up in a drawer. Even neglect can look like obstruction if the intended recipient files a complaint with the Postal Inspection Service.