Regular mail does not run on Sunday. USPS carriers don’t deliver letters, postcards, magazines, marketing mail, or standard packages on Sundays, and retail counters at the post office are closed. The exceptions are Priority Mail Express, parcels shipped under contracts with Amazon and Walmart, and some holiday-season overflow packages in busy areas.
What USPS Actually Delivers on Sunday
Three things move on Sundays: Priority Mail Express, contract parcels from big retailers, and extra packages during the winter holiday rush.
Priority Mail Express
Priority Mail Express is the one USPS service that runs seven days a week year-round. It carries a one-to-three-day delivery window with a money-back guarantee if the package doesn’t arrive by 6:00 p.m. on the scheduled date. Sunday and holiday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional $12.50 on top of standard postage.1United States Postal Service (USPS). Priority Mail Express Shipping
Amazon and Walmart Parcels
USPS signed a negotiated service agreement with Amazon in 2013 to deliver parcels on Sundays, making Amazon the first company with dedicated Sunday delivery through the Postal Service.2Office of Inspector General OIG. Sunday Parcel Delivery Service The arrangement has since expanded. Internal USPS operational documents show that Walmart parcels also move through Sunday delivery hubs, with both retailers dropping packages at designated Sunday sites.3USPS. Delivery Operations – Labor Day 2025 Customers don’t pay any extra charge for these Sunday deliveries.
Expect Sunday parcels from these retailers to run later than weekday mail. Deliveries can arrive into the evening, and the exact cutoff varies with location and volume.
Holiday Overflow
During the December shipping surge, USPS extends Sunday delivery beyond its usual contract partners. Priority Mail and even First-Class packages may be delivered on Sundays in major cities and high-volume areas to keep the network from backing up.4USPS. FAQ – Sunday Holiday Package Delivery These calls happen locally based on volume, so whether your area gets expanded Sunday service in any given holiday season depends on the mail flowing through your region.
What Stays Put Until Monday
Anything outside the categories above waits. First-class letters, postcards, magazines, catalogs, marketing mail, and standard packages shipped through Ground Advantage or similar services don’t move on Sunday. A birthday card mailed Friday afternoon that misses Saturday delivery won’t hit your box before Monday.
Retail counters are closed on Sundays too. You can’t buy stamps at the window, mail a package over the counter, or pick up a held item that requires an employee.
What You Can Still Do at the Post Office on Sunday
Sunday isn’t a total shutdown at the building itself. A few things stay available.
- Self-service kiosks. Many post office lobbies stay unlocked outside regular business hours, and the kiosks inside let you weigh packages, buy stamps, and print Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express labels. Availability depends on whether your local branch keeps its lobby open on Sundays.5USPS. Find USPS Locations – Glossary
- Blue collection boxes. You can drop letters and small packages in anytime, but USPS employees generally don’t empty them on Sundays. Pickup schedules are printed on the box, so check yours. Anything you leave Sunday will likely sit until Monday.
- PO Box access. Most post offices offer 24/7 PO Box access, so you can check your box on Sunday even when the counter is closed. No new mail is sorted in on Sunday, but anything that arrived by Saturday should be waiting. Packages too large for the box will show a slip directing you to the counter during business hours, or may sit in a parcel locker you can open yourself.6United States Postal Service (USPS). PO Boxes
- Scheduled pickups. You can submit a request for a free package pickup on Sunday through usps.com, but the pickup itself won’t happen until the next delivery day, usually Monday.7USPS. Package Pickup and Pickup on Demand
Federal Holidays When Mail Also Stops
Sundays aren’t the only days the mail rests. USPS observes 11 federal holidays in 2026, and no regular mail or packages deliver on those days. Priority Mail Express with the holiday delivery fee is the sole exception. The 2026 USPS holidays are:8USPS. Holidays and Events
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19)
- Presidents Day (February 16)
- Memorial Day (May 25)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (observed Friday, July 3, since July 4 falls on a Saturday)
- Labor Day (September 7)
- Columbus Day (October 12)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Thanksgiving Day (November 26)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, USPS treats the preceding Friday as the observed holiday. When it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed. Either way, plan on an extra day added to any delivery timeline around those dates.