To fill out PS Form 3811, the USPS domestic return receipt, write your own name and address on the back of the green card, then flip it over and complete three sections on the front: the recipient’s name and address, the tracking-number barcode peeled from your Certified Mail label, and a checkbox showing which service you paid for. Leave the signature and delivery-date lines blank. Those belong to the carrier and recipient. Attach the card to your mailpiece, pay the $4.40 Return Receipt fee at the counter on top of your other postage, and the signed card comes back to you as a postcard after delivery.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
The green card doesn’t work alone. It rides along with another USPS service that already handles tracking or security, most often Certified Mail, but also Registered Mail, Priority Mail Express, Collect on Delivery, and insured mail valued over $500.
Gather three things before you write anything:
- Your sealed mailpiece, ready for postage.
- The primary service label. For Certified Mail this is PS Form 3800, which carries the tracking number and a peel-off barcode sticker.
- PS Form 3811 itself. Post Offices keep them at the counter, and you can also order packs of ten free from the USPS Postal Store (up to 75 packs per order, shipped free via USPS Ground Advantage).
Decide up front whether you want Restricted Delivery, which limits signing to the named recipient or their authorized agent, or Adult Signature Required. Both have their own checkboxes on the front of the card and their own added fees.
Filling Out the Back of the Card
Turn the card so the adhesive strips face you. In the space provided, print your name and full mailing address. This is where USPS mails the signed card after delivery, so use the address a person will actually monitor. Law firms and businesses should use the office address rather than a personal one.
That’s the entire back side. Nothing else goes here.
Filling Out the Front of the Card
Flip the card over. The front has three numbered sections.
Section 1: Article Addressed To
Print the recipient’s full name and delivery address exactly as they appear on the mailpiece. If the two don’t match, the card and the envelope can get separated in handling.
Section 2: Article Number
Peel the small barcode sticker off your Certified Mail label (PS Form 3800) and press it into the box marked for the article number. If your primary service label doesn’t have a peel-off sticker, copy the tracking number by hand. This number is the only thing tying the return receipt to your specific mailpiece. Check it twice.
Section 3: Service Type
Check the box that matches the service you’re paying for. For a standard Certified Mail send, check “Certified Mail.” If you added Restricted Delivery or Adult Signature Required, check those boxes too. Don’t check “Return Receipt for Merchandise” unless that is specifically what you’re buying. It’s a separate product with different rules.
Leave the signature line and the date-of-delivery line blank. The carrier fills those in at delivery, and the recipient signs.
Attaching the Card and Paying at the Counter
Peel the adhesive strips on the back of the card and press it firmly onto the mailpiece. The standard spot is the back of the envelope. The front works too, as long as the card doesn’t cover the delivery address, the return address, or the postage area. On a package, put it on the largest flat surface.
Take the assembled mailpiece to the Post Office counter. The clerk weighs it, applies postage, and adds the service fees. For a one-ounce First-Class letter sent Certified with a physical Return Receipt, the 2026 fees are:
- First-Class postage for a 1 oz letter at the standard rate.
- Certified Mail fee: $5.30.
- Return Receipt (the green card): $4.40.
The total runs roughly $10 to $11 depending on weight. Restricted Delivery adds $13.70. Adult Signature Required adds $9.70. Adult Signature Restricted Delivery adds $10.00.
The clerk hands you a receipt with the tracking number and confirmation that the Return Receipt fee was paid. Hold onto it. If the green card never comes back, that receipt is what lets you request a duplicate record.
What Happens After Delivery
At the delivery address, the recipient signs and dates the card. If you paid for Restricted Delivery, only the named recipient or their authorized agent can sign. If the mailpiece was forwarded to a different address, the carrier notes the new address on the card. The carrier then peels the card off and drops it back into the mail stream. It travels to you as a regular postcard and usually arrives within a few business days of delivery.
When it lands in your mailbox, you have a physical record showing the signature, the delivery date, and the delivery address. File it with your copy of whatever you sent.
If the Green Card Never Comes Back
Cards occasionally get lost. If yours doesn’t arrive, file PS Form 3811-A (Request for Delivery Information/Return Receipt) to get a duplicate delivery record. A few rules apply:
- Submit the request within 90 days of the date on your original mailing receipt.
- Bring the mailing receipt showing you paid the Return Receipt fee. Without it, the Post Office cannot process the request.
- Take the form to your local Post Office. The clerk either processes it electronically through USPS tracking or forwards it to the delivery office for a manual records search.
The delivery office fills in the delivery information on file and mails the bottom portion back to you. There is no additional fee beyond what you already paid for the original service.
PS Form 3811-A cannot be used for items sent with Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, Adult Signature services, or insurance over $500. For those, contact USPS customer service directly.
Not for International Mail
PS Form 3811 is domestic only. For return receipts on international mail, the correct form is PS Form 2865 (Return Receipt for International Mail), sometimes called an “Avis de Réception.” It’s a pink card, costs $7.20 in 2026, and only works with registered, insured, or recorded delivery mail to countries that participate. Not every country does.