A FedEx shipment release authorization tells the driver to leave your package at a spot you choose without collecting a signature in person. You can give that authorization two ways: by signing the back of the door tag the driver left after a missed attempt, or by submitting the request electronically through FedEx Delivery Manager. Either route works only for shipments labeled Indirect Signature Required.
Which Packages You Can Actually Release
The shipper picks the signature level when the label is created, and that choice controls whether an unattended release is even possible. FedEx uses three tiers.1FedEx. Signature Requirements and Delivery Options
- Indirect Signature Required (ISR). The driver can get a signature from someone at the address, from a neighbor or building manager, or leave the package without anyone present if you authorize it. This is the only tier that allows a release.
- Direct Signature Required (DSR). Someone at the delivery address has to sign in person. No electronic override, no door tag workaround.
- Adult Signature Required (ASR). The signer must be at least 21 at U.S. addresses and must show government-issued photo ID. Release authorizations do not apply.
Alcohol, hazardous materials, and dangerous goods always require an in-person signature regardless of value. FedEx also automatically applies Direct Signature Required to packages with a declared value of $500 or more, so those shipments cannot be released through a door tag or Delivery Manager.1FedEx. Signature Requirements and Delivery Options
Signing the Back of a FedEx Door Tag
When a driver can’t complete an indirect-signature delivery, they leave a door tag. The back of that tag is the physical release form. There is no separate document to download.
Fill in the tracking number from the front of the tag, your name, and the exact spot where you want the package left: front porch, side door, behind the gate, whatever fits. Sign and date the form. Then tape the completed tag somewhere the driver will see immediately on the next attempt. Eye level on the front door is the standard placement.
A signed door tag authorizes release for the next business day only. If the driver doesn’t come the following day, you may need to repeat the process or switch to an electronic authorization.1FedEx. Signature Requirements and Delivery Options Copy the tracking number carefully; if the driver can’t match what you wrote to a package on the truck, the release won’t happen and you’ll get another tag.
Authorizing Release Through FedEx Delivery Manager
If you’d rather skip paper entirely, FedEx Delivery Manager lets you authorize release electronically through the app or at fedex.com. You’ll need a free FedEx account linked to your delivery address.2FedEx. FedEx Delivery Manager
Once you’re logged in, you can see incoming packages and set preferences before the driver arrives. For an indirect-signature shipment, pick the option to authorize release without anyone present and specify where on the property to leave it. You can also add standing delivery instructions, such as a gate code or which door to use, that apply to every package sent to your address.3FedEx. How to Use Delivery Instructions All instructions are subject to driver discretion based on safety and access at the location.
The electronic route has one clear advantage. You don’t have to be home to tape anything up, and you can set the authorization from your phone as soon as the shipment notification arrives. For direct or adult signature packages, though, Delivery Manager can’t override the in-person requirement, and the release option simply won’t appear.
What Changes Once the Package Is Released
When the driver leaves the package at your designated spot, the handheld scanner records it as delivered and the tracking status updates. FedEx’s responsibility ends there. If the package is stolen from your porch or damaged by weather after that point, FedEx treats the delivery as complete. The authorization you signed or submitted is what shifted that risk to you.
FedEx’s declared-value coverage applies to loss or damage while the package is in FedEx’s possession. The carrier describes declared value as its “maximum liability in connection with the shipment,” covering loss, damage, and delay.4FedEx. FedEx Declared Value and Limits of Liability for Shipments A released package is no longer in FedEx’s possession. If porch theft is a real concern where you live, one of the alternatives below is a better fit than an authorization.
Alternatives When You Can’t Be Home
Authorizing an unattended release isn’t the only way to receive a package when you’re out.
- Hold at a FedEx location. You can redirect an incoming package to a FedEx Office, Walgreens, Dollar General, or other participating spot. On the tracking page, enter the tracking number, select Manage Delivery, then Hold at Location. FedEx holds the package up to seven days before returning it.5FedEx. Hold Your Package at a Secure Location
- Reschedule delivery. Through Delivery Manager you can move the delivery to a day you’ll be home. Rerouting or rescheduling may involve a fee.
- Pick up after a missed attempt. If the driver couldn’t leave the package and it was redirected to a nearby FedEx facility, it’s often available for pickup the same day. Packages not picked up within seven days are returned to the shipper.6FedEx. What Do I Do if I Missed My Delivery?
Hold-at-location requests made before midnight the day before scheduled delivery are typically available the next day. Packages redirected after they’ve already shipped are usually available on the original delivery date, though the transfer occasionally takes extra time.5FedEx. Hold Your Package at a Secure Location
Apartments and Locked Buildings
Release authorizations get harder in buildings with locked lobbies, concierge desks, or no direct path to your unit. A tag left at a main entrance may not survive long enough for you to find it, and drivers aren’t required to call residents or use access codes. FedEx treats building-access logistics as the recipient’s problem.
The steadier approach in a multi-unit building is to set standing delivery instructions through Delivery Manager before a delivery attempt. You can point the driver to a mailroom, a leasing office, or a specific entrance, and add notes that help them find it.3FedEx. How to Use Delivery Instructions Those instructions apply to every package sent to your address, so you only set them once. Whether the driver follows them still depends on safety and access at the building. If yours consistently creates delivery problems, redirecting packages to a nearby FedEx location is usually the least frustrating fix.