To know if USPS requires a signature for a delivery, enter the tracking number at USPS.com or in the USPS mobile app: the status will spell it out with a label like “Signature Confirmation,” “Certified Mail,” or “Adult Signature Required.” A signature is always required, regardless of what the sender did or didn’t request, for Registered Mail, Certified Mail, any domestic package insured for more than $500, Collect on Delivery shipments, and anything the sender added Signature Confirmation or Adult Signature service to.1USPS. USPS Mail Requiring a Signature – Accountable Mail
Services That Always Require a Signature
USPS calls these “accountable mail.” A carrier cannot leave the item without a signature from you or an authorized agent, and no amount of instruction from the sender changes that.
- Registered Mail. Built for high-value or irreplaceable items, with tracking at every hand-off and insurance coverage up to $50,000. Signature at delivery is part of the service.
- Certified Mail. The standard choice for legal notices, contracts, and tax correspondence. Proof of mailing plus a signature at delivery. Senders can add a Return Receipt (PS Form 3811) for $4.40 in hard copy or $2.82 electronically if they want a copy of the signature.
- Insured Mail over $500. Once the insured value crosses $500, the package becomes accountable mail automatically.
- Collect on Delivery (COD). The carrier collects payment before releasing the package, so a signature is always part of the exchange.
If your tracking page shows any of those service names, plan on being available or arranging for someone else to sign.1USPS. USPS Mail Requiring a Signature – Accountable Mail
The Priority Mail Express Exception
Priority Mail Express is a common source of confusion. Because it’s an expedited, premium service, people assume a signature comes standard. It doesn’t. If the sender doesn’t check the “Signature Required” box, the carrier can leave the package without one.2USPS. What is a Waiver of Signature? What is Signature Required? A signature only becomes mandatory on Priority Mail Express when the sender specifically requests it, or when the shipment involves COD or additional insurance beyond the $100 that comes included.3USPS. Insurance and Extra Services Again, the tracking status is the reliable answer for any specific shipment.
Signature Add-Ons a Sender May Have Attached
Beyond the built-in services, a sender can bolt a signature requirement onto almost any package. When that happens, it shows up on tracking under a specific label. Recognizing the labels tells you what will happen at your door.
Signature Confirmation. The sender paid $3.95 online or $4.95 at the counter to require a signature.3USPS. Insurance and Extra Services Anyone at the delivery address can sign. USPS records the date, time, and signature, and keeps that record available for one year.4USPS. How Do I Know My Mailpiece with Signature Confirmation Was Delivered
Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery. Same idea, but only the specific person named on the label (or their authorized agent) can sign. The carrier checks ID before releasing it. Retail price is $13.35, or $12.35 electronically.5Postal Explorer. Notice 123 – Price List
Adult Signature Required ($9.70). Used for age-restricted shipments such as tobacco under the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act. Any adult at least 21 years old at the delivery address can sign, and the carrier will ask for government-issued photo ID showing date of birth.
Adult Signature Restricted Delivery ($10.00). Only the addressee, who must be 21 or older, can sign. ID is checked for both age and identity.6Federal Register. Adult Signature Services Adult Signature fees are current as of January 2026.5Postal Explorer. Notice 123 – Price List
You cannot see the signature image itself through the online tracking portal. If a sender needs the signature for proof of delivery, USPS will email it on request at no cost.4USPS. How Do I Know My Mailpiece with Signature Confirmation Was Delivered
What the Redelivery Slip Tells You
If you got home to a pink slip instead of a package, that slip is also an answer to the signature question. PS Form 3849, the “We ReDeliver for You!” notice, states what type of mail was attempted and why the carrier couldn’t leave it.7USPS. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice The tracking status will match, typically reading “Delivery Attempt — No Authorized Recipient Available” when a signature was the blocker.
From there you have three options: schedule a redelivery at USPS.com/redelivery or by scanning the QR code on the slip, pick the item up at the Post Office listed on the back of the form, or, if the slip shows “USPS Smart Parcel Locker Eligible,” reroute it to a nearby locker for pickup.8USPS. Schedule a Redelivery Don’t sit on it. Most accountable mail is held for 15 days; Priority Mail Express only 5. After that, it goes back to the sender.9USPS. Hold for Pickup Service
If You Won’t Be Home
Once tracking has told you a signature is required, you have two ways to handle it without being physically present.
USPS Electronic Signature Online (eSOL). If you’re enrolled in Informed Delivery, you can pre-register an electronic signature and apply it to eligible incoming packages: Priority Mail Express, Signature Confirmation items, and insured items over $500. The carrier can then leave the package without anyone home.10USPS. USPS Electronic Signature Online Eligible items show an “Apply” button in Informed Delivery. The catch: the shipper can block it. If the sender’s manifest requires a physical signature at delivery, eSOL won’t be accepted for that package.11Federal Register. New Electronic Signature Option
Authorizing another person. For a one-off, whoever gets the PS Form 3849 can fill it out to let someone else pick the item up at the Post Office. For an ongoing arrangement, PS Form 3801 (Standing Delivery Order), completed at your local Post Office, lets you name people who are authorized to sign for your accountable mail until you cancel it in writing. Your authorized agent has to show valid photo ID each time.12USPS. PS Form 3801 – Standing Delivery Order Two limits worth knowing: a Standing Delivery Order doesn’t cover Restricted Delivery mail unless the Restricted Delivery column is specifically checked for that agent, and mail addressed to two people jointly requires signatures from both addressees or both of their agents.13USPS. What is Restricted Delivery