How to Send Registered Mail: Forms, Fees, and Proof of Delivery

To send registered mail, package your item in plain paper or cardboard sealed with ink-absorbent tape, fill out PS Form 3806 with your declared value, and hand it to a clerk at a Post Office retail counter. You cannot drop it in a collection box or leave it for your letter carrier. Domestic fees start at $19.70 on top of regular postage and rise with the value you declare, up to a $50,000 insurance ceiling.¹²

Registered mail is an add-on, not a mail class of its own. You pair it with First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, or USPS Ground Advantage (retail or commercial), and the item travels at that class’s normal speed. Plan for it to take longer than usual, though. Because every piece is segregated from ordinary mail, locked in secure storage at each transfer point, and signed for by every postal employee who touches it, registered mail moves slowly. USPS itself says the service is not recommended when speed matters.¹

Package and Seal It Correctly

This is where first-timers get turned away. Every registered mailpiece is postmarked across its seams so any tampering shows, and the packaging has to accept that postmark. A clerk who spots a non-compliant wrapper will refuse the item at the counter.

Skip plastic envelopes, plastic mailers, and any envelope made of glossy-coated paper. Use a plain paper envelope for documents, or a standard corrugated cardboard box for packages. For the seal, use water-activated paper tape (the kraft kind) or cloth tape. Clear plastic packing tape and glossy tape will be rejected because they don’t absorb postmark ink. The tape also has to visibly damage the wrapper if someone tries to peel it off. Seal every flap and seam. If you’re sending currency or securities, glue the container closed first, then apply tape strips over the glued seams.

Address the front with the recipient’s full name and complete address, and put your name and return address in the upper left. Legibility matters here because everyone in the chain of custody has to read it.

Fill Out PS Form 3806

PS Form 3806 is required for every registered mailpiece. You can grab one at the counter or download and fill it in ahead of time from the USPS site. It asks for your name and address, the recipient’s name and address, and the declared value of the contents.³

Declare the full value. If the item is lost or damaged, USPS pays based on what you declared, not what it was actually worth, so understating to save on fees will cost you at claim time.¹ If the contents have no monetary value (a court filing where you only need proof of mailing, for example), you can declare $0.00, but that means no insurance coverage.⁴

After the clerk processes your item, keep your copy of PS Form 3806. It’s your official proof of mailing, it carries your tracking number, and you’ll need it to file any claim.³

Add a Return Receipt If You Need Signed Proof of Delivery

If you want the recipient’s signature back, add PS Form 3811, the green return receipt card. Fill in the sender and recipient sections and attach it to the mailpiece. After delivery, the signed card comes back to you with the recipient’s signature, delivery date, and actual delivery address.⁵ An electronic version delivers the same information by email for less. In 2026 the paper card costs $4.40 and the electronic version $2.82.²

If you need to make sure only the addressee (or their authorized agent) can sign, add restricted delivery for $8.40.⁶

Take It to the Counter and Pay

Bring the sealed item and your form to a Post Office retail counter. The clerk checks the packaging, verifies the form, applies Label 200 (the red barcoded registered mail label), postmarks across the seams, and assigns your tracking number. You pay postage for your chosen mail class plus the registered mail fee.

2026 Fees by Declared Value

Registered mail fees stack on top of regular postage and scale with declared value:²

$0.00 declared (no insurance): $19.70
$0.01 to $100.00: $20.40
$100.01 to $500.00: $23.50
$500.01 to $1,000.00: $26.40
$1,000.01 to $2,000.00: $29.30
$2,000.01 to $5,000.00: up to $38.00 (rising in $2.90 steps)
$5,000.01 to $50,000.00: $38.00 plus $2.90 per additional $1,000 or fraction
Over $50,000.00: $168.50, but insurance still caps at $50,000

You can register an item worth more than $50,000, but you’re paying the higher fee for the security handling only. The maximum insurance payout is $50,000 no matter what you declare.⁴ A common example: a First-Class letter with $500 declared value and a paper return receipt runs about $29 to $30 all in, depending on weight.

Tracking and Delivery Proof

Registered mail tracking is different from what Priority Mail users expect. You’ll see an acceptance scan and, eventually, a delivery or attempted-delivery scan. The middle is blank. USPS does not post in-transit scans for registered items.¹ The trade-off is that the internal paper chain of custody, with signatures at every handoff, is more rigorous than any barcode.

Enter the tracking number from your PS Form 3806 at usps.com or in the USPS app to check status. If you paid for a return receipt, watch your mailbox for the signed green card after delivery.⁵

If the Item Is Lost or Damaged

You can file an indemnity claim for the declared value, but the windows are strict.⁷

Lost items: file no sooner than 15 days and no later than 60 days from the mailing date.
Damaged items or missing contents: file right away, and no later than 60 days from the mailing date.
APO, FPO, or DPO addresses: file no sooner than 45 days and no later than one year from the mailing date.

The fastest route is online through your USPS.com account, though you can also file by mail.⁸ Getting paid takes three things: your original PS Form 3806 receipt, proof of value (a purchase receipt, credit card statement, or dealer appraisal), and, for damage claims, the original packaging with all contents and wrapping intact. USPS may ask you to bring the damaged item to a Post Office for inspection, and failing to produce it will result in denial.⁹ For a total loss, USPS reimburses the declared value plus the postage you paid, but not the registration fee itself.

When Certified Mail Is the Right Choice Instead

Registered mail is overkill for many legal notices. Certified mail costs $5.30 per item as of January 2026 and gives you a mailing receipt, a tracking number, and, with a return receipt added, proof of delivery. That’s usually enough for demand letters, contract cancellations, and other notices where you just need to prove something was received by a certain date. Save registered mail for items with real monetary value (jewelry, original legal documents, stock certificates, currency) or when you need the strongest possible chain-of-custody proof.¹²

International Registered Mail Works Differently

USPS offers registered service to many countries, but the protections change once the item leaves the U.S. mailstream. Inside the country it gets the same locked handling. After that, the destination postal service takes over under its own rules.¹⁰

Before you mail internationally, know what you’re not getting: no in-transit tracking, no required recipient signature abroad, no guaranteed delivery date, and an indemnity limit of just $40.20 as of January 2026 — nowhere near the $50,000 domestic cap.¹⁰ Availability varies by country. Check the USPS Individual Country Listings in the International Mail Manual or the online Postage Price Calculator to confirm the service reaches your recipient and to see any country-specific restrictions.

1
USPS. Registered Mail – The Basics
2
Postal Explorer. Domestic Extra Services and Fees – January 2026 Price Change
3
United States Postal Service. PS Form 3806, Registered Mail Receipt
4
USPS. Registered Mail Insurance and Limits
5
USPS. Return Receipt – The Basics
6
Postal Explorer. Notice 123 – Price List
7
Postal Explorer. Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
8
USPS. File a USPS Claim – Domestic
9
United States Postal Service. Domestic Claims – Customer Reference Guide
10
USPS. Registered Mail International