To pick up a missed USPS package, take the pink slip your carrier left (PS Form 3849) and a valid government-issued photo ID to the post office listed on the notice, usually starting the next business day. If a trip to the post office isn’t practical, you can schedule a free redelivery online, by phone, or by signing the notice and leaving it for your carrier. Most items sit at the post office for 15 days before heading back to the sender, so you have time — but not unlimited time.
What the Notice in Your Mailbox Tells You
When a carrier can’t complete a delivery, they leave a PS Form 3849. That pink slip lists the date and time of the attempt, the reason delivery failed (mailbox too small, parcel locker full, signature required, no safe spot to leave it), and the tracking number you’ll need for anything you do next. It also names the post office holding your item, with its address and hours, and includes spaces on the back to authorize redelivery or designate someone else to pick up for you.1USPS. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice
If the attempt happened on a Sunday, you’ll see a slightly different version, PS Form 3849-SD. It works the same way at the counter, but you can’t use it for the manual redelivery option; schedule online or by phone instead.2USPS. Redelivery – The Basics
Picking Up at the Post Office
Go to the post office named on the notice and bring a valid photo ID that matches the name on the package. USPS accepts a state-issued driver’s license or non-driver ID, a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card, a military ID, or a tribal identification card. Digital or electronic IDs on your phone are not accepted.3USPS. Acceptable Forms of Identification
Bring the PS Form 3849 if you have it. It isn’t strictly required; the counter can look up your item using your photo ID.4USPS. Picking Up Mail that is Being Held at Your Post Office
When Your ID Address Doesn’t Match the Package
If you recently moved or your ID lists a different address than the package, bring a secondary document proving you live at the delivery address. USPS accepts a current lease or mortgage document, a voter or vehicle registration card, or a home or vehicle insurance policy. Like primary IDs, these have to be physical documents, not digital copies.5USPS. Acceptable Forms of Identification – Section: Acceptable Secondary Forms of Identification
If You Lost the Pink Slip
Losing the notice doesn’t mean losing the package. Go to the post office with a valid photo ID and ask the clerk to look it up. A tracking number from your shipping confirmation email or the sender speeds things up, and if you have that number, you can also skip the trip and schedule a redelivery at tools.usps.com/redelivery.4USPS. Picking Up Mail that is Being Held at Your Post Office
Sending Someone Else to Pick It Up
You have two ways to authorize another person, depending on whether this is a one-time favor or an ongoing arrangement.
One-Time Authorization
For a single pickup, flip the PS Form 3849 over and follow the instructions on the back. Print the name of the person you’re sending, then sign the form as the addressee. A separate signed note giving that named person permission to pick up your mail works too. Either way, the person you send needs the completed form or note plus their own valid photo ID.6USPS. Authorizing Someone to Accept Your Redelivery
Ongoing Authorization With PS Form 3801
If a caregiver, assistant, or household member regularly handles your mail, file PS Form 3801, a Standing Delivery Order, at your local post office. It authorizes named agents to receive all your mail, including items that require signatures such as Certified Mail, insured packages, and Registered Mail. The authorization stays in effect until you cancel it in writing, and you’re responsible for loss or damage once the mail is handed to your agent. On the agent’s first pickup, the post office verifies their photo ID and notes it on the form.7About USPS Home. PS Form 3801 – Standing Delivery Order
Scheduling a Free Redelivery Instead
If picking up in person isn’t convenient, the carrier will try again at no charge. Three ways to request it:
- Online: Go to tools.usps.com/redelivery and enter the tracking number or barcode from your notice.
- By phone: Call 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777). Automated scheduling is available around the clock.
- Through your carrier: Sign the back of PS Form 3849, mark where you’d like the package left, and place the form in your mailbox.
For same-day redelivery, submit your request before 2:00 a.m. CST Monday through Saturday. Requests after that cutoff go to the next delivery day.8USPS. Schedule a Redelivery
If a signature was required on the original attempt, you’ll still need to be home to sign when the carrier returns. For items that don’t need a signature, you can authorize the carrier to leave the package in a specific spot — porch, side door, garage — by checking the appropriate box on the form.2USPS. Redelivery – The Basics
Redelivery Only Goes to the Original Address
USPS will redeliver only to the address printed on the package. Enter a different address online and the system rejects it. To get the package somewhere else, either pick it up in person or use Package Intercept.2USPS. Redelivery – The Basics
Redirecting With Package Intercept
USPS Package Intercept can reroute an eligible package back to the sender or to a different post office for pickup. The service costs $19.45 per package, and if the original label wasn’t Priority Mail, you’ll also owe Priority Mail postage, because intercepted items travel that way. The fee applies only if the intercept succeeds, and it’s non-refundable once charged. Submit a request at usps.com/manage/package-intercept.9USPS. USPS Package Intercept
When the Package Needs Special Handling
Some mail services carry extra requirements that change what happens at pickup or on redelivery. Knowing which type you’re dealing with saves a wasted trip.
Signature Confirmation and Certified Mail
Signature Confirmation requires someone at the delivery address to sign before the carrier hands over the package. The sender gets a record of who signed, plus the date, time, and location of delivery.10USPS FAQ. What is Signature Confirmation Certified Mail works similarly, with the sender receiving proof of both mailing and delivery. Miss either type and you can pick it up at the post office with your ID or schedule a redelivery, but you’ll still have to sign in person.
Restricted Delivery
Restricted Delivery goes a step further than Certified Mail. Only the specific person named on the mailpiece, or their authorized agent under a standing delivery order, can sign for it. A roommate with your ID won’t do. This service is common for legal documents and sensitive government correspondence.
Adult Signature Required
Some shipments, often containing age-restricted items like alcohol or tobacco, require the recipient to be at least 21. The carrier or clerk will check a photo ID to verify age before releasing the package. Adult Signature Restricted Delivery is stricter still: only the addressee, aged 21 or older, can sign, and they must present a government-issued photo ID.11USPS. Adult Signature Required and Adult Signature Restricted Delivery Services
If Money Is Owed on the Package
Sometimes the reason for the notice isn’t just a missed attempt. USPS holds certain packages until fees are paid.
Postage-due mail arrives when the sender didn’t pay enough. The amount owed is noted on the delivery notice, and payment is typically made in cash at delivery or pickup.12Postal Explorer. 604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds
International packages may also carry customs duties and a processing fee assessed by Customs and Border Protection. The amount appears on a CBP Form 3419ALT attached to the package in an orange envelope. Pay the full amount before the carrier releases the item or before a clerk lets you open it at the counter. You’ll get a stamped receipt copy of the customs form as proof of payment.13pe.usps.com. International Mail Manual – Chapter 7 Treatment of Inbound Mail
How Long You Have Before It Goes Back
The clock starts on the first delivery attempt, and different mail types have different deadlines:
- Most accountable mail (Certified, Registered, insured items, Signature Confirmation): held 15 days.
- Priority Mail Express: held 5 days.
- COD (Collect on Delivery): held 10 days.
A sender can specify a shorter holding period on the mailpiece, but not a longer one. The notice usually shows the last date you can pick up. Once the holding period expires without a pickup or redelivery request, the item goes back to the sender.14Postal Explorer. 508 Recipient Services
If the Package Never Turns Up
If the holding period passes and you never got the package, or tracking shows it was delivered but nothing arrived, file a missing mail search request at MissingMail.USPS.com. USPS accepts search requests between 7 and 365 days after the original mailing date. Sooner is better. You’ll provide the sender’s and recipient’s addresses, the mailing date, and a detailed description of the contents including size, color, and brand names. The tracking number isn’t required but significantly helps narrow the search. Registered Mail and Parcel Select each require a 14-day wait before you can file.15USPS. Missing Mail – The Basics