USPS Restricted Delivery is an add-on service that requires the carrier to hand a mailpiece only to the named addressee or an agent that addressee has authorized, after checking a valid photo ID. It cannot be bought on its own; you add it to Certified Mail, Registered Mail, COD, insurance over $500, Signature Confirmation, or Adult Signature. As of the January 18, 2026 price list, the extra fee runs from $8.40 to $13.70 depending on which base service you pair it with, and that fee sits on top of postage and the base service charge.
What You Actually Buy and What It Costs
Because Restricted Delivery is no longer a standalone extra service, the counter transaction is always a pairing. The restriction itself behaves the same across every combination: delivery goes to the named individual or their authorized agent, and no one else. The pairings available in 2026, with the extra fee for the restricted delivery layer:
- Certified Mail Restricted Delivery, with Priority Mail or First-Class Mail: $13.70. The most common pick for legal notices and contracts.
- Registered Mail Restricted Delivery, with Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, or USPS Ground Advantage: $8.40. Registered Mail is the highest-security tier in the USPS system, with a signed chain of custody from acceptance to delivery.
- COD Restricted Delivery, with Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Parcel Select, Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, or Media Mail: $8.40.
- Insurance Restricted Delivery, available when the item is insured for more than $500: $8.40.
- Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, available only when Signature Confirmation is bought together with COD, Registered Mail, or insurance over $200: $13.35 retail or $12.35 electronic.
- Adult Signature Restricted Delivery, which limits delivery to a named addressee or agent who is at least 21: $10.00.
- Certified Mail Adult Signature Restricted Delivery: $13.70.
Plain First-Class Mail on its own does not support restricted delivery. You have to add one of the base services above first.1USPS. What Domestic Mail Extra Services are Available2United States Postal Service. Notice 123 – Price List3United States Postal Service. DMM 503 Extra and Additional Services
Who Is Allowed to Sign
The addressee does not have to personally take every restricted mailpiece, but the alternatives are narrow and the rules differ by situation.
An Agent You Authorize in Advance
If restricted mail arrives regularly, file PS Form 3801 (Standing Delivery Order) at your local post office. It names one or more agents permanently authorized to sign for your restricted mail until you cancel in writing. You have to specifically check the box for restricted delivery or adult signature restricted delivery; a general mail authorization does not cover restricted items. Your agent still shows a valid photo ID at each delivery, and once the form is on file, you take on responsibility for loss or damage once the mail reaches that agent.4United States Postal Service. Standing Delivery Order – PS Form 3801
A One-Time Agent
Without a standing order, the addressee can use the back of PS Form 3849, the notice left after a failed attempt, to write in an agent’s name and sign the authorization. The agent then picks up the item at the post office and signs there.5Postal Explorer. 508 Recipient Services
Minors and Wards
When restricted mail is addressed to a minor or someone under legal guardianship, USPS can deliver to a parent or guardian, who still has to show acceptable ID.6United States Postal Service. What is Restricted Delivery?
Mail Addressed to Two or More People
Joint addressing is the trap. When a restricted mailpiece names two or more addressees, all of them (or their agents) have to be present at the same time and sign the delivery receipt and any return receipt together. If even one objects, the carrier holds the item until all parties sign a written statement designating who should receive it. In practice, jointly addressed restricted mail usually ends up at the post office rather than the front door.5Postal Explorer. 508 Recipient Services
Businesses, Officials, and Military Addresses
Executives and well-known figures typically already have an agent on file. Government and diplomatic officials can designate someone through their agency’s internal procedures. For mail addressed to a military commander by name and title, delivery goes to the unit mail clerk only if that clerk is listed on DD Form 285 as authorized for restricted deliveries; if the clerk is authorized only for ordinary mail, the commander has to give separate authorization.5Postal Explorer. 508 Recipient Services
What ID the Carrier Will Accept
USPS accepts a wider range of identification than most people expect. Acceptable options include any U.S. state or federal government-issued ID, U.S. or foreign passports, a Matricula Consular, a NEXUS card, a U.S. university or college ID, and a U.S. corporate or employer-issued ID.
For Adult Signature services, the ID has to show a date of birth confirming the person is at least 21. University IDs often lack a birth date and may not qualify for those deliveries.7USPS. Acceptable Forms of Identification If no qualifying person is available when the carrier arrives, the attempt fails and the carrier leaves a notice.
How to Send One
At the counter, tell the clerk you want restricted delivery, or write “Restricted Delivery” on the mailpiece above the delivery address and to the right of the return address.3United States Postal Service. DMM 503 Extra and Additional Services Depending on the combination, you may complete PS Form 3800 for Certified Mail, PS Form 3806 for Registered Mail, and PS Form 3811 (the Return Receipt card) if you want a physical or electronic record of who signed and when. The item has to be presented at the retail counter so the clerk can scan the barcodes and confirm fees. You get a tracking number that follows the mailpiece from acceptance through delivery.8United States Postal Service. Registered Mail – The Basics Once a qualified recipient signs, the tracking status updates with the signer’s name, and any Return Receipt you purchased arrives as a signed card or electronic notification, giving you a paper trail suitable for legal proof of service.
When Nobody’s Home
If the carrier attempts delivery and no one who qualifies is available to sign, PS Form 3849 goes on the door. That notice lets you request carrier redelivery or pick up the item at the post office.9United States Postal Service. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice
Restricted delivery does not work the way a regular package does. You cannot just sign the 3849 and leave it in the mailbox for the carrier; the addressee or authorized agent has to be physically present and sign in person when the carrier comes back. You also cannot send someone else to pick it up at the post office unless you fill out the one-time agent authorization on the back of the form.9United States Postal Service. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice
The post office holds unclaimed restricted delivery items for 15 days before returning them to the sender. Priority Mail Express items are held only 5 days, and COD items for 10. The sender can also specify a shorter holding period on the mailpiece itself.5Postal Explorer. 508 Recipient Services
International Mail Is Not Eligible
Restricted Delivery for international mail was discontinued on January 27, 2013. There is no way to add it to any outbound international mailpiece today. Domestic mail sent to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses is technically eligible because those addresses are treated as domestic, but the delivery environment on a military installation and the mail clerk protocols above will govern who actually receives the item.10Postal Explorer. International Mail Manual – 350 Restricted Delivery
Refund Limits Worth Knowing
If USPS fails to perform the restricted delivery service, you can request a refund of the extra fee, but the window is narrow: no sooner than 30 days and no later than 60 days after the mailing date. The USPS online refund system specifically excludes Certified Mail Restricted Delivery and Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, so refund claims on those two products have to be filed in person at a post office or through USPS customer service.11USPS. Online Refunds for Priority Mail Express and Extra Services