USPS requires a signature at delivery for a defined group of “accountable” mail: Registered Mail, Priority Mail Express, Certified Mail, Collect on Delivery, any package insured for more than $500, and any item the sender has added Signature Confirmation or Adult Signature to. Foreign-origin mail carrying extra services also comes in as accountable. So the short answer to what USPS packages require a signature is: the accountable ones, plus anything a sender has specifically upgraded with a signature service.1USPS. USPS Mail Requiring a Signature – Accountable Mail
Services That Always Require a Signature
Five common mail types come with a signature requirement built in. A carrier will not leave them at the door.
Registered Mail is the most secure service USPS offers. Items travel under lock and key, the carrier collects a signature at delivery, and insurance covers the declared value up to $50,000. Commercial customers shipping more than $500 in cash are required to use Registered Mail.2USPS. Registered Mail – The Basics
Priority Mail Express includes a signature requirement by default. It is the one accountable service where the sender can waive that requirement at the time of mailing.3USPS. What is a Waiver of Signature? What is Signature Required?
Certified Mail captures a signature at delivery and generates an electronic delivery record. If you want a copy of the signature returned to you, add a Return Receipt (PS Form 3811) when you mail it.1USPS. USPS Mail Requiring a Signature – Accountable Mail
Insured Mail over $500. Packages insured for $500 or less can be left without a signature. Once the declared insured value crosses $500, the item becomes accountable and a signature is required.4Postal Explorer. 500 Additional Mailing Services
Collect on Delivery (COD). The carrier has to collect payment from the recipient at the door, so an in-person handoff is unavoidable. The maximum amount that can be collected is $1,000.5USPS Domestic Mail Manual. Domestic Mail Manual S921 Collect on Delivery (COD) Mail
Signature Services a Sender Can Add
Most other domestic package classes can be upgraded with a signature service. If your package is arriving with one of these attached, it becomes signature-required even though the underlying class (like Priority Mail or Ground Advantage) normally isn’t.
Signature Confirmation
Signature Confirmation forces the carrier to get a signature before releasing the package. Afterward, the sender or recipient can pull up the recipient’s name, signature, and the date, time, and location of delivery through USPS Tracking. It must be purchased when the item is mailed and can be added to Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Parcel Select, and Package Services such as Media Mail and Library Mail.6USPS. What is Signature Confirmation?7USPS. How is Signature Confirmation and Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery Used
Adult Signature Required
Adult Signature Required limits delivery to someone at least 21 years old. The carrier checks a government-issued photo ID showing the recipient’s age or date of birth before handing the package over. Any adult at the address who meets the age threshold can sign. This is the service typically used for age-restricted shipments such as tobacco.8USPS. Adult Signature Required and Adult Signature Restricted Delivery Services
Adult Signature Restricted Delivery adds a second condition: the carrier will only deliver to the specific person named on the label (or their authorized agent), and that person still has to show ID proving they’re 21 or older.
Restricted Delivery
Restricted Delivery limits delivery to the addressee named on the mailpiece or someone the addressee has authorized in writing. It is not sold on its own; it has to be combined with another extra service like Certified Mail, Registered Mail, or COD. People use it when the identity of the person receiving the mail matters legally, such as when serving legal notices.9USPS. What is Restricted Delivery?
Waiving the Signature on Priority Mail Express
Priority Mail Express is the only accountable service where the sender can opt out of the signature. To do it, the sender checks the “Waiver of Signature” box on Label 11-F when the item is mailed. That choice is locked in once the package enters the mail stream, and no one can change it in transit.3USPS. What is a Waiver of Signature? What is Signature Required?
The waiver isn’t always available. It cannot be applied if the package carries additional insurance, if it’s a Priority Mail Express COD shipment, or if it uses COD Restricted Delivery. When a waiver is in effect, the carrier can leave the package at the address without collecting a signature, and the sender accepts the risk of that unattended delivery.
What Happens If No One Is Home to Sign
When a signature is required and no one answers the door, the carrier leaves a PS Form 3849 (Redelivery Notice) and takes the package back to your local post office.10USPS. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice You have a few ways to get it.
Schedule a Redelivery
Schedule redelivery at usps.com/redelivery or by following the instructions on the notice. For accountable mail, someone has to be present to sign when the carrier tries again. Signing the back of the PS Form 3849 and leaving it out for the carrier does not satisfy the signature requirement for accountable items.11USPS. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice
Pick It Up at the Post Office
You can go to the post office listed on the notice and pick up the package yourself. Bring the PS Form 3849 and a valid government-issued photo ID. Acceptable primary IDs include a state driver’s license or ID card, a U.S. or foreign passport, a Matricula Consular card, or a Nexus card.12USPS Employee News. USPS Clarifies Acceptable Identification Forms Packages are typically held for about 15 days before USPS returns them to the sender.
Send Someone Else
If you can’t go, you can designate a pickup agent by filling out the appropriate section on the PS Form 3849 with the person’s name and your signature. They’ll bring the form and their own photo ID. This option is not available for Registered Mail or items with Restricted Delivery.11USPS. PS Form 3849 Redelivery Notice
Sign Electronically Before Delivery
USPS Electronic Signature Online (eSOL) lets you authorize delivery without being home. You need an Informed Delivery account at informeddelivery.usps.com, and you have to opt in through your account preferences. Once eligible packages appear on your dashboard, select “Apply your USPS Electronic Signature Online” for each item. The carrier can then leave the package without a physical signature at the door.13USPS. USPS Electronic Signature Online
Timing matters. eSOL has to be applied before the item gets an “Out for Delivery” scan; once the package is on the truck, the option disappears. If a delivery attempt has already failed and you’re scheduling a redelivery, apply eSOL before you submit the redelivery request.
Authorize a Standing Agent
If someone else regularly needs to accept your signature-required mail, use PS Form 3801 (Standing Delivery Order). Fill it out at your local post office and list the agent along with the types of restricted mail they can receive. The authorization covers Certified Mail, Insured Mail, COD, Priority Mail Express, Signature Confirmation items, and unrestricted Registered Mail, and it stays in effect until you cancel it in writing.14USPS. PS Form 3801 – Standing Delivery Order Your agent still shows a valid government or employer-issued photo ID each time.
One point that catches people out: even a household member with your last name and address needs either a Standing Delivery Order or a PS Form 3849 designation to sign for your accountable mail.1USPS. USPS Mail Requiring a Signature – Accountable Mail
International Mail Works Differently
Signature rules for international shipments don’t mirror the domestic ones. International Registered Mail provides a delivery record at the destination country’s postal office, but a recipient signature is not guaranteed everywhere. When Registered Mail arrives in the United States from abroad, the recipient does have to sign.15USPS. Registered Mail International
International Registered Mail is only available with First-Class Mail International and First-Class Package International Service. It cannot be added to Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International. Return Receipts on international Registered Mail are limited to certain countries, so check the USPS International Mail Manual or the online Postage Price Calculator before assuming you’ll get proof of delivery on an outbound shipment.