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USPS Hold Mail: how to pause delivery while you’re away

Learn how to schedule a USPS Hold Mail request, what it covers at an eligible address and how to receive your mail when the hold ends.

Parcel Insider 4 November 2026 4 min read

Photo: Wikideas1 via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative photograph. Wikimedia resize and display crop. · CC0 1.0

At a glance

Free USPS Hold Mail covers letters and packages for an eligible address.
The hold lasts 3–30 days and applies across the address.
Save the confirmation and choose how to receive your accumulated mail.

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In this article (5)

At a glance
Check the address and dates first
Make the request and save the confirmation
Make a separate plan for other carriers
Sources

In the US, USPS Hold Mail pauses USPS delivery to an eligible address for 3 to 30 days at no charge. It covers letters and packages for everyone at that address. Check the USPS Hold Mail page and service FAQs before making plans for individual packages.

Check the address and dates first

Talk to others who receive mail at the address and agree on the dates. A household hold can be inconvenient if a roommate is waiting for paperwork or an online order. Keep the affected address and dates together when checking the request.

USPS accepts online requests up to 30 days ahead. It lists a 3 a.m. Eastern cutoff on the requested start day, Monday through Saturday. The FAQ describes how postal business days and holidays affect timing. Arrange the hold in advance and rely on the confirmed date if you are leaving near a cutoff or holiday.

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Make the request and save the confirmation

Start on USPS.com and sign in to your account for an online request.
Follow USPS identity verification and check the dates and address before submitting.
Choose how you want the accumulated mail returned. USPS offers delivery or pickup at the local Post Office.
Save the confirmation number so you can refer to the request or change it later.

If online submission is unavailable at your address, the USPS FAQ directs customers to the local Post Office to complete Form 8076. Check that route before assuming an online verification problem will resolve itself while you are away.

Make a separate plan for other carriers

Review your expected deliveries by carrier. For example, if a USPS package and a UPS package are both due while you are away, check the options for each shipment. A USPS address hold covers USPS mail. Our UPS My Choice guide covers the separate UPS process.

If you are trying to redirect one shipment you sent, check our USPS Package Intercept guide for sender options. For general US postal coverage, see the USPS hub.

Sources checked 4 November 2026. Illustrative photograph by Wikideas1 via Wikimedia Commons. The image was resized by Wikimedia and may be cropped for display under CC0 1.0.

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