Certified Mail

What Certified Mail is

Certified Mail is a USPS add-on service, not a mail class on its own — you pair it with First-Class Mail or Priority Mail to get a mailing receipt as proof you sent something, plus a signature confirming who received it and when. Because it creates a paper trail both the sender and USPS can verify, it's the standard choice for anything with a legal or compliance deadline attached: IRS correspondence, eviction or lease notices, contract terminations, and certified letters from an attorney or debt collector all commonly go out this way.

What happens if no one signs for it

If no one is available to sign when the carrier attempts delivery, USPS doesn't leave the item at the address — Certified Mail always requires an in-person signature, so the carrier leaves a delivery notice (PS Form 3849) instead and holds the actual mailpiece at the local post office named on that slip. From there, the mail stays at that post office for up to 15 calendar days while USPS makes a second delivery attempt; you can either request redelivery for a later date or go pick it up directly with a photo ID that matches the addressee. If the 15-day window passes with no pickup and no redelivery request, USPS marks it unclaimed and mails it back to the sender, who's notified their certified letter came back unsigned rather than simply assuming it was received.

1. 1 Delivery attempted, no signature available. The carrier leaves PS Form 3849 at the address instead of the mail itself.
2. 2 Held at the local post office named on the notice, for up to 15 calendar days.
3. 3 Pick it up or schedule redelivery using the barcode on the notice, any time during the hold.
4. 4 Second delivery attempt is made if it's still unclaimed before the hold ends.
5. 5 Returned to sender as unclaimed if the 15-day hold passes with no pickup or redelivery request.

Cost and how to send it

Certified Mail costs $4.85 as of 2026 (USPS adjusts fees periodically, so confirm the current price at usps.com or with your local post office), added on top of whatever postage class you're mailing it with. You fill out a small green-and-white Certified Mail form (PS Form 3800) at the counter or attach it yourself before mailing, and a retail associate hands you a mailing receipt with a tracking number as proof of mailing. Adding Return Receipt is optional and separate — it gets you a physical or electronic copy of the recipient's actual signature mailed or emailed back to you, rather than just online tracking of delivery.

Tracking and delivery confirmation

The tracking number on your Certified Mail receipt works the same as any USPS Tracking number: enter it at usps.com or the USPS mobile app to see scan history, or text it to 28777 for delivery updates without checking online. What sets Certified Mail apart from ordinary tracked mail is that USPS also keeps an internal record of the delivery attempt and any signature captured, which is why it holds up as legal proof of delivery even when the online tracking history is incomplete or delayed.

Certified Mail vs. Registered Mail

Certified Mail and Registered Mail are often confused but solve different problems. Certified Mail proves you sent something and confirms who signed for it — it's built for speed and a paper trail, not security, and USPS doesn't offer insurance on a Certified Mail item beyond what the base postage class includes. Registered Mail is slower and more expensive, but every handoff between postal employees is logged and the mail is kept in a physical safe at each facility along the way — the right choice for cash, jewelry, or other genuinely valuable and irreplaceable items rather than paperwork.

If you need to send Certified Mail or pick up a held piece in person, use the state and city listings on this site to find your local post office's address and retail hours before you go.