Hold Mail Service

USPS Hold Mail lets you pause delivery for a set period — anywhere from 3 to 30 days — while you're away, without needing anyone to collect it for you. The service is completely free, and mail piling up during the hold stays secure at your local post office instead of sitting in your mailbox.

You can request a hold online at usps.com up to 30 days in advance, or as late as the day before it should start — new requests need to be submitted by 3 a.m. Eastern time on the day the hold begins. You can also submit the request in person or by phone at your local post office. Online requests require you to create or sign in to a USPS.com account and verify your identity, a one-time step that's already done if you're signed up for Informed Delivery; in-person or phone requests just need your name and address on file.

When the hold ends, USPS either delivers all held mail with your regular carrier on the first day back or, if you asked to pick it up instead, holds it for you at the counter — bring photo ID matching the address on file.

Hold Mail isn't the same as a change of address: it doesn't redirect anything, it simply pauses delivery at your current address for a short trip. If you're moving permanently, or need mail sent somewhere else while you're away, use Change of Address instead — Hold Mail only works for pauses of 30 days or less at the address you already receive mail at.