Putting Your Mail On Vacation Hold with the US Post Office

Every time I am about to take an extended trip, I stop to consider what to do about our mail. It is included with a checklist of other items related to packing, confirming reservations, and closing up our house as the departure day approaches. With email and paperless (electronic) billing so common, I receive much fewer pieces of snail mail of a critical or timely basis. However with numerous charity requests, catalogs, flyers, and other bulk (junk) mail received almost daily, our family mailbox does fill up in a matter of days.

So here are the options to consider:
> Put the mail on hold at the US Post Office (your local post office branch)
> Let it pile up in the (never quite large enough) mailbox
> Ask a family member or a neighbor (someone you trust) to pick it up regularly

As someone who prefers not to inconvenience others, in the past I have tended to put the mail on hold with the post office which in theory is the most reliable and secure way to go. This is especially true if your mailbox sits in front of your house and does not lock (anyone can drive by and steal your mail), as opposed to an in-the-door mail slot or set of locked mailboxes located inside an apartment building. Unfortunately my experience while living in Pennsylvania (house, townhouse) and California (apartment, condo) has been mixed and therefore I have gone back and forth among these three options to ensure the mail does not overflow the box nor get lost while away enjoying some well deserved vacation time. Twice in the past several years the mail was never held but somehow fit (was shoved) in the mailbox during a 7-10 day trip and at least once the accumulated mail was not delivered as requested upon return (the day after) and I had to go to the post office in person anyway.

Your own experience with mail hold will vary however greatly improve if you know your local mail carrier by name and your local post office is not understaffed as may be the case in many parts of the country. If you have yet to try putting your mail on hold, give it a try during your next vacation and see how it works out.

So you have decided to put your mail on hold for your next (entertaining, relaxing, adventurous, romantic, ...) trip, now comes the easy part. To put your mail on hold at the U.S. Post Office you no longer have to visit the local post office branch in person (and wait in line). Simply visit their website and follow the step-by-step instructions to submit your request online including home address, family member names, begin date, end date, and delivery option. BEST OF ALL THIS SERVICE IS ABSOLUTELY FREE.

As you can see on form shown below (click to view as PDF at the USPS.com website), you are limited in two important ways:

> Mail can be held from 3 to 30 days
> A Hold Mail may be requested up to 14 calendar days in advance

Based on past experience I highly recommend that you put in a mail hold order 1 week in advance since this electronic request must still be handled manually by a postal worker at your local branch. If you forgot and must submit this request at the last minute, I suggest that instead you visit the post office in person (your home branch and not the one closest to work) to complete and hand in the paper version of this form (typically yellow in color).

The most important option is whether to pick up your accumulated mail in person when you return or have the mail carrier deliver it on the stated end date. From my experience the "Ending Date" on the form is the date to resume (normal) mail delivery AND deliver all accumulated mail when option A is checked on the hold mail form. Make sure that you are actually home on this date and not just coming home or heading back to work since the packet of held mail may not fit in your mailbox (the main point for putting it on hold in the first place). Based on whether you have a house or apartment and the general security in the area, you may always opt to pick up the mail in person and avoid having it left on your doorstep or overflowing from an unlocked mailbox on the curb.

From talking with friends and colleagues it seems a large percentage of people go with the easier option and rely on friends, family, or neighbors to pick up their mail while away on vacation. During one period several years ago, I moved several times in a row and didn't always get the know my neighbors well enough to feel comfortable asking for their help. It might also be the case that your family members and good friends do not live close by or they do not pass your home during a typical commute. It all depends on your location and network of friends and family and whether you have built up good relationships with the neighbors. Think ahead who you want to ask this time and ask enough in advance in case that person is also planning to take a trip at the same time.

A day or two before your vacation is set to begin, offer a gentle reminder to the person who agreed to pick up your mail to confirm the details and pass along your contact information. It can be in person if a neighbor or by phone or even email if a family member or friend. Of course if your mailbox has a lock you will have to arrange a time to hand over your mailbox key and possibly a security code or additional key to get into a locked apartment building if applicable. If there is a key exchange, set up a day and time to pick up the key once you return. Even better, make multiple copies of your mailbox key (if the key can be copied) so there is no rush to get the key back and resume normal mail delivery upon returning from your vacation.

Regardless of whether you ask family, friends, or neighbors, always send a postcard or bring back a low-priced souvenir from your trip as a token gift for their effort. Even if you know you will have the opportunity to reciprocate and pick up their mail in the future, a small gift is always appreciated. I find that when flying to a vacation destination the return airport is an excellent place to pick up a souvenir, especially if you have forgotten up until this point. Food items such as chocolate or other sweets go over well since the recipient is not obliged to wear, display, or otherwise store your gift indefinitely if it is of the tacky variety.

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