USPS Collection Boxes (Blue Box)

The United States Postal Service (USPS) Collection Boxes, which have over 153,000 sites nationally, can be a very handy way to send letters and packages. However, before you send, make sure to familiarise yourself with the USPS Collection Box laws and regulations to guarantee that your product arrives safely.

What is a USPS Collection Box?

Customers can deposit mail in USPS Collection Boxes, which are postal receptacles. There are dozens of various types of USPS Collection Boxes, ranging from freestanding devices to post-mounted units, chutes, and wall drops. The basic USPS Blue Box, a freestanding blue metal box with a prominent rounded top and pivoting mail drawer, is the most prevalent USPS Collection Box.

USPS Collection Box Pick-up Times

USPS Collection Box pick-up times vary from box to box. Pick-up times are based on several factors, including the number of boxes in the area, the box’s location, mailing patterns, and the volume of mail generated.

The pick-up times for a specific USPS Collection Box will be posted on the label of the Collection Box. Many collection box labels will also have a QR code, which, if scanned with your mobile device, will give additional information regarding holiday hours, contact information, and additional FAQs.

Finding a USPS Collection Box Near Me 

USPS collection boxes can be located at Post Offices, in buildings, on street corners, and in parking lots across the country. Check out the following links to discover a collection box near you:

• USPS Collection Box Locator
• Mailbox Locate

What Can Be Deposited in a Collection Box?

The 14-inch mail hole on standard USPS Blue Collection Boxes makes them perfect for letters and small items. Most items weighing less than 10 ounces (0.625 pounds) and measuring less than 12 inches in thickness, given sufficient postage, are accepted by the USPS.

USPS Collection Boxes RESTRICT the following items:

• Stamped domestic mail weighing more than 10 ounces or measuring more than 12 inches in thickness (including Priority Mail Express).
• Domestic mail weighing more than 10 ounces and measuring more than 12 inches in thickness can be sent by USPS Collection Box if it is accompanied by a mailing label with the appropriate postage.
• Any foreign mail that has not been completed and filed online with a customs declaration.
• Any international mail with postage stamps instead of a shipping label that requires a customs declaration.
• International mail weighing more than 10 ounces or measuring more than 12 inches in thickness.
• Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) mail weighing more than 10 ounces or more than 12 inch in thickness and bearing solely postage stamps as postage.

If a package is delivered to a USPS Collection Box that is deemed inappropriate, the parcel will be returned to the sender.