Residential Mailboxes

Yes, residential mailboxes for curbside delivery need to be approved by the USPS. They will have a marking that says “Approved by the Postmaster General”. However, every local post office is different and may have different requirements. You should check with your local post office to be sure.

Here are the USPS Mailbox Height Guidelines for installing residential mailboxes:

• Curbside and roadside mailboxes must be easily accessible to the mail carrier
• By USPS regulatory standards, your mailbox should be 41” to 45” from the ground or street surface and up to the inside floor of the mailbox
• Your mailbox door should be set 6” to 8” back from the front face of the curb or the edge of the road. If you do not have a raised curb remember to contact your local postmaster for proper guidance

These regulations also apply to Post Mounted Mailboxes and Locking Mailboxes. Here are the USPS regulations for Locking Mailboxes:

• Do not rely on USPS carriers to open locked mailboxes as they do not accept mailbox keys
• The slots for the incoming mail must be a minimum of 1.75 inches high by 10 inches wide
• Slots on locking mailboxes must be able to hold the resident’s daily volume of mail
• The slots must be large enough to accommodate any unfolded USPS Priority Envelopes

For more information, visit our United States Postal Service Mailbox Regulations and Specifications page.

According to the U.S. Postal service’s USPS-STD-7C directive, residential mailboxes must accommodate mail 7 inches high by 13 inches wide by 16 inches deep.

Commercial mailboxes are often used for businesses and multifamily housing complexes and accommodate mail for a large number of recipients in one centralized location. Residential mailboxes are generally standard mailboxes that many homes have and typically have a single compartment that accommodates mail for the members of just one household.

Centralized mail delivery is a mail delivery system in which the mail carrier delivers mail for multiple residences at one central location.