Mailers often face various dilemmas, especially during busy times like the holidays. One of the most common questions mailers is this, “Is the post office open today?” Whether you’re sending a mail or package, it’s important to know the operating hours of your local post office. This is for you to determine your other options for important documents or items you want to send.
Learn more about this mailer’s dilemma and the ways to best address them.
Regular Post Office Schedule
The United States Postal Service (USPS) works round-the-clock to handle the logistical side of things. Hence, mail delivery goes out from Mondays through Saturdays every week across the country. You can check if post offices are open today by checking their website and other reputable online sources.
Here are the essential things mailers need to know about USPS regular schedule:
- Business Hours: USPS can accommodate customers from Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM or 6 PM local time. Some municipalities with post offices open on Saturdays operate between 8 AM and 3 PM. Other areas keep normal business hours consistent from Monday to Saturday.
- Mail Sorting And Delivery: Mail sorting and delivery are done a little later even if the opening hours fall between 7 AM to 8 AM. If you have a Post Office (PO) Box, you shouldn’t expect mail to be in your box until about 10 AM.
- Mail Delivery Time: The delivery time of the day of mails for specific addresses is unique as different factors affect the delivery time. Mailers can expect consistent mail delivery times from Mondays through Saturdays. Some USPS offices deliver mails on Sunday for special events or in extreme circumstances. If you want to know what time does the mail arrives, check the tracking information on previous parcels or packages you sent via the USPS.
Christmas Eve And Christmas Day Post Office Schedules
Are you rushing to send a mail or package to the post office? You’re probably worried that the mail won’t be received by the recipient as you expected because of the holiday season.
In every Post Office location, mailers can check the Christmas hours or schedule. Some locations have extended hours that lead up to the holiday. Other post offices have limited hours during Christmas Eve or December 24.
Here are the important things you need to know about the USPS Christmas Eve schedule:
- How To Check Schedule: You can check if post offices are open today by finding locations through the USPS website. Enter your ZIP Code in your area to check the Christmas schedule. Business customers can check with their Bulk Mail Entry Unit for the holiday’s hours of operation.
- USPS Blue Collection Drop Boxes: Mails will be picked up by USPS from blue collection boxes during Christmas Eve. You can drop your mail or package in the collection box before noon on December 24. Remember that even if the final mail collection time is later, as posted in the drop boxes, mails may be picked up earlier. So, if you need your mail picked up later, you should visit your local Post Office.
- Regular Mail Delivery: All mails will be delivered on Christmas Eve or December 24 as usual.
- Christmas Day Schedule: All Post Office locations are closed during Christmas Day. Priority Mail Express mails will be delivered during Christmas Day but not regular mails. All Post Office locations resume regular mail delivery on the next regular workday.
New Year’s Eve And New Year’s Day Schedules
Are you trying to send out gifts or Christmas cards to loved ones who are miles away? Post Office locations nationwide are usually open on New Year’s Eve or December 31. Because January 1 is a Postal holiday, all Post Office sites are closed on New Year’s Day.
Here are the important things you need to know about the USPS New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day schedule:
- How To Check Schedule: You can check if post offices are open today by finding locations through the USPS website. Enter your ZIP Code in your area to check the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day schedule. Business customers can check with their Bulk Mail Entry Unit for the holiday’s hours of operation.
- USPS Blue Collection Drop Boxes: Mails will be picked up by USPS from blue collection boxes during New Year’s Eve or December 31. You can drop your mail or package in the collection box before 12 PM or noon on December 31. Remember that even if the final mail collection time is later as posted in the drop boxes, mails may be picked up earlier. So, if you need your mail picked up later, you should visit your local Post Office.
- Regular Mail Delivery: All mails will be delivered on New Year’s Eve or December 31 as usual.
- New Year’s Day Schedule: All Post Office locations are closed during New Year’s Day. Priority Mail Express mails will be delivered during New Year’s Day but not regular mails. All Post Office locations resume regular mail delivery on the next regular workday.
Additional Post Office Information Mailers Need To Know
Christmas Day deliveries are made in limited locations and there’s an extra fee to be assessed. For Priority Mail Express shipments between December 22 to December 25, the money-back guarantee applies. The same could be true if the shipment wasn’t delivered or no delivery attempt was made within two business days. The same rules apply to New Year’s Day deliveries.
If you need to mail in important documents but the post office is closed, you can scan and upload them online and send them via Certified Mail service. This mail-in option applies to bank documents, legal documents, and other important documents. With Certified Mail service, you could have peace of mind knowing the document won’t be lost because. This is because the postman won’t leave it on the doorstep if there’s nobody to receive and sign it at the delivery address.
Conclusion
Mailers usually have questions about their local post office’s availability during holidays. Knowing the hours of operations of USPS offices in your area can help you plan the best option to send mails. With the different mailing schedules and options presented above, you’ll be more confident in managing mails the next time around.
