Certified mail guide
How USPS Certified Mail Works: Receipts, Tracking, and Return Receipts
Certified Mail gives a sender a mailing receipt and a way to check delivery or delivery attempts. An optional Return Receipt provides a copy of delivery details, including a signature.
What Certified Mail documents
USPS Certified Mail provides a mailing receipt and a unique number for the mailpiece. USPS also makes electronic verification of delivery or an attempted delivery available. These records help you follow an important letter after it enters the mail stream. Certified Mail does not promise a particular delivery date or guarantee that the recipient will accept the letter.
How to send a certified letter
Prepare the letter and check the recipient and return addresses carefully. Choose Certified Mail when you mail it, either through a Post Office or a service that supports Certified Mail. Keep the mailing receipt and tracking number after the letter is accepted. If you want a Return Receipt, choose that extra service at the time of mailing; it is a separate option from basic Certified Mail.
Mailing receipt, tracking, and Return Receipt
The mailing receipt documents that the item was mailed. The tracking number lets you look up delivery progress and attempted delivery through USPS Tracking. A Return Receipt is an optional record of delivery that includes the delivery date and the signature of the recipient or an authorized agent. Depending on the option selected, USPS provides it as a paper card or an electronic record after delivery.
How to check delivery
Enter the Certified Mail tracking number in USPS Tracking to see the latest available scans. A delivery attempt is different from a completed delivery, so read the status carefully. Tracking updates can take time to appear. If a Return Receipt was purchased, allow time after delivery for the signed record to become available through the method associated with that option.
What records to keep
Keep a copy of the letter you sent, the recipient address, the mailing receipt, the tracking number, and any Return Receipt you requested. Those items document different parts of the process: the contents you prepared, the mailing, and the reported delivery outcome. Requirements for a particular notice or deadline depend on the situation, so check the applicable rules or ask a qualified professional when those requirements matter.
Sending through LetterBeacon
LetterBeacon lets you upload a PDF, enter mailing addresses, choose whether to request a Return Receipt, and review the total before paying. After submitting an order, use My Mailings to check its payment and mailing status. The order confirmation is not itself proof that USPS delivered the letter; watch for the tracking information and any requested Return Receipt.