I own a house and have had a curbside mailbox in the same location for years with no problems. Recently I received a notice that the mail carrier won’t deliver mail to my house in the future until I relocate the mailbox to a different spot on the curb. Can they make me relocate the mailbox?
Yes. The United States Postal Service requires that residential mailboxes comply with specific regulations. The idea is that if the mailboxes are all fairly standard, it will help with the efficiency of delivery and provide more safety for the mail carriers.
The regulations that apply depend on what type of mailbox you have. For example, compliance for a curbside mailbox is different than a wall-mounted mailbox. It sounds like you have a curbside mailbox. Based on USPS standards, your curbside mailbox should be 41-45 inches from the ground or street surface. The mailbox should also be set back 6-8 inches from the front face of the curb or edge of the road. Address numbers must be at least 1 inch tall and clearly readable.
If your curbside mailbox is in compliance with the above regulations, then you should visit with your mail carrier, explain you are in compliance, and try to resolve the issue. Assuming your curbside mailbox is not in compliance, the USPS can require you to relocate the mailbox to comply with the standard regulations in order to receive mail.
This article appears in January 12 • 2024.