About how tall is a street delivery mailbox

Mailbox manufacturers must meet all applicable Postal Service mailbox standards. An alternate to curbside mailboxes is mail delivery using a Door Slot on the front door of a house. The following construction standards apply for a Door Slot:. Apartment house mail receptacles must be approved by the USPS. When apartment buildings are substantially renovated or remodeled to provide additional apartments, or a material change is made in the location of boxes, obsolete receptacles must be replaced by currently approved receptacles.

Mail receptacles or door slots are not required at businesses and offices that are open and have someone on hand to receive the mail when the carrier calls. Go to USPS. Sign In. Wall Mounted Mailboxes. Column Mailboxes.

Locking Mailboxes. Mailbox Posts. Rural Mailboxes. Roadside Mailboxes. Townhouse Mailboxes. Mail Houses. Newspaper Holders. Shop All Post Mounted Mailboxes. Traditional Mailboxes. Stainless Steel Mailboxes. Antique Brass Mailboxes.

Victorian Mailboxes. Shop All Wall Mounted Mailboxes. Cast Aluminum Mailboxes - Locking. Cast Aluminum Mailboxes - Non-Locking. Antique Brass. Shop All Column Mailboxes. Shop All Locking Mailboxes. What can be done? Hi Terry, thanks for your inquiry. If there is a real safety concern, they are obviously more likely to take your request more seriously than if is just an aesthetic request.

Am I allowed to move my mail box to the other side of my driveway? Instead of on the right going out, move it to the left side. Something like this should usually be no problem, as long as the mailbox stays on the same side of the road. However, just to be sure you should double check with your carrier or local post office.

I have lived at the same residence for 18 years, which is several blocks from the post office. I have always had to pay for a mailbox at the post office, because they said they could not deliver to my street address; not on their route. I did some research and found that if they did not deliver, they could not charge me a fee for the PO Box. Two years ago, the then Post Master stopped charging me for the box, wrote a letter stating why.

Now, the new PM told me that I can install a box 2 blocks from my house. Is this legal?? He tore it down and said if we put it back up he will take it down again.

The mailbox has been in the same place since the beginning, 70 years. What recourse do we have? Hi Edith, thanks for reaching out to us. Tampering with a USPS approved mailbox is a federal crime. This is a law passed to protect the USPS delivery system, as well as citizens from mail theft, etc. However… realistically, it is likely not worth your time pursuing any legal action.

In the instance a drunk drive runs is to a mailbox and is injured a home owner was not legally authorized to make any decisions concerning the installation of a mailbox, The federal government assumed exclusive jurisdiction over the mail box installation and therefore should be held liable for any injury suffered by a reckless driver bicyclist, and delinquent teenager.

Hi Brad. Apparently in america the general populous will acquiesce to just about anything. Systems which restrict a god given right are sold back to us as a license. Citizens not only abide by nonsensical rules and laws, but they emanate them. During an auto accident: the legal theory of negligence. Under this theory, a driver must operate his or her vehicle with reasonable care given the circumstances.

A driver who fails to drive with due care is negligent and can be held liable for any injuries that result. However: Mailboxes are considered federal property, and federal law Title 18, United States Code, Section , makes it a crime to vandalize them or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them. Government agencies enjoy certain protections not available to private citizens. So in essence: every one else is responsible except the government who mandated that you place the mailbox in the high risk zone near the road.

I live on a busy hwy. I have a autistic 5 yo that enjoys checking the mail, a love he gained when we lived on a less busy road, but its not safe for him to do so now. We asked post master to move it closer to the drive. He replied with no and said I could call with questions but never answers the phone number provided. It is a straight away.

The closest hill, drop down is actually closer to where boxes currently are. Are their any other options? Box on the house? Anything would help. Thank you. But would a small bridge over the ditch help to access the mailbox? We are selling our hoe and have been asked by our carrier to remove our mailbox when we leave. The new buyer will then get their mail at a cluster box several blocks away. However it is my understanding mailboxes in residential neighborhoods are grandfathered in.

Should we just leave the mail box for the new buyers? That would be interesting to see cause most people that hit mailboxes are intoxicated.

Hi Connie, thank you for your comment. Can you use big spring to hold up the mailbox? That way it could flex if someone ran into it then pop back up when they do the run part of hit and run: Also, I saw a 20 pound mailbox at Home Depot that shows a baseball bat shattering, I would think that was dangerous to an errant driver? Hi Ben, thanks for your comment. Yes, they have breakaway posts and also even rotating posts available for mounting mailboxes on.

These are common in areas where the roads need to be plowed in the winter because the plows so frequently damage the mailboxes without the breakaway feature.

Your local or state jurisdiction may require breakaway style posts, or even have certain limitations on the depth of installation to prevent major accidents, however this is less of a concern if you live on rural streets with lower speed limits. My current mail box is around the corner on a mail road. I want to move it to I front of my home. My street is a gravel road which is state maintained. Does the USPS have the right to deny me?

Decades ago our mailbox was 3 streets away from us. Eventually we got it moved up a street closer, then moved it two other times. Our mailbox has to be hung on a tree over a ditch. We live in the country and have had our mailbox hit many times from plows. Buy New York state law are we allowed to suspend our mailbox by a chain to reduce the chance of having our mailbox hit? Is it illegal for a person to leave something in your rural mail box that is not post marked by the.

I learned this from being a travel agent and needing to have airline tickets delivered to various clients. Call your local Postmaster and ask.

That way there is no doubt. Hope this helps! Steel or aluminum pipes with a 2-inch diameter are also acceptable.

If a member of my immediate family gets mad at me and tries to punish me by putting a padlock on the mailbox, in an attempt to prevent me from accessing my mail, could this be illegal? I have a mailbox up on my house porch. I want to move it away from my house. What are the perimeters and is there a different rules in the neighborhood you live in? If so where can I find the correct information before I move my mailbox?

Hi Angie, thanks for your inquiry. Local City or county laws can be different but if your box or post cause injury to a person that hits it, you may be liable.

A friend recently had a car in a little dead end curved street hit their brick Housed mail box that was not allowed in there area it flipped and they ended up with a helicopter in their front yard.

Just worried about driver. They did not replace with brick. Can a rural customer have a lock on their mailbox? If it meets all codes and the slot is sufficient to hold the customers daily mail? I have been seeing a lot of pictures on social media of mailboxes being locked with a red metal device and a padlock.

I am wondering what the reason for this is and if possible a source of information regarding this issue. Thank you very much and have a nice day. The last time was too close for comfort. My sons and I had just taken a break from shoveling the driveway and upon returning to finish up noticed that the apron was covered with snow, tire tracks and pieces of a vehicle and the mailbox assembly.

The box itself was feet away in a tree. There have been a few tragedies in this town involving people going to the road to get their mail, the latest being a young boy. These, along with our close call was enough. I moved my mailbox up the driveway and put it in a location where it allows the carrier to deliver without having to exit the vehicle. The driveway is plenty wide enough for the mail truck to turn around and continue on their route.

The local USPS will not deliver to it. Now their telling me that I must put the box on the street. In our conversation I also mentioned to him that this location is safer for both customer and carrier. Hi Steven, thanks for your comment. They allow the user to retrieve their mail via a locked, rear access door. The Latitude version of the street safe features both front, and rear locked access doors. That way, you can mount your mailbox at the USPS approved location, while still feeling comfortable about retrieving your mail.

They are both full service locking mailboxes, and are approved by the Postmaster General. On busy highways, rural roads, and even in neighborhoods, I would sure feel a lot more comfortable not having to risk my life and step out into the road to retrieve my mail!

Hopefully this works out to be a good option for you. Hi Steven, As a rural letter carrier I can assure you that our union does not make the rules on how to deliver the mail. The rules are the purview of the USPS. As Gabriel said, talk with the Postmaster as to where to install the mailbox so that the carrier can deliver your mail.

My neighbor across the street has placed his mailbox directly across from my driveway. Is this ok? I have an issue with a neighbor parking in front of but not totally in front of my mailbox. I have asked him several times to leave enough room for the mail to be delivered. But he continues to do it. Are there any actions I can take to remedy this?

Contact a local building contractor or landscaper. They dig up huge rocks all the time. Place a few on either side of your mailbox about three feet away from the post.

I read USPS regulations that stated a rural mailbox post cannot be made of concrete or steel, but aluminum is an accepted metal for posts as well as wood. Hope this helps. We continue to receive post it notes in our mail stating that the mailbox was blocked by a car. Not so. My question is, what are the rules regarding the clearance distance allotment, between the box and possible blockages? What side of the road do I need to put my Mail box on the right or left can you please tell me more on this.

Hi Jerry, thanks for your comment. They are the ultimate authority when it comes to mail routes in your area. Cheers, and good luck! I to am getting constant notes of not leaving enough room between cars that have no place to park but on the road is there a legal distance?

I live in a duplex an the courier has to get out for the house right next to us for there box is on there house can we not have boxes put at our units?

Postal regulations require that carriers dismount to deliver to a box that is temporarily blocked. Postal Operations Manual Our mailboxes were knocked over and are currently laying on the ground therefore no mail is being delivered. Is it our responsibility me an my 4 neighbors to fix this? BTW we do not own this home we are renting.

The post office said they are returning all my mail because a year ago there was snow blocking the mailbox. I have not received regular mail since then. Hi Mona, thanks for your inquiry. Sometimes when new houses are built, homeowners are told to add their units onto the ends of existing gangplanks or stands.

I would double check with your local post office to be certain about the location of your curbside mailbox.

Good news about our post and spreader bar options — is that they can easily be unmounted and remounted in the correct order. Just four bolts on the inside of each box, and voila! Have a good day, and let us know if you have any other questions. The fact of the matter is that your carrier is a federal employee and therefore is almost impossible to fire…. Hi Jim… often the locking cluster-boxes that I see will have a dedicated package area.

Thanks for your interest! I was told I could not put up a wall mount mailbox where the postman had to go up one step. My other post mailbox got bad and I had to take it out. My mailbox is on the road and centered to my house. From the mailbox to my drive way it is approximately 20 ft. The box has been there at least 15 years. By what regulation is this required? Why now? I spoke to the Postmaster.

He says he has approached his union about it and they back him. As long as there is nothing obstructing the mail delivery point like cars,snow etc…the carrier should have a clear path to and from without having to back up.

Did you follow through on this and if so what happened? We are having the same issue? Thank you! My mailbox is in my driveway approximately 20 feet from the dirt road which runs by my house. The mailbox has been there for 50 years and is the last stop on the route heading North. The carrier turns around in my driveway and heads south to complete his route. The postmaster new in the last months has sent a letter requiring me to move it to the right side of the road either north or south of my driveway.

The ditches are deep and water can overflow those ditches after heavy rains. The PM says there is a regulation prohibiting a carrier from driving into a private driveway to deliver mail. He will however continue to turn around in my driveway because it is the easiest and safest thing for him to do. Which regulation should I be looking at, and who would I write to to confirm that I am not being lied to? Hi Len, sorry to hear about your predicament. Carriers can refuse to deliver to curbside or residential mailboxes for more than one reason.

Did they tell you why? They should have left you an official note on your box to describe what needs to be changed. Sometimes it can be the height of the box, other times if the door or any operations of the box are not working correctly, then there is good reason to not deliver.

Is the box impossible to drive up to? Mailman actually delivered there. If safety is the reason then you need to move it even if it is established delivery. It is ultimately the carriers call. My neighbor who shares my driveway and runs an equine vet business from her home has affixed a laboratory testing box for blood samples etc to the lower part of her mailbox on the pole and resting on the ground. This is on a county road and next to my driveway.

How safe is this and is it allowed? Seems it could be hazardous if someone hits the mailbox. They lie constantly to me telling me I MUST put a box at the curb, when I know damn good and well that the box on my porch meets postal requirements because I have the same fight every three or four months because my carrier is a lazy ass. I have had the same Issue but there are steps you can take.

If the walkway has a crack in it or the steps are crumbling away then yes it is a hazard as they can stub there little delicate toe and trip , simply because the carriers do not look where they are stepping. I recently moved into a new luxury apartment community. I noticed that my neighbor and I Each have a key that opens both of our mailboxes. Is this against the law that the complex has allowed this to happen? Please advise. They made only 10 internal key-lock combinations.

Think about this.. This was 8 years ago and many manufacturers have remedied this with modern changes. However, I can imagine millions of homes and apartments are easily entered just by walking around your apartment building or neighborhood. If it is one of our boxes please contact us at: Info mailboss.

If using a rural shared drive, where should the mailbox be located? Can a mailbox be installed on our side of the drive?

The boxes on Rural Routes are placed according to the Line Of Travel that the carrier is required to travel. Rural Carriers do not work by the hour. Their pay is based on their routes evaluation. It can also mean the difference between a carrier having to work 5 days a week, or 6 days a week! So the Post Office takes very seriously the number of miles on every Rural Route. This is why rural patrons are sometimes required to plant their mailbox on the other side of the road.

The answer is probably because when your house was first built, it was one of the only ones in what now be a larger community. I delivered to an area that was one square mile and had only 5 houses. Be happy that you live on a Rural Route. Not sure of the postage? I share a the post, but not a mail box with the house across the street.

The post is broken and we currently have it in a bucket with cement. Post that hold 2 mailboxes are much more expensive. I own a restaurant in a shopping center in Merced, California. There are no mailboxes anywhere in the center, and I cannot get mail delivered to my restaurant. Is there not a law requiring a developer to install mail boxes in a shopping center?

We open at 11am and I was told to change my hours if I want to get my mail. My mailbox is currently located to the front side of the ditch in front of my home but near the street. As of lately someone continues to hit it. I have a question about our mail box situation. Our mail box is on another road. The mailboxes are on a very narrow road at the bottom of a hill and a lot of logging trucks are on that road.

It is very hard to plow out by the mail boxes because of the hills and all the traffic. We live on a town road. We were wondering if we could move our mail boxes in front of our houses. All of our neighbors agree with us. We asked the postmaster a couple of years ago and he denied our request. We have had to many close calls on that road with all the traffic. Best options are to get your mail carrier to believe it is a safety hazzard for him to deliver on that street or to have the neighbors all go in on a cluster box at the end of the street.

Many post offices will supply the cluster box unit if there is a concrete slab poured. I have always seen them red. Is there a regulation that the flag has to be red? I have a large standard size mail box and live in a very rural area. My mail box keeps getting beat by vandals can I build an indestructible mailbox to solve the problem? Hi, yes a USPS approved mailbox is allowed. All of our curbside units are USPS approved, and when installed correctly by the owner should cause no issues with mail delivery.

It sounds like from all these dialogues that the postmaster is the absolute authority. After over 6 months our carrier has decided that a basketball goal located within 3 feet of our mailbox is a safety concern. The goal is a feet behind the mailbox post, making it impossible to hit. Are there no specific regulations for items located near mailboxes? The postmaster sent a note, including their phone number. Do I have any options? Are there online regulations? He delivers to all three of my neighbors who do not have roadside boxes.

It sounds like he lying to make his life easier. Any thoughts? They can only ask you to move it to the street, as the one that is already there is a established delivery point. They can not force you into moving your mail box. Hi Jenny — what is the process for installing a larger keyed-mailbox? I would like one that can fit packages, where the carrier puts the package in the large box and drops the key into the regular mail box. I used to have one like this at my old house, but have since moved to a new neighborhood, where package theft is common.

Our neighbors all have their mailboxes on a post in front of our empty lot. There are currently five mailboxes on the post. We are building a house on that lot and want to remove those mailboxes.

Do we have to get permission from the postmaster to change the location of those boxes so they do not sit on our property? Are there any regulations I can reference? There is no consistency in our neighborhood concerning mailboxes. Some homes share mailbox posts while others have their own in front of their individual house. I want to avoid having six mailboxes in front of my house. My bf and I just moved into a new place.

My bf is a locksmith and they told him it would be illegal for him to change it himself. What are the regulations regarding motor vehicles parked in front of, or a foot or 2 beyond, rural mailboxes? The face or opening of your mailbox should be 6 inches to 8 inches back from the curb, if there is one. If there is no raised curb in your rural neighborhood, contact your local postmaster for guidance on where precisely your mailbox must be placed.

If your mailbox placement is such that it is located on a different street from your house or otherwise far away, your mailbox must be marked with your full street address, as opposed to just your house number. Should your rural home come with a door slot for mail delivery rather than a mailbox, follow USPS' height guidelines for slots. The bottom of a mailbox slot must be at least 30 inches above the ground.