Can you get packages at a PO box? Yes, from the US Postal Service. USPS delivers parcels to PO boxes like any other mail, and anything too big for your box is held for pickup at the counter or placed in a parcel locker where one exists. Private carriers such as UPS, FedEx, DHL and Amazon are different. Under USPS rules, they can deliver to your box only if your Post Office offers Street Addressing and you use it, and the package meets USPS mailing standards.
Last checked: September 28, 2026. This page covers USPS Post Office Boxes in the United States only. Private mailbox stores follow different rules.
Who delivers to a PO box, at a glance
| Who is carrying the package | Standard PO box address | PO box with Street Addressing |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | Yes | Yes |
| UPS | No, under USPS rules | Yes, if the package meets USPS standards |
| FedEx | No, under USPS rules | Yes, if the package meets USPS standards |
| DHL | No, under USPS rules | Yes, if the package meets USPS standards |
| Amazon’s own delivery | No, under USPS rules | Yes, if the package meets USPS standards |
The right-hand column only applies where your Post Office offers Street Addressing. Not every location does.
The table describes what USPS allows at the box. The carriers set their own shipping rules too, so a seller’s checkout may still refuse a PO box even when USPS would accept the parcel.
Getting packages from USPS
This is the easy case. A PO box is a USPS product, so anything shipped by USPS can be addressed to it.
The USPS Rent a PO Box page, which we read on September 28, 2026, says that when a package does not fit, you can “Get a slip to pick them up from the counter during normal business hours” or “Get your package from a secure parcel locker (including USPS® Smart Lockers at select locations) at your convenience.”
The same page describes a free Signature on File service. USPS says: “If you sign up for the free Signature on File service, we’ll leave the item in your PO Box.” Without it, items that need a signature mean a notice in your box and a trip to the counter.
Why UPS, FedEx and others cannot use a regular PO box address
A standard PO box address, such as “PO Box 1234,” is a place inside a Post Office. Only USPS puts mail into those boxes. A private carrier’s driver has no way to reach it.
USPS created Street Addressing to solve this. According to the USPS PO Boxes page, it lets you use the Post Office’s street address combined with your box number, so you can “receive packages from private carriers (such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon), as long as they comply with USPS mailing standards.”
The private carrier then delivers to the Post Office’s street address, and USPS puts the package in your box or holds it for you.
How Street Addressing changes your address
Section 508 of the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, which we read on September 28, 2026, gives the format. You use the Post Office’s street address with your box number after a “#” sign. Its example is:
John Smith
123 Main Street #4567
Any Town, NY 10001
Notice there is no “PO Box” on the address. That is on purpose. A private carrier sees a normal street address and delivers it. Our guide to PO Box Street Addressing explains how to set it up and how the address is written in full.
The limits on packages from private carriers
Street Addressing does not mean any package will be accepted. The Domestic Mail Manual says private carrier packages must “comply with applicable Postal Service standards governing mailability,” and gives examples: a “70-pound maximum weight,” a “130 inches length and girth maximum dimension,” and limits on hazardous, restricted or perishable matter.
In practice:
- Heavy or very large items over those limits will not be accepted for your box.
- Hazardous items that USPS restricts cannot come in this way, even if the private carrier would ship them elsewhere.
- Perishable items such as fresh food deliveries may be refused under the same standard.
If you order things that might break these rules, a street address or a private mailbox may work better than a PO box.
What happens when a package does not fit
A package too big for your box is not sent back straight away. You get a pickup slip or, where available, a parcel locker, as described above.
Do not leave slips sitting for weeks, though. The Domestic Mail Manual says that when a notice is left and the item is not called for or redelivery is not requested, “the piece is returned to the sender after 15 days (5 days for Priority Mail Express, 10 days for COD).”
Pickup timing is worth planning around. The USPS PO Boxes page says “Most PO Box locations allow 24/7 access to your PO Box; however, hours vary by Post Office location.” Box access and counter hours are not the same thing. A parcel held at the counter can only be collected when the counter is open.
If your box keeps overflowing with parcels
Regular parcels can push a small box over its limit. The Domestic Mail Manual treats a box as in “an overflow condition” when mail exceeds its capacity on 12 of 20 consecutive business days. Customers in that position “must use caller service, change to a larger box, or use one or more additional boxes.”
If you receive parcels often, it is simpler to pick a box size that fits your usual week from the start, and to ask whether your Post Office has parcel lockers.
What to do when a seller says “No PO boxes”
Some online checkouts refuse a PO box. That usually means the seller ships with a private carrier. You have a few options:
- Ask if the seller can ship by USPS. If it can, your regular PO box address works.
- Use your Street Addressing format, if your Post Office offers it and you have set it up. The checkout sees a street address.
- Use a different delivery point, such as a home or work address, or a private mailbox, for that order.
Do not try to get around a checkout by typing a PO box into a street address field in a format you have not set up with your Post Office. A package the Post Office cannot match to your box may be delayed or returned.
PO box or private mailbox for packages?
If most of what you receive comes by private carrier, compare a PO box with a private mailbox at a mailbox store. A private mailbox has a street address with a “PMB” or “#” number, and the store receives parcels from carriers directly, under its own rules. Our comparison of PMB vs PO box covers how the two differ on packages and addressing.
Write the address correctly
Use the exact format your Post Office gave you, whether that is the plain PO box address or the Street Addressing version, and add the ZIP+4 if you have it. Our explainer on ZIP+4 on a PO box covers what those extra digits do and why they help mail reach the right box.
What this page cannot tell you
We describe what USPS allows at a PO box, from USPS’s own pages. Each private carrier and each online seller sets its own rules about PO box addresses, and those rules change. Street Addressing availability, locker availability and counter hours all vary by Post Office. Before relying on a delivery method for something important, check with your Post Office and with the seller or carrier.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get packages at a PO box from USPS?
Yes. USPS delivers packages to PO boxes. If a package does not fit, you get a slip to pick it up at the counter or, at select locations, access to a secure parcel locker.
Will UPS or FedEx deliver to a PO box?
Not to a standard PO box address. USPS says private carriers, including UPS and FedEx, can deliver to your box through Street Addressing, where your Post Office offers it and the package meets USPS mailing standards.
Does Amazon deliver to PO boxes?
USPS lists Amazon among the private carriers that can deliver through Street Addressing. Whether a specific Amazon order can go to a PO box also depends on how that order ships.
What is the weight limit for private carrier packages at a PO box?
The USPS Domestic Mail Manual gives a 70-pound maximum weight and a 130-inch maximum for length plus girth, as examples of the mailability standards those packages must meet.
How long will the Post Office hold a package that does not fit?
The Domestic Mail Manual says an item with a notice is returned to the sender after 15 days if not called for, or 5 days for Priority Mail Express and 10 days for COD.
