How to Address an Envelope: USPS Format and Examples
Per USPS, write the return address in the top left corner of the envelope and the delivery address in the bottom center. The stamp goes in the upper right corner of the address side, under USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 604 1.7. The delivery address takes the recipient's name, the street address with any apartment or suite, and then the city, state and ZIP+4 Code, each on its own line.
Maintained by Archie Chang · USPS pages checked on November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Where each part goes on the envelope
“Write your address (the "return" or "sender" address) in the top left corner. Write the delivery address (the "recipient" address) in the bottom center.”
“Stamps must be affixed firmly in the upper right corner of the address side of the mail cover. Any stamp partly concealed by an overlapping stamp may not be counted as postage.”
See where to put the stamp on an envelope for the stamp rules in full.
How to address an envelope, step by step
Step 1: Write the return address in the top left corner
Write your name or company name, your street address, and your city, state and ZIP+4 Code, each on its own line, in the top left corner (USPS.com step list; USPS DMM 602 1.6). USPS.com lists these lines for the sender:
- Your full name or company name
- Apartment or suite number
- Full street address
- City, State, and ZIP+4 Code
USPS.com’s step list puts the apartment or suite number on its own line above the full street address. USPS.com’s Advanced Tips for Secondary Addresses link goes to Pub 28 213, which prefers the unit at the end of the street line and puts it on a separate line immediately above only if it does not fit. FedRateCalc’s examples follow Pub 28.
JANE DOE 100 OAK ST ANYTOWN VA 22000-1234
Exact USPS wording
“The return address tells the USPS where the sender of a mailpiece wants it returned if the piece cannot be delivered.”
“A domestic return address must be placed in the upper left corner of the address side of the piece or the upper left corner of the addressing area.”
Step 2: Write the delivery address in the bottom center
Put the recipient's name on the top line, then the street address, then the city, state and ZIP+4 Code (DMM 602 1.3). USPS.com lists these lines for the recipient, in its order:
- Recipient's full name or company name
- Apartment or suite number
- Full street address
- City, State, and ZIP+4 Code
In the DMM list the apartment number belongs to the street-and-number element, and USPS Pub 28 213 prefers the unit at the end of the street line, as in the apartment example below.
Exact USPS wording
“All mail not bearing a simplified address must bear a delivery address that contains at least the following elements in this order from the top line:”
“Intended recipient’s name or other identification.”
“Street and number. (Include the apartment number, or use the Post Office box number, or general delivery, or rural route or highway contract route designation and box number, as applicable.)”
“City and state (or state abbreviation). The city is any acceptable mailing name for the 5-digit ZIP Code serving the intended recipient as shown in the USPS City State Product.”
Step 3: Put the stamp in the upper right corner
DMM 604 1.7 puts the stamp in the upper right corner of the address side. USPS.com suggests putting the stamp on last.
Exact USPS wording
“TIP: Put the stamp on last; that way, if you make a mistake at any other point, you won't waste a stamp.”
Step 4: Check the format
Print neatly in capital letters with a pen or permanent marker, leave out commas and periods, and include the ZIP+4 Code when you can (USPS.com tips). USPS Pub 28 212 and 222 say uppercase is preferred, all lines share a uniform left margin, and punctuation may be omitted except the hyphen in the ZIP+4 Code. Pub 28 224 asks for at least one space between city, state and ZIP+4 Code.
Exact USPS wording
“Print addresses neatly in capital letters.”
“Use a pen or permanent marker.”
“Do not use commas or periods.”
“Include the ZIP+4® Code whenever possible.”
“Format all lines of the address with a uniform left margin. Uppercase letters are preferred on all lines of the address block.”
“With the exception of the hyphen in the ZIP+4 Code, punctuation may be omitted in the delivery address block.”
“Format the Last Line with at least one space between the city name, two–character state abbreviation, and ZIP+4 Code.”
USPS address examples
House address
Recipient name, street address, then city, state and ZIP+4 Code (USPS Pub 28 212 and 224, DMM 602 1.3):
JOHN Q SMITH 250 ELM ST ANYTOWN VA 22000-1234
Apartment or suite
USPS Pub 28 213 covers secondary unit designators such as APT, STE, BLDG, FL, UNIT, RM and DEPT. Put the unit at the end of the street line; use a separate line immediately above the street line only if it does not fit. Avoid # when you know the right designator.
“The preferred location is at the end of the Delivery Address Line.”
MARIA LOPEZ 250 ELM ST APT 4B ANYTOWN VA 22000-1234
Pub 28 prints these street lines as samples:
102 MAIN ST APT 101 1356 EXECUTIVE DR STE 202 1600 CENTRAL PL BLDG 14 55 SYLVAN BLVD RM 108
And this sample for a unit that did not fit on the street line:
MR M MURRAY APT C 5800 SPRINGFIELD GARDENS CIR SPRINGFIELD VA 22162-1058
Exact USPS wording
“The pound sign (#) should not be used as a secondary unit designator if the correct designation, such as APT or STE, is known or is shown in the ZIP+4 file.”
“If all Delivery Address Line information cannot be continued in the Delivery Address Line above the city, state, and ZIP Code, place secondary address information on the line immediately above the Delivery Address Line.”
PO Box
Write PO BOX and the number or letter (USPS Pub 28 281):
“The Post Office Box address on a mailpiece must be standardized as follows: PO BOX ## (in this example, “##” indicates the actual number, numbers, or letter).”
MARIA LOPEZ PO BOX 4520 ANYTOWN VA 22000-1234
PO BOX 11890 PO BOX G
Pub 28 283 says to change CALLER, FIRM CALLER, BIN, LOCKBOX and DRAWER to PO BOX. If an address has both a street address and a PO Box, DMM 602 2.1 and Pub 28 215 say which line USPS delivers to.
Exact USPS wording
“PO Box addresses often appear with the word CALLER, FIRM CALLER, BIN, LOCKBOX, or DRAWER. Change these to PO BOX as output on a mailpiece.”
“Mail with a dual address (both a street address and a Post Office box number) is delivered to the address immediately above the city and state (or to the Post Office box if both the street address and Post Office box are on the same line). If a ZIP+4 code or 5-digit ZIP Code is used, it must correspond to the address element immediately above the city and state (or with the Post Office box number in the address if both the street address and Post Office box are on the same line).”
“Eliminate dual addresses on the output mailpiece, if possible, although mailer files (shown below with dotted lines) may maintain both mailing and physical addresses. However, if dual addresses are used, place the intended delivery address on the line immediately above the city, state, and ZIP+4 Code. Normally, this is the Post Office Box address.”
Business
The firm name takes the recipient line, and a suite number goes at the end of the street line. Pub 28 214 places an attention line above the firm name.
ACME SUPPLY CO 700 MARKET ST STE 202 ANYTOWN VA 22000-1234
Exact USPS wording
“The Attention Line is placed above the Recipient Line, that is, above the name of the firm to which the mailpiece is directed.”
Military mail (APO, FPO, DPO)
For an overseas APO or FPO address, the last line is APO or FPO, then AA, AE or AP, then the ZIP Code, and the line above it carries the unit type, number and box number (USPS Pub 28 225.1 and 238.1). DPO Department of State mail has its own Pub 28 239 sample. USPS.com says not to include the city or country name on an APO, FPO or DPO address in another country. Our military mail page has the Pub 28 rules and samples.
“Overseas military addresses must contain the APO or FPO designation along with a two–character “state” abbreviation of AE, AP, or AA and the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 Code.”
SGT ROBERT SMITH CPR 895 BOX 74 APO AE 09499-0001
SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH UNIT 100100 BOX 4120 FPO AP 96691
NAME UNIT 9900 BOX 0500 DPO AE 09701-0500
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
USPS.com shows an urbanization (URB) line for some Puerto Rico addresses and the VI abbreviation for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
MS MARIA SUAREZ URB LAS GLADIOLAS 150 CALLE A SAN JUAN PR 00926-3232
MS JOAN SMITH RR 1 BOX 6601 KINGSHILL VI 00850-9802
Exact USPS wording
“Some Puerto Rico addresses include an urbanization or community code for a specific area or development. Addresses with an urbanization code, abbreviated URB, should be written on 4 lines:”
“Virgin Islands addresses have the same format as standard addresses. The right abbreviation for this territory is "VI," not "US VI" or "USA VI":”
Another country
USPS.com generally lists these lines for the recipient, one per line, in English, with the destination country name on the last line:
- Recipient's full name or company name
- Full street address
- City, Subdivision (like province, state, county), and Postal Code
- Country
MR THOMAS CLARK 117 RUSSELL DRIVE LONDON W1P 6HQ UNITED KINGDOM
Exact USPS wording
“International address formats are different for each country. You also need to write the delivery address in English (if you need to use another language, add the English translation after each line).”
“Envelopes: Write your address (the "return" or "sender" address) in the top left corner (and put "USA" on the last line). Write the delivery address in the center (near the bottom). Put the destination country's name (in English) on the last line.”
“IMPORTANT: When you send using First-Class Mail International, you must write "AIRMAIL/PAR AVION" on the address side of your postcard, letter, or large envelope.”
When USPS requires a return address
DMM 602 1.5.3 lists the mail on which the sender's domestic return address must appear: mail of any class bearing an ancillary service request, official mail, mail paid with precanceled stamps, matter bearing a company permit imprint, Priority Mail, Periodicals in envelopes or opaque wrappers, USPS Ground Advantage, Package Services (except unendorsed Bound Printed Matter), Parcel Select, Registered Mail, insured mail, collect on delivery mail, Certified Mail if a return receipt is requested, Priority Mail Express, detached address labels, Adult Signature, USPS Returns service, and packaging for hazardous, restricted or perishable mail. The list does not name ordinary stamped First-Class Mail letters or postcards.
Exact USPS wording
“A clear space must be available on all mail for the address, postage (permit imprint, postage stamp, or meter stamp), postmarks, and postal endorsements.”
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Where do the addresses and stamp go on an envelope?
Per USPS.com, the return address goes in the top left corner and the delivery address in the bottom center. DMM 604 1.7 puts the stamp in the upper right corner of the address side.
How do you write an apartment or suite number in the address?
USPS Pub 28 213 gives the end of the delivery address line as the preferred place for a unit such as APT or STE, and says to use the line immediately above only when it does not fit. USPS.com’s step list puts the apartment or suite number on its own line above the full street address. USPS.com’s Advanced Tips for Secondary Addresses link goes to Pub 28 213, which prefers the unit at the end of the street line and puts it on a separate line immediately above only if it does not fit. FedRateCalc’s examples follow Pub 28.
How do you address an envelope to a PO Box?
USPS Pub 28 281 standardizes the form as PO BOX followed by the number or letter, for example PO BOX 11890. DMM 602 1.3 puts the Post Office box number in the street-and-number position of the delivery address. For an address with both a street address and a PO Box, DMM 602 2.1 says mail is delivered to the address immediately above the city and state.
Do you use commas and periods in an address?
USPS.com says not to use commas or periods. USPS Pub 28 222 says punctuation may be omitted in the delivery address block, except for the hyphen in the ZIP+4 Code.
How do you address an envelope to an APO, FPO or DPO address?
USPS Pub 28 225.1 says an overseas military address contains the APO or FPO designation, a two-character code of AE, AP or AA, and the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 Code, with the unit type, number and box number on the line above. Pub 28 239 shows a DPO Department of State sample, DPO AE 09701-0500. USPS.com says not to include the city or country name on an APO, FPO or DPO address in another country.
How do you address an envelope to another country?
USPS.com says international address formats differ by country and the delivery address must be in English, with any translation after each line. It says to put the destination country name, in English, on the last line, and USA on the last line of your return address.
How we checked
When we checked on November 2, 2026, USPS.com, USPS Publication 28 (Postal Addressing Standards, October 2024 edition) and the Domestic Mail Manual sections 602 and 604 said what is quoted on this page. Each quote shows where it comes from.
More USPS postage and fee tools
Sources (checked November 2, 2026): USPS Publication 28: Postal Addressing Standards · USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602: Addressing · USPS Domestic Mail Manual 604: Postage Payment Methods · USPS.com: How to Send a Letter or Postcard (Domestic) · USPS.com: How to Send a Letter or Postcard (International)