Can I cancel or change a USPS Hold Mail request after submitting?

Yes. An online request can be changed or canceled using its confirmation number. A request submitted in person or by paper must be changed or canceled through the local Post Office.

USPS Hold Mail: Pause Delivery While You're Away

Q: Is USPS Hold Mail free?

Yes. USPS Hold Mail is free. It holds mail for an eligible address for 3 to 30 days. Forwarding services are separate and may charge fees.

Use USPS Hold Mail to pause delivery while you travel, choose what happens when you return, and avoid leaving mail sitting unattended.

What USPS Hold Mail is

If you're reading this article, you're probably traveling soon. Enjoy the vacation, the long work trip, or whatever is taking you away from home. I've used USPS Hold Mail a couple of times during extended work trips, and it is a genuinely useful service when you know nobody will be checking your mailbox.

If you'll be gone for a couple of weeks, you probably do not want your poor mail carrier trying to squeeze another day's mail into an already full box. A hold is also the safer option when important letters or packages may arrive while you are gone. Instead of leaving everything unattended at your address, USPS keeps the mail at your local Post Office until the hold ends.

USPS Hold Mail is a free service for short absences lasting from 3 to 30 days. When the hold ends, USPS can deliver the accumulated mail on your selected ending date, or you can pick it up at the Post Office. For an absence longer than 30 days, a Temporary Change of Address may make more sense.

How to schedule a Hold Mail request

There are a couple of ways to hold your mail. Let's look at the form you can get at the Post Office first.

Completed USPS PS Form 8076 showing the information used to request a mail hold — If you fill out PS Form 8076 manually, either after downloading the form or picking one up at the Post Office, it is pretty straightforward. Add your name and address, the dates you want the hold to run, and whether you want the accumulated mail delivered when the hold ends or kept at the Post Office for pickup. Include a current phone number and email address, sign the form, and then give it to your carrier, submit it at the Post Office, or mail it to your local Post Office.

Back of USPS PS Form 8076 addressed to the local Post Office — You can also mail the completed form to your local Post Office if you would rather not submit it online or visit in person. Fill in the city, state, and ZIP Code for the Post Office that delivers your mail; the USPS Location Finder can help you confirm it. The official return panel shown here is already marked **First-Class Mail Postage & Fees Paid**, so this prepaid panel does not need a stamp. USPS confirms that PS Form 8076 may be mailed to the local Post Office in Domestic Mail Manual 508, section 11.2.2.

Request a hold online

You do not have to use the paper form shown above. USPS also lets you submit the entire Hold Mail request online. If you would rather create an account than visit or mail something to the Post Office, the online process is usually the easiest option.

USPS Hold Mail Service webpage with the Request Hold Mail button — On the official USPS Hold Mail page, select **Request Hold Mail** to sign in and begin the online request.

You can create a USPS.com account from here, and I highly recommend having one even if you are not planning to hold your mail right now. I may only be saying that because of my obsession with mail, but the account gives you one place to manage useful USPS tools. For Hold Mail, you can check whether the online service is available for your address before starting the request.

From there, the online request is similar to the paper form. Choose how long you want the hold to last, provide the requested contact and address information, and decide whether the accumulated mail should be delivered when the hold ends or kept at the Post Office for pickup. The process is pretty painless and genuinely helpful.

Source: USPS Hold Mail Service.

What happens when the hold ends

When you submit the hold, choose what USPS should do with the accumulated mail at the end:

Deliver the accumulated mail. USPS delivers it on the ending date you selected. If the amount cannot fit in your mail receptacle, USPS says it may leave a notice asking you to pick it up.
Pick it up at the Post Office. The mail stays at the Post Office until you retrieve it. USPS instructs customers to present identification when collecting held mail.

An online request can be changed or canceled with its confirmation number. For a paper request, visit your local Post Office and bring identification.

Sources: USPS Hold Mail FAQ and Domestic Mail Manual 508, sections 11.3 and 11.4.

Frequently asked questions

Is USPS Hold Mail free?

Yes. USPS Hold Mail is free and lasts from 3 to 30 days. Forwarding services are separate and may charge fees. USPS Hold Mail details.

Can I cancel or change a Hold Mail request?

Yes. Use the confirmation number to change or cancel an online request. For a paper request, visit your local Post Office and bring identification. USPS change and cancellation instructions.

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