The address information required for a U.S. package is the recipient’s name, the street number and name (with any directional and suffix), the apartment or suite number if there is one, and the city, two-letter state abbreviation and ZIP Code, plus a complete return address. UPS also needs a street address rather than a P.O. Box, and a recipient phone number is strongly recommended for private carriers and required on most international labels.
Missing any one of those pieces can turn a routine delivery into an exception, a return to sender or, with UPS, an Address Correction charge. This guide lists every element, shows the USPS standard format, explains what UPS and USPS do when information is missing, and covers what to do if tracking says more address information is required.
What Address Information Is Required to Ship a Package?
A deliverable U.S. address has three lines: who it’s for, where the building is, and which city, state and ZIP Code it’s in. USPS Publication 28 calls these the recipient line, the delivery address line and the last line, and says a complete address contains every element needed to match the official ZIP+4 file.
| Element | Example | Required? | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recipient name (and company, if a business) | JANE DOE / ACME CORP | Yes | Lets the driver hand off or leave the package with the right person |
| Street number and name | 1200 MAIN ST | Yes | Identifies the delivery point |
| Directional and suffix | N, SW / ST, AVE, BLVD | Yes, when part of the address | 100 N MAIN ST and 100 S MAIN ST can be miles apart |
| Secondary unit | APT 4B, STE 210 | Yes, for multi-unit buildings | Without it the package can’t reach the right door or mailbox |
| City, state, ZIP Code | DENVER CO 80202-1234 | Yes (ZIP+4 recommended) | Routes the package to the right facility |
| Recipient phone number | Area code and number | Recommended; required on most international labels | Lets the carrier resolve problems instead of returning the package |
| Return address | Your name and full address | Yes | Lets the carrier return an undeliverable package |
How Should You Format a Shipping Address?
USPS recommends uppercase letters on every line, a uniform left margin and standard USPS abbreviations, and carriers’ automated sorting reads addresses formatted that way most reliably. Publication 28 lists the approved abbreviations for street suffixes, directionals and unit designators.
- Put the unit at the end of the street line. Publication 28 section 213 says the preferred location for APT, STE or UNIT is the end of the delivery address line. If it won’t fit, place it on the line immediately above the street address, never below it.
- Use the real unit designator. Write APT or STE instead of the pound sign (#) when you know the correct designation; if you do use #, leave a space before the number.
- Space the last line correctly. Leave at least one space between the city, the two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP+4 Code, with two spaces preferred before the ZIP Code.
- Keep the delivery line last before the city line. When an address includes both a street address and a P.O. Box, USPS delivers to the one on the line directly above the city, state and ZIP Code.
Here is a complete, standardized domestic address:
JANE DOE
ACME CORP
1200 N MAIN ST STE 210
DENVER CO 80202-1234
International addresses follow the destination country’s format, with the country name in capital letters on the last line. Our Canada address format guide shows how one common destination differs from the U.S. layout.
What Do UPS and USPS Require Beyond the Basics?
USPS and UPS read the same address elements, but they differ on P.O. Boxes and military mail. The UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service state that UPS does not deliver to a P.O. Box and does not accept APO or FPO addresses.
| Requirement | USPS | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| P.O. Box addresses | Delivers to P.O. Boxes | No delivery to P.O. Boxes; the recipient’s phone number must be included if one is used, and the package can be delayed, loses any service guarantee and may incur an Address Correction charge |
| APO, FPO and DPO military addresses | Accepted | Not accepted |
| Incorrect or incomplete address | Package may be returned as undeliverable | UPS tries to find the correct address and may bill an Address Correction charge |
| Recipient phone number | Recommended; required on international customs forms | Strongly recommended; required with a P.O. Box address |
If your recipient only has a P.O. Box, USPS is the simpler choice, and our guide on how to send mail to a PO Box shows the exact format. Senders who would rather not print their home address can use one of the options in our guide to how to ship without using your home address.
What Happens When Required Address Information Is Missing?
When an address is incomplete, the carrier either stops to fix it or sends the package back. Section 32 of the UPS Tariff says that when an address is incorrect or incomplete, with examples such as P.O. Boxes, missing suite, apartment or unit numbers, old addresses and missing or incorrect ZIP Codes, UPS will make reasonable efforts to secure the correct address, attempt delivery and bill the shipper an Address Correction charge.
In tracking, this usually appears as a delivery exception, and our explainer on what a delivery exception means covers the other causes. USPS handles bad addresses through its address correction services, which our guide to USPS address correction services explains. A corrected or held package also adds days to the delivery estimate: even USPS Priority Mail delivery times assume a deliverable address at acceptance.
What Should You Do if Tracking Says Address Information Is Required?
If tracking says the carrier needs more address information, act the same day, because the package sits at the local facility until someone supplies it. The shipper and the recipient can both help, depending on the carrier.
- Check the label details. Compare the address in tracking with the correct one, looking for a missing unit number, a wrong ZIP Code or a missing directional.
- Update it with the carrier. UPS recipients can request a change through UPS My Choice or UPS customer service, and our UPS change of address guide walks through the steps.
- Call if the online option is blocked. Some shipments only allow the shipper to change the address, so the recipient may need to contact the sender.
- Fix the source. If you ship from a store, correct the customer record so the next label is right.
FedEx uses a similar process, which our guide to fixing a FedEx delivery exception for an incorrect address explains.
How Can You Make Sure Every Label Has the Required Address Information?
The cheapest fix is to catch the problem before the label prints. Validate every address against the USPS ZIP Code lookup on usps.com, which returns the standardized address and ZIP+4 Code, and ask customers for a phone number at checkout.
When you create labels in ParcelPath, you enter the full recipient address and can compare USPS and UPS for the same package, with up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS and no subscription or per-label fee. Run your package through the ParcelPath rate calculator to compare carriers once the address is right. A clean packing slip that repeats the shipping address inside the box also helps a carrier recover a package whose outer label is damaged. For other ways to get a package delivered to a home, see our comparison of delivery services from same-day to ground, and for the carrier itself, our UPS shipping guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What address information is required to ship a package in the U.S.?
You need the recipient’s name, the street number and name with any directional and suffix, the apartment or suite number for multi-unit buildings, and the city, two-letter state abbreviation and ZIP Code. Add a complete return address. A recipient phone number is strongly recommended for UPS and required on most international shipments.
Can UPS deliver to a P.O. Box address?
No. The UPS Tariff states that UPS does not deliver to a P.O. Box. If you use one anyway, the recipient’s phone number must be included, the package may be delayed, it loses any UPS service guarantee and it may incur an Address Correction charge. UPS also does not accept APO or FPO military addresses.
Where does the apartment or suite number go on a shipping label?
USPS Publication 28 says the preferred location is at the end of the street address line, for example 1200 N MAIN ST STE 210. If the line is too long, put the unit on the line directly above the street address. Use APT or STE instead of the pound sign when you know the correct designation.
What does it mean when tracking says address information is required?
It means the carrier couldn’t deliver because the address is incomplete or doesn’t match a real delivery point, often a missing unit number or wrong ZIP Code. UPS will try to find the correct address and bill an Address Correction charge, so the shipper or recipient should supply the right address quickly.
Sources
- USPS Publication 28, section 211: Standardized Delivery Address Line and Last Line
- USPS Publication 28, section 212: Format
- USPS Publication 28, section 213: Secondary Address Unit Designators
- USPS Publication 28, section 224: Last Line Format
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service (United States): section 14, P.O. Boxes, and section 32, Correction of Addresses
- USPS ZIP Code Lookup
Part of our Packing Slip guide. Related: Dymo vs Zebra, Do I Need a Special Printer to Print Postage at Home, Abbreviation for Shipping.
