To address a box for shipping, write or print the recipient’s name, street address (with any apartment or suite number on the same line) and city, state and ZIP Code in the center of the largest side, then put your return address in the upper-left corner of that same side. Use capital letters, skip punctuation, and include the ZIP+4 Code when you know it so USPS sorting equipment and UPS scanners can read the label on the first pass.
That is the whole job in two sentences, but small details decide whether a box arrives on time: where the unit number goes, how a PO Box or military address is written, and what happens to old labels on a reused carton. The steps below follow USPS Publication 28, the Postal Service’s addressing standard, and they work for UPS shipments too.
What Goes in a Shipping Address, Line by Line?
USPS Publication 28 describes an address block as three parts in a fixed order: the recipient line, the delivery address line and the last line. Every line should start at the same left margin, and uppercase letters are preferred on all of them.
| Line | What it contains | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Person’s full name | SARAH JOHNSON |
| Company (optional) | Business name, below the person | MARKETING SOLUTIONS LLC |
| Delivery address | Number, street, suffix, unit | 1234 COMMERCE BLVD STE 500 |
| Last line | City, two-letter state, ZIP+4 | DENVER CO 80202-3456 |
Pub 28 asks for at least one space between the city, the state abbreviation and the ZIP Code, and it prefers two spaces before the ZIP+4. Standard abbreviations such as ST, AVE, BLVD, APT and STE come from the USPS list, and punctuation like periods and commas is normally unnecessary.
How Do You Address a Box for Shipping, Step by Step?
Follow these steps in order for any domestic box, whether you hand-write the address or print a label.
- Pick the side. Use the largest flat surface, which is usually the top. Keep the delivery address, return address and postage on that one side.
- Write the return address first. Put your name, street and city, state and ZIP in the upper-left corner so it can’t be mistaken for the destination.
- Center the delivery address. Write the recipient block in the middle of the side, slightly below center, with nothing printed above or beside it.
- Keep the unit number on the street line. Write 456 OAK AVE APT 2B, not APT 2B on a line by itself. If it won’t fit, Pub 28 allows the unit on the line directly above the street.
- Finish with the last line. City, two-letter state code, and the ZIP+4 if you can look it up with the USPS ZIP Code tool.
- Clear the box of old marks. Remove or black out every old label, barcode and address on a reused carton, so scanners only find one destination.
- Protect the ink. Cover a handwritten address with clear packing tape, laid flat, so rain and handling don’t smear it.
If you buy postage online, the label already contains a correctly placed address block and barcode. Compare live UPS and USPS rates for the box in the ParcelPath rate calculator, print the label, and stick it flat on the top of the box without folding it over an edge.
Where Should the Return Address and Label Go?
The return address belongs in the upper-left corner of the address side, and the delivery address or shipping label goes in the center of that side. Never wrap a label over a corner or seam, because a bent barcode often can’t be read.
A return address matters more than many shippers think. When a package can’t be delivered and has no return address, USPS can’t send it back, and it goes to the Mail Recovery Center instead. Our guide on whether you can mail something without a return address covers which services require one.
For businesses, put a department or person above the company name in the return block (for example, SHIPPING DEPT, then ABC COMPANY LLC), so a returned box reaches the right desk.
How Do You Address Apartments, Businesses and PO Boxes?
The basic block stays the same; only the delivery line changes. These examples show the common variations.
| Address type | Delivery line example | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment | 123 FIRST ST APT 4B | Unit on the same line as the street |
| Business suite | 890 CORPORATE CENTER DR FL 12 | Person, then company, then street |
| PO Box | PO BOX 1234 | USPS delivers; UPS does not deliver to PO Boxes |
| Rural route | RR 2 BOX 152 | Use the route and box number exactly as assigned |
For a business, write the person’s name on the first line and the company name on the second, then the street and suite. That order helps a mailroom route the box after the carrier drops it off.
A PO Box is a USPS product, so a box sent with UPS needs a street address instead. If an address shows both a street and a PO Box, Pub 28 says mail goes to the one on the line directly above the city line, so put the one you want used last. Our guide on how to ship to a PO Box explains the workarounds.
How Do You Address a Box to a Military (APO/FPO/DPO) Address?
An overseas military address replaces the city and state with APO, FPO or DPO and a two-letter code: AE (Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada), AP (the Pacific) or AA (the Americas, excluding Canada). Don’t add a city or country name, because that can send the box into foreign mail instead of the military network.
Example:
SGT JOHN SMITH
UNIT 2050 BOX 4190
APO AP 96278-2050
Only USPS carries mail to APO, FPO and DPO addresses. Most packages that contain goods need a customs declaration, which USPS creates with the label when you buy postage online.
How Do You Address a Box Going Overseas?
The USPS International Mail Manual asks for every line in capital letters, in roman letters and arabic numerals, with the city and postal code together and the country name alone on the last line, written in full. Keep the address to five lines or fewer, and add your U.S. return address.
Example:
MR THOMAS CLARK
117 KINGSWAY
LONDON WC2B 6PH
UNITED KINGDOM
Postal code order changes by country, so check the destination’s format, such as the UK address format or the Canada address format, before you write the box. International packages also need a customs form; the USPS shipping hub explains the services that issue one, and our USPS international shipping rates by country page covers which services reach each destination.
What Addressing Mistakes Delay a Box?
Most addressing delays come from a handful of avoidable errors. Check the box against this list before you seal it.
- Wrong or missing ZIP Code. A transposed digit sends the box to the wrong processing plant. Our page on a wrong ZIP Code on a USPS package covers what to do after it ships.
- Missing apartment or suite number. The carrier may hold the box or return it if the unit isn’t on the label.
- Old labels left on a reused box. A second barcode can route the box back to its previous destination.
- Return address in the center. Scanners and people may read it as the destination.
- Handwriting that smears. Use a dark, waterproof marker and cover the ink with clear tape.
- Labels over seams or edges. Bent barcodes often fail to scan.
Address errors are costly for time-sensitive boxes such as food. The guide to shipping perishables and food and our page on how to ship frozen food explain why a correct address and the fastest service matter when a day’s delay spoils the contents. Soft goods follow the same rules: the address and label placement steps above apply to the poly mailers in our guide on how to ship clothes.
Should You Hand-Write the Address or Print a Label?
A printed label is more reliable because the address is typed, the barcode is generated for you, and many label tools check the address against USPS data before printing. A neat hand-written address in block capitals is still accepted when you pay postage at a Post Office or UPS Store counter.
| Method | Legibility | Weather resistance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal-printed 4×6 label | Highest | Good; no ink to run | Regular shippers |
| Inkjet or laser label | High | Fair; cover with tape | Occasional shippers |
| Hand-written in marker | Depends on writing | Poor unless taped | A one-off box paid at the counter |
With ParcelPath you don’t need a printer at all: show a UPS Mobile Barcode at a UPS Store, or a USPS Label Broker code at the Post Office, and the clerk prints the label for you. ParcelPath is free, with no subscription or per-label fee, and gives up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS retail prices. Our guide on how to ship a package walks through the full process from packing to drop-off, and the how to ship for less guide covers other ways to cut the cost of each box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you write the address on a shipping box?
Write the delivery address in the center of the largest side of the box, usually the top, and put the return address in the upper-left corner of that same side. Keep postage or the shipping label on that side as well. Don’t place the address over a seam or wrap it around an edge, because bent text and barcodes are hard for carrier scanners to read.
Do you put the apartment number on the same line as the street?
Yes. USPS Publication 28 puts the apartment, suite or unit number at the end of the delivery address line, as in 456 OAK AVE APT 2B. If the line is too long, the unit number can go on the line directly above the street address. Never put it below the street line or after the ZIP Code, where sorting equipment won’t look for it.
Should you use capital letters when addressing a box for shipping?
Capital letters are preferred. USPS Publication 28 states that uppercase letters are preferred on all lines of the address block, with a uniform left margin. Lowercase is acceptable if it is clear and legible, but block capitals in dark ink are easier for both automated readers and carriers to read, especially when an address is written by hand.
How do you address a box to an APO or FPO address?
Write the service member’s name, then the unit and box number, then APO, FPO or DPO followed by AE, AP or AA and the ZIP Code. Leave off any city or country name. Only USPS delivers to these military addresses, and most packages with goods inside need a customs declaration, which USPS generates when you buy postage online.
How do you write an international address on a box?
Write the recipient’s name and street address in capital letters, put the city and postal code together on the next line, and write the country name in full capitals on the last line by itself. The USPS International Mail Manual requires roman letters and arabic numerals, so add an English version for addresses written in another script.
Sources
- USPS Publication 28, Section 211: Complete and Standardized Addresses
- USPS Publication 28: Uppercase Letters and Format
- USPS Publication 28, Section 224: Last Line Format
- USPS Publication 28, Section 225: Military Addresses
- USPS International Mail Manual, Section 122: Addressing
For more on picking the right service once your box is addressed, see our roundup of the best shipping services and solutions.
Part of our Packaging guide. Related: Shipping Resources, Are Bubble Mailers Considered Packages?.
