Table of Contents
- Where does FedEx leave packages when no one is home?
- How does the signature option change where FedEx leaves a package?
- How do you tell FedEx where to leave your package?
- Can FedEx leave your package at a store instead?
- Where does FedEx leave packages at apartments and businesses?
- How do you see where FedEx left your package?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
FedEx leaves most packages at the delivery address, usually at the front door or another spot the driver judges safe, unless the shipper required a signature. You can steer that choice: FedEx Delivery Manager lets you say where to place packages at your home for free, or redirect them to a FedEx Office or Walgreens location where FedEx holds them for up to 7 days.
Where a specific package ends up depends on three things: the signature option the shipper picked, any delivery instructions you’ve saved, and the driver’s judgment about safety. This guide covers each one and how to find a package once FedEx marks it delivered.
Where Does FedEx Leave Packages When No One Is Home?
If no signature is needed, the driver leaves the package at the address. FedEx’s signature page says that for No Signature Required shipments, “the FedEx driver may leave the package at the address, no matter the circumstances.” In practice that’s the front door or porch, or another spot near the entrance that’s out of the weather and less visible from the street.
FedEx doesn’t publish a fixed list of drop spots, so the choice is the driver’s. Even saved instructions are followed at the driver’s discretion, based on safety and other factors, according to FedEx’s delivery-instructions FAQ. If a signature is required and nobody answers, the driver doesn’t leave the package; you’ll get a door tag instead.
| Situation | Where the package usually goes |
|---|---|
| No signature required, no instructions saved | At the address, often the front door or porch |
| No signature required, instructions saved in Delivery Manager | The spot you named, if the driver judges it safe |
| Indirect signature, nobody home | A neighbor or building manager may sign, or you can pre-authorize release |
| Direct or adult signature, nobody home | Not left; FedEx reattempts or holds it at a nearby FedEx location |
| You redirected it to a retail location | Held at that FedEx Office or Walgreens for up to 7 days |
Home deliveries arrive later in the day than business ones. FedEx Home Delivery runs to residences seven days a week in many areas, typically by 8 p.m., which is part of why packages sit on porches into the evening; our comparison of FedEx Home Delivery vs Ground explains which network brings your package.
How Does the Signature Option Change Where FedEx Leaves a Package?
The shipper chooses the signature level when creating the label, and it decides whether the package can be left at all. FedEx defines four levels:
| Signature option | Who can receive it | Can it be left unattended? |
|---|---|---|
| No Signature Required | Anyone, or no one | Yes, at the address |
| Indirect Signature Required | Someone at or near the address, such as a neighbor or building manager | Only if you authorize release in Delivery Manager or sign the door tag |
| Direct Signature Required | Someone at the delivery address | No |
| Adult Signature Required | Someone 21 or older with government-issued photo ID | No |
With Indirect Signature Required, you can sign the back of the door tag to authorize delivery on the next business day, or sign electronically ahead of time. That option isn’t available for direct or adult signatures. To check which option your shipment has, see our guide on how to tell if a FedEx package requires a signature, and our rules on whether someone else can sign for your FedEx package cover neighbors and family members.
The door itself has its own rules. Our guide to whether FedEx leaves packages at the door covers what happens with each signature level when you’re out.
How Do You Tell FedEx Where to Leave Your Package?
Save delivery instructions in FedEx Delivery Manager, the free FedEx account tool for residential deliveries. FedEx’s FAQ says you can “specify where to place your package” and “add additional comments to help us find and access your home,” such as a gate code or a side entrance.
- Sign up for a free FedEx Delivery Manager account and verify your address.
- Open delivery instructions and describe the spot, for example “side door, under the bench.”
- Add any access details the driver needs.
- Save. FedEx says instructions can take up to 24 hours to appear in its systems and apply from your next delivery.
Two limits are worth knowing. Instructions apply to every FedEx package delivered to your home, not only yours, and the driver can still choose another spot for safety reasons. Some shippers also restrict delivery changes on their packages. If you’re away, Delivery Manager offers a free vacation hold of up to 14 days, so packages stay at FedEx instead of piling up outside.
Scheduling a delivery time or rerouting to another residential address is a premium option with a location-based fee, while saving instructions, vacation holds and retail redirects are free. Delay or exception scans can also shift the drop, and our guide on what to do when a FedEx delivery is delayed explains those statuses.
Can FedEx Leave Your Package at a Store Instead?
Yes. Hold at Location redirects a package already on its way to you to a participating retail location, such as a FedEx Office or Walgreens store. FedEx’s Delivery Manager page lists retail redirects as free, and FedEx holds the package for up to 7 days. FedEx’s door tag help page also names Dollar General among the retail locations you can redirect to.
There’s a related option for shippers: Hold for Pickup is requested before the package ships, so it never goes to a home address at all. Either way, bring a government-issued photo ID. If the name on the ID doesn’t match the label, bring the tracking number, and if the address doesn’t match, bring a second document such as a utility bill. FedEx’s shipping hub lists the other ways to pick up or drop off at FedEx.
Redirecting a package is the most reliable fix if your porch isn’t safe. Our guide on whether FedEx is responsible for stolen packages explains why: once a no-signature package is left at the address, FedEx’s terms put the responsibility on the shipper.
Where Does FedEx Leave Packages at Apartments and Businesses?
At apartments, the drop spot depends on building access. If the driver can reach your unit, the package can be left there, and if the building is locked, a front desk, leasing office or package room may receive it when the property allows. Adding a gate code or entry note in Delivery Manager gives the driver a way in, and an Indirect Signature package can be signed for by a building manager.
Business deliveries go to whoever receives packages at the address during business hours, such as a reception desk or mailroom. FedEx Ground delivers to businesses Monday through Friday, so a package for a closed office usually waits for the next business day. If the address itself is the problem, a FedEx pickup number lookup and address verification check before shipping prevents a wrong-door delivery, and our FedEx address lookup guide shows how to confirm what’s on file.
How Do You See Where FedEx Left Your Package?
Check the tracking page for a delivery photo. FedEx includes picture proof of delivery, or of the delivery attempt, as a free feature of a Delivery Manager account, so the photo usually shows the exact spot. Our FedEx tracking and delivery guide walks through the tracking details, and you can also track FedEx packages by address with a Delivery Manager account.
If the photo doesn’t match your door, or there’s no package where it shows:
- Look around the property: side and back doors, behind planters, and the garage area.
- Ask neighbors and the building office, especially for Indirect Signature packages.
- Check whether the status changed from delivered to an exception; our guide to FedEx tracking not updating explains stuck scans.
- Contact the seller or shipper, who can open a claim with FedEx. Our guide to what happens if FedEx loses your package covers the claim steps.
Shipping something yourself? Requiring a signature is the shipper’s choice, as our steps for how to send a FedEx package show. If you’re open to UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS with no subscription fees, and you can compare live rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does FedEx leave packages if I’m not home?
If the shipper chose No Signature Required, FedEx leaves the package at your address, usually at the front door or another spot the driver judges safe. If a signature is required, the driver leaves a door tag instead. You can name a preferred spot, such as a side door, in FedEx Delivery Manager, though drivers follow instructions at their discretion.
Can I choose where FedEx leaves my package?
Yes. A free FedEx Delivery Manager account lets you specify where to place packages and add access notes like a gate code. FedEx says instructions can take up to 24 hours to show in its systems and apply to every FedEx package delivered to your home. Drivers may still pick another spot if your choice isn’t safe.
Will FedEx leave a package with a neighbor?
Only for Indirect Signature Required shipments, where FedEx says someone at or near the address, such as a neighbor or building manager, can sign. Direct Signature Required packages must be signed for at the delivery address, and Adult Signature Required needs someone 21 or older with photo ID. No-signature packages are simply left at your address.
How long does FedEx hold a package at a pickup location?
FedEx holds a package redirected with Hold at Location for up to 7 days at the participating location, such as a FedEx Office or Walgreens store. Redirecting through FedEx Delivery Manager is free. Bring a government-issued photo ID, plus the tracking number if the name on your ID doesn’t match the label.
Sources
- FedEx: Delivery signature options (fedex.com/en-us/delivery-options/signature-services.html)
- FedEx: Delivery Manager features and fees (fedex.com/en-us/delivery-manager.html)
- FedEx: How to add delivery instructions, receiving FAQ (fedex.com customer support)
- FedEx: Hold at Location (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/hold-at-location.html)
- FedEx: Door tag help page (fedex.com customer support)
More delivery guides are in our FedEx holiday schedule and the FedEx services guide.
Part of our FedEx Tracking and Delivery guide. Related: FedEx Tracking Not Updating, FedEx Shipping Map Times, Can I Track FedEx by Address.
