USPS Address Correction: How It Works and When to Use It

USPS address correction is the set of Postal Service services that tell a sender a recipient’s new or correct address, either on a paper PS Form 3547 notice or electronically through Address Change Service (ACS). Mailers ask for it by printing an ancillary service endorsement such as “Address Service Requested” on the mailpiece, and businesses can clean whole mailing lists before they mail with Address Element Correction (AEC II).

If you’re trying to fix an address on a single package already in the mail, the tool you want is USPS Package Intercept, and if you’ve moved, it’s a change-of-address order. This guide covers all three, plus how to avoid address problems in the first place.

How Does USPS Address Correction Work?

USPS corrects addresses at three points: before mailing (list hygiene), while a piece is in the mailstream (forwarding and returns), and after the fact (notices back to the sender). Which one applies depends on whether the recipient filed a change-of-address order and which endorsement the sender printed.

• Change-of-address (COA) forwarding. When a recipient files a COA, USPS forwards First-Class Mail to the new address for the first 12 months.
• Ancillary service endorsements. Words such as “Address Service Requested” or “Return Service Requested” tell USPS whether to forward, return or dispose of the piece and whether to send the sender the new address.
• Address correction notices. USPS sends the corrected or new address on PS Form 3547, or electronically to ACS participants.
• AEC II. Addresses that software can’t fix are sent to the local delivery office for review, and the correction comes back electronically.

What Do USPS Ancillary Service Endorsements Do?

An endorsement printed below the return address controls what USPS does with an undeliverable piece and whether you’re told the new address. Under the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, First-Class Mail without an endorsement is handled as “Forwarding Service Requested.”

Packages work slightly differently. For Package Services and Parcel Select pieces endorsed “Address Service Requested” or “Forwarding Service Requested,” USPS forwards the parcel for 12 months after a COA with postage due from the addressee, who can refuse it. Without a COA on file, the parcel comes back to the sender with the reason for nondelivery and return postage applies. Address corrections that USPS sends separately carry a fee, so it pays to fix addresses before you mail.

What Is the Difference Between ACS and AEC II?

ACS works after mailing: it sends COA and other nondelivery information to the mailer as an electronic file instead of paper notices. USPS offers several versions, including OneCode ACS, Traditional ACS, Full-Service ACS and IMpb ACS, which lets parcel shippers that print the Intelligent Mail package barcode receive corrections electronically. USPS notes that ACS doesn’t eliminate every hardcopy notice.

AEC II works before mailing. Software first tries to fix incomplete or inaccurate addresses on a list, then sends what it can’t resolve to delivery unit staff who know the routes. Confirmed corrections go into a historical database so the same errors aren’t resubmitted, and AEC II serves First-Class Mail, parcels, Periodicals and Standard Mail.

The underlying address databases (CASS, DPV and the Address Management System) are covered in our guide to USPS address verification.

How Do You Correct the Address on a Package Already Shipped?

Use USPS Package Intercept before the package is out for delivery. It covers domestic items with a USPS Tracking or extra services barcode. Retail senders can bring the package back or send it to a Post Office as Hold For Pickup, while commercial senders can also redirect it to a new delivery address. Redirecting to a PO Box isn’t allowed, and USPS doesn’t guarantee an intercept.

Small typos often don’t need an intercept, because carriers can often deliver a piece with a minor street spelling error if the ZIP Code and house number are right. Our guide to changing the address on a USPS shipping label covers what you can and can’t fix, and a wrong address can also cause a delivery exception in tracking. A redirected package also takes longer than the normal Priority Mail delivery time, since it has to travel again.

What Causes Insufficient Address Problems?

Most addresses USPS can’t deliver are missing a detail rather than completely wrong. The most common causes are:

• A missing apartment, suite or unit number in a multi-unit building
• A wrong directional (N, S, E, W) or street suffix (St vs Ave)
• Misspelled street or city names
• An outdated or incorrect ZIP Code
• A recipient who moved without filing a change of address
• No return address, so USPS can’t send the piece back

Always include a complete return address, since it is what lets USPS send the piece back instead of treating it as dead mail. If privacy is the concern, our guide on how to ship without using your home address covers PO Boxes and other alternatives. For signed and important mail, the guide to sending Certified Mail explains how the address and return receipt work together.

How Long Does USPS Forward Mail After a Change of Address?

Standard forwarding lasts 12 months. Moves are constant: USPS processed about 71,130 address changes a day in 2025. USPS says to allow at least 7–10 business days after your request is approved for forwarding to start.

• First-Class Mail and Priority Mail: forwarded for 12 months. Extended Mail Forwarding can add up to 18 more months.
• Periodicals: forwarded free for 60 days, after which the publisher gets a notice of the new address.
• Media Mail and other Package Services: forwarded, but the recipient pays the forwarding postage.
• USPS Marketing Mail: generally forwarded only when the sender’s endorsement asks for it.

You can file a change of address online, which carries an identity verification fee, or for free at a Post Office using PS Form 3575 from the Mover’s Guide packet. Our guide to USPS package forwarding options covers parcels during a move, and if you also ship with UPS, the guide to UPS change of address explains how UPS handles a move.

How Can Businesses Prevent Address Correction Costs?

The cheapest correction is one you never need. Check addresses at checkout or data entry, confirm ZIP Codes with the USPS ZIP Code Lookup, and run your list through CASS-certified software and NCOALink processing before large mailings. Then add an endorsement and enroll in ACS so moves come back electronically.

• Capture apartment and suite numbers as a required field
• Print a complete return address on every piece
• Use “Return Service Requested” on mail that must not be forwarded, such as account statements
• Enroll in IMpb ACS if you print your own package labels with an IMpb barcode
• Re-check addresses for customers who haven’t ordered in a year or more

Carriers outside USPS correct addresses too: UPS adds an address correction charge when it fixes an incorrect or incomplete address, and our UPS shipping guide covers how UPS services work. For broader help on mailing as a business, see our guide to shipping for small business, or browse shipping services and solutions by need.

When you reship after a failed delivery, ParcelPath offers free USPS and UPS labels at up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS, with no subscription or minimums. You can compare both carriers for the corrected address in the ParcelPath rate calculator, and the USPS shipping guide covers each USPS service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Address Service Requested” mean?

It is an ancillary service endorsement that tells USPS what to do with First-Class Mail it can’t deliver. If the recipient filed a change of address, USPS forwards the piece for 12 months, then returns it with the new address during months 13 to 18. Without a forwarding order, the piece comes back to you with the reason it couldn’t be delivered.

How do I get notified of a customer’s new address?

Print an ancillary service endorsement on your mail and USPS will send the new address on a paper PS Form 3547 or electronically through Address Change Service. ACS sends the information as a data file, and parcel shippers that print the Intelligent Mail package barcode can use IMpb ACS. Separate address correction notices carry a fee.

Can I correct the address on a USPS package after shipping?

Yes, with USPS Package Intercept, as long as the package isn’t out for delivery or delivered and has a USPS Tracking or extra services barcode. Retail senders can return it or send it to a Post Office as Hold For Pickup, and commercial senders can also redirect it to a new address. A PO Box can’t be the new destination.

How long does USPS forward mail after a move?

USPS forwards First-Class Mail and Priority Mail for 12 months after a change of address, and periodicals for 60 days. Media Mail is forwarded, but you pay the forwarding postage. Allow at least 7 to 10 business days after USPS approves your request for forwarding to begin, and update your address with senders directly before the order ends.

Is a USPS change of address free?

Filing in person is free: pick up the Mover’s Guide packet at a Post Office and complete PS Form 3575 inside. Filing online at usps.com requires a small identity verification charge on a card, which USPS uses to confirm you’re authorized to move the mail. Both methods give the same 12 months of standard forwarding.

Sources

• USPS Domestic Mail Manual 507: Mailer Services (ancillary service endorsements, forwarding, PS Form 3547)
• USPS PostalPro: Address Change Service (ACS)
• USPS PostalPro: Address Element Correction II (AEC II)
• USPS: Forward Mail & Change of Address
• USPS Package Intercept
• USPS Postal Facts: One Day in the Life of USPS

Part of our USPS Locations guide. Related: USPS Locations and Access Points, Post Office Near Me, USPS Collection Box.