Not anyone can sign for a UPS package. It depends on the signature service the shipper chose. A package sent with no signature service can be left without one. A Signature Required package needs a signature from someone available at the delivery address. An Adult Signature Required package can only go to someone at least 21 years old who shows a valid government-issued photo ID.
The shipper picks the signature level when creating the label, and the recipient can’t remove it. What the recipient can do is plan who will be there, authorize a release for eligible packages, or move the delivery somewhere a signer will be.
Who Can Sign for Each Type of UPS Package?
UPS offers two signature services that a shipper can add to a package, plus the default delivery with no signature. UPS’s former Delivery Confirmation service, which sent shippers a delivery statement, is no longer available, according to the UPS Tariff.
| Signature level | Who can sign | ID needed | Can it be released without a signature? |
|---|---|---|---|
| No signature service | No signature needed; the driver can leave the package | No | Not needed |
| Signature Required | Someone available at the delivery address to sign | Not stated by UPS | Sometimes, with an approved authorization |
| Adult Signature Required | Only someone at least 21 years old | Valid government-issued photo ID | No |
Two terms you may see online, “Indirect Signature” and “Restricted Delivery,” aren’t UPS services. Indirect Signature is a FedEx option and Restricted Delivery is a USPS option, so don’t expect either on a UPS label.
Signature Required: who’s allowed to sign?
For a Signature Required package, UPS will get a signature when it delivers and won’t leave the package unattended unless an approved authorization is in place. UPS’s instructions to recipients are to be available at the delivery address to sign, or to make other arrangements before delivery. UPS doesn’t publish a minimum age for a standard Signature Required delivery, and it doesn’t limit the signature to the person named on the label.
In practice, that means a family member, roommate or receptionist at the address can usually accept it. Under the Tariff, UPS has sole discretion over whether to take a signature, another electronic acknowledgment, or a release authorized through UPS My Choice.
Adult Signature Required: only an adult 21 or older
Adult Signature Required means UPS will deliver only to someone at least 21 years old. UPS says the person must be present at the delivery location and ready to show a valid government-issued photo ID. The Tariff adds that UPS decides whether delivery can be completed and may ask for photo identification showing the recipient’s age.
This level is often used for regulated goods such as alcohol, tobacco, firearms, regulated pharmaceuticals and high-value items. Our guide to UPS Adult Signature Required rules covers what shippers need to know when choosing it.
Which UPS Packages Must Have an Adult Signature?
For most packages, the signature level is the shipper’s choice. For some contents, the UPS Tariff makes Adult Signature Required mandatory:
- Alcoholic beverages: Every package containing wine, beer or spirits must use Adult Signature Required and carry a special UPS alcoholic beverages label. Shippers also need an approved UPS agreement to ship alcohol.
- Firearms: Packages containing a firearm, including handguns, must use Adult Signature Required and Direct Delivery Only.
- Tobacco products: All tobacco product shipments must use Adult Signature Required.
If one of these packages arrives and no one 21 or older is there with ID, UPS won’t leave it. Instead it will try again or offer other delivery options.
What If No One Is Home to Sign?
If nobody is available to sign, UPS may attempt delivery again on the next business day, and it may leave a delivery notice. Our guide to the UPS InfoNotice explains how to use that notice number. You’ll usually have several options, depending on the shipment and the shipper’s restrictions:
- Sign the delivery notice. UPS says you can sign the notice in the space provided and put it back where the driver left it. That authorizes the driver to leave an eligible package on the next attempt.
- Sign digitally. Authorize release in advance through UPS My Choice or the Sign Digitally link on the UPS tracking page. Our step-by-step guide on how to sign for a UPS package online covers both.
- Redirect to a UPS Access Point. Send the package to a nearby location and pick it up with a government-issued photo ID. Our guide to UPS locations and Access Points explains the options.
- Reschedule or reroute. Use Change My Delivery on the tracking page to choose another day or an address where someone can sign, if the shipper allows changes.
An Adult Signature Required package can’t be released by a signed notice or a digital signature. Someone 21 or older has to sign in person. For the full list of next steps, see our article on what to do when a UPS package needs a signature and you’re not home, and our explainer on how many times UPS will attempt delivery.
Can UPS Still Refuse to Release a Package You Authorized?
Yes. UPS says that even after you sign digitally, it may still require a signature at delivery. That can happen when the driver finds no safe place to leave the package, when conditions at the address raise the risk of loss, or when the shipment isn’t eligible under service rules or the shipper’s instructions. UPS makes the final decision when it delivers.
Shippers can also block release. Some require a physical signature and limit release eligibility, and packages with regulated or restricted items often aren’t eligible. If your tracking shows Signature Required even though you want the package left, the shipper selected that service, or the contents carry a requirement that overrides release.
Why the signer matters after delivery
A signature gives the shipper proof of who accepted the package. Our guide to UPS proof of delivery explains how to request it, since UPS will provide proof of delivery by fax, email or mail on request. Releasing a package also has a downside: UPS’s claims page says packages a recipient chose to have released, including signature-required deliveries released to the address, aren’t eligible for lost-package claims.
You can follow a package’s progress, including any signature notes, in our UPS tracking guide. Our UPS services and shipping options overview covers the add-ons a shipper can choose.
How Should Shippers Choose a Signature Level?
Choose the lowest level that protects the shipment, because each signature service adds a charge and adds work for the recipient.
- No signature: Routine, lower-value orders where speed of delivery matters most.
- Signature Required: Valuable items, documents and anything where you want a record of who accepted it.
- Adult Signature Required: Mandatory for alcohol, firearms and tobacco, and sensible for other age-restricted goods.
If you ship with UPS often, compare UPS and USPS prices for each package in the ParcelPath rate calculator. ParcelPath is free to use and offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my neighbor sign for my UPS package?
Not at your door. Signature Required packages need someone available at the delivery address. If you want a neighbor to receive it, use UPS My Choice or Change My Delivery to request delivery to a neighbor or another address, where the shipper allows changes. Adult Signature Required packages still need a signer 21 or older with photo ID.
Can a minor sign for a UPS package?
Not for an Adult Signature Required package, which UPS will deliver only to someone at least 21 years old with a valid government-issued photo ID. UPS doesn’t publish a minimum age for a standard Signature Required delivery, so the driver decides. Packages with no signature service don’t need anyone to sign.
What ID do you need to sign for a UPS adult signature package?
UPS asks for a valid government-issued photo ID that shows the signer is at least 21. UPS’s Access Point pages name a driver’s license or another government-issued ID, such as a military ID, as acceptable, and the same kind of ID is needed to pick up a package there.
Does the person who signs have to be the name on the label?
UPS doesn’t limit a standard Signature Required delivery to the named recipient. It asks that someone be available at the delivery address to sign. For Adult Signature Required, the signer only has to be at least 21 and show photo ID. The shipper may still restrict delivery changes or releases for some packages.
Sources
- UPS: Signature-Required Deliveries
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (Sections 34, 35 and regulated items)
- UPS: Change or Reschedule a Delivery
- UPS: File a Claim (released packages and lost claims)
Explore more in our Shipping Services and Solutions hub.
Part of our UPS Tracking and Delivery guide. Related: UPS Tracking Number, UPS Tracking Statuses, UPS Tracking.
