Can You Ship from a PO Box?

PO Box is one of the oldest and most popular services provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Quite a lot of people choose to have their mail delivered to a PO Box rather than their home or business address because it provides speed, convenience, security, privacy, and flexibility. If you can receive packages to a PO Box, does that mean that you can also ship prepaid parcels from one? Let’s figure it out together.

A PO Box is a lockable mailbox that you can rent from the USPS for three, six, or twelve months at a time with a renewal option. They are generally located in the lobby areas of Post Offices and are accessible during lobby hours, which are typically longer than business hours. In many Post Offices, lobbies are accessible 24/7 so you can pick up your mail from your PO Box whenever it suits you.

People can choose to rent a PO Box instead of having their mail delivered to their home address for a variety of reasons:

• Speed. Mail tends to be delivered to PO Boxes a little earlier in the day than to residential or business addresses.
• Security. PO Boxes are lockable, and only yourself and Post Office employees will have access to your PO Box. This means your mail will be safer there than in a regular mailbox, on your porch, or in the mailroom of an apartment building.
• Privacy. Some people rent a PO Box because they do not want to disclose their home address and like the privacy it provides. They can use their PO Box address for selected deliveries or for all of them.
• Convenience and flexibility. You can choose a PO Box location close to home or work, even if it is not in your ZIP Code, and if you move homes within the same part of town, your PO Box address can stay the same.

All USPS mail classes and services may be delivered to a PO Box, although items that require signature must be picked up from a Post Office employee during business hours (in such a case, a notice will be left in your PO Box). If you can have mail delivered to a PO Box, does that mean that you can ship from a PO Box, as in leave prepaid and prepackaged parcels in your PO Box for pickup?

In short, no, you can’t. PO Boxes are only designed for receiving mail and packages, not for shipping. However, the USPS offers many package drop-off options for customers who prefer to pay for postage, print shipping labels, and pack their packages themselves.

• Putting the package in your mailbox for pickup. While you cannot use a PO Box for package drop-off, you can put the package in your regular mailbox, and your mail carrier will pick it up the next time they deliver your mail.
• Leaving the package at the nearest Post Office. You don’t have to personally hand it to a Post Office employee because all Post Offices have designated package drop-off areas, so there is no need to stand in line.
• Dropping the package into a USPS collection box. The USPS has several types of package collection boxes, the most recognizable ones being blue boxes.
• Drop the package off at a National Retailer/Contract Postal Unit location. Such USPS locations are operated by third parties and located at existing businesses such as grocery stores, supermarkets, etc.
• Using a self-service kiosk. Self-service kiosks can be found in Post Office lobbies and some shopping malls. You can even use a USPS kiosk to purchase and print postage for your prepared package.
• Using a gopost unit. gopost units are automated lockers placed in convenient locations like shopping malls or gas stations. Unlike PO Boxes or self-service kiosks, they can be used to both receive and ship packages. However, you should keep in mind that you will need to sign up for gopost, even if you already have a USPS.com account.
• Requesting a package pickup. You can schedule a package pickup on the USPS website for free and personally hand the package to a courier or leave it in a specified location.

So, while you cannot ship a prepaid and prepared package from your PO Box, you have a wide choice of drop-off locations, some of which may be situated in the very same Post Office where your PO Box is located.