To send a certified letter, choose an eligible mail class, add Certified Mail as an extra service, attach the label, and deposit the piece with USPS. Certified Mail gives you a mailing receipt and tracking, and requires a signature at delivery; Return Receipt adds a copy of that signature. The decisions that actually matter are which mail class you pair it with, which extra services your proof requires, and where you keep the records afterward.
This page covers the whole decision set. If you only want the printing steps, read how to send Certified Mail from home. If you are choosing which service provider to use, start with sending a certified letter online.
What Certified Mail Is, Precisely
Certified Mail is a USPS extra service. It is not a mail class, which is why you buy it alongside First-Class Mail or Priority Mail. USPS describes it as a numbered service that provides a mailing receipt, requires a signature from the addressee, and can be combined with Return Receipt for proof of signature. It travels at the speed of whatever mail class you bought. It also has a fixed hold rule: a Certified Mail piece is held at the Post Office for 15 days and returned to the sender on the 16th day.
Two limits are worth knowing before you plan around it. Certified Mail cannot be sent to international addresses, though it can go to APO, FPO, and DPO locations and to U.S. territories and possessions. And you cannot buy additional insurance as a separate extra service when Certified Mail is selected, though it can be added to a mail class that already includes insurance.
Step 1: Pick the Mail Class
| Mail class | Certified Mail eligible | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Mail | Yes | Letters and flat documents that are not time-critical |
| Priority Mail | Yes | You want faster handling and the class already includes insurance coverage |
Those are the two eligible classes. If someone tells you Certified Mail can ride with another class, check before you build a process around it.
Step 2: Choose the Extra Services Your Proof Requires
- Nothing extra: mailing receipt and tracking, with a signature required at delivery.
- Return Receipt: adds a record of who received the piece, when, and the delivery address, as a paper card or electronically.
- Restricted Delivery: limits delivery to the named addressee or that person’s authorized agent.
- Adult Signature Required: delivery only to someone 21 or older, available with Priority Mail.
Decide this before you print, because Return Receipt and Electronic Return Receipt must be purchased at the time of mailing. If you need the signature record, the choice is made now, not after a dispute begins.
Step 3: Prepare the Letter and the Envelope
- Seal and address the envelope, including suite or unit numbers.
- Confirm the recipient address you will enter in the label matches the envelope exactly.
- Print the label at full size and attach it above the delivery address and to the right of the return address, keeping the barcode flat.
- Keep a copy of the letter and any enclosures.
Our Certified Mail envelopes and labels options cover window envelopes with the Certified Mail banner pre-printed, so the label shows through the panel and you skip stickers and tape. The full mechanics of label placement are on the label printing and attaching guide.
Step 4: Deposit It and Get Proof of Acceptance
Items with postage and extra service fees affixed can be placed in a Post Office maildrop, a street letterbox, or a rural mailbox, or handed to the carrier for that address. If you want a postmarked acceptance record, present the piece at a counter, or use a mailing service that provides an acceptance scan and a notarized affidavit of mailing.
Step 5: Keep the Records Together
Under DMM 503.1.10, USPS keeps no mailing records for extra-service pieces other than Registered Mail and Collect on Delivery. The mailing receipt is your copy of the mailing side of the record, so store it with the letter immediately. The free Complimentary 10-Year Compliance Archive makes that automatic for mailings created with us.
Sending More Than a Handful
At volume, the manual steps stop scaling. Excel/CSV bulk label tools accepts an Excel or CSV address list and produces labels in one pass, while API and SFTP automation connects your system directly for automated sends. Both generate USPS SCAN Forms so a batch acceptance is documented once, cleanly, instead of piece by piece. If you would rather not print at all, Print & Mail prints your PDF, inserts it, applies postage, and hands it to USPS the same business day for orders by 5:00 PM Eastern, with a notarized affidavit of mailing.
What It Costs
Certified Mail pricing has two parts: the postage for the mail class and the fee for each extra service. Both change, so check the USPS postal rates page page for current amounts and use the price estimate tool to see a total for your specific mailing. There are no monthly fees, contracts, equipment leases, or postage meter required to print labels with us.
Send Your Certified Letter the Simple Way
Use create and print live-postage Certified Mail labels online to print live-postage labels on a standard printer, with no monthly fees, contracts, equipment leases, or postage meter. Prefer to hand it off? Print & Mail prints your PDF, inserts it, applies postage, and gives it to USPS the same business day for orders placed by 5:00 PM Eastern, with a notarized affidavit of mailing. High-volume teams can use Excel/CSV bulk label tools or API and SFTP automation with USPS SCAN Forms. Add Electronic Return Receipt for a digital signature record, and keep proof of mailing, acceptance scans, tracking, and delivery records in the free Complimentary 10-Year Compliance Archive. Current postage and service fees are on the USPS postal rates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I send a certified letter?
Choose First-Class Mail or Priority Mail, add Certified Mail as an extra service, print or apply the label, and deposit the envelope with USPS. Certified Mail provides a mailing receipt and tracking and requires a signature at delivery, and you can add Return Receipt for a copy of that signature.
Which mail classes can be used with Certified Mail?
Certified Mail can be combined with First-Class Mail or Priority Mail. It is an extra service rather than a mail class, so it travels at the speed of the class you pair it with.
Does Certified Mail include a signature?
Yes. Certified Mail requires a signature from the addressee at delivery, and USPS maintains a delivery record that includes that signature. To receive a copy of the signature record yourself, you must purchase Return Receipt at the time of mailing.
Can I add insurance to Certified Mail?
You cannot buy additional insurance as a separate extra service when Certified Mail is selected. You can add Certified Mail to a mail class that already includes insurance coverage, such as Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express, and that coverage is retained.
How long does USPS hold Certified Mail before returning it?
USPS holds Certified Mail at the Post Office for 15 days and returns it to the sender on the 16th day if it is not claimed or scheduled for redelivery. A notice is left after a failed delivery attempt, and a second notice typically follows about five days later.
Can I send Certified Mail internationally?
No. Certified Mail is not available for international mail, though it can be sent to APO, FPO, and DPO locations and to U.S. territories and possessions. For destinations abroad you need a different service with its own proof-of-delivery options.