What Is the Proper Placement of a Mailbox?

Identification

• If you place your name on your mailbox, each letter of your first and last name, or just first initial and last name, must be at least 1 inch tall, according to United States Postal Service guidelines for residential mailboxes. If you choose to identify your mailbox with your street address, make sure the numbers are at least 1 inch tall.

Height

• Install your mailbox so that the bottom is 41 to 45 inches up from the road surface. Do not measure this distance from the sidewalk; if your mailbox sits on a post in front of, or across the street from your house, measure the distance from the street and not the curb. This helps ensure the mailman can easily place parcels and letters in your box from his mail truck (or bag if he is hand-delivering). The United States Postal Service (USPS) also requires that boxes be placed so that their front edges sit 6 to 8 inches back from the edge of the street.

Location

• The USPS requests that mailboxes be placed on the right-hand side of the street and in the direction of traffic in any instance where crossing over to the left-hand side of the street would present a threat or danger to the mail carrier.

Standards for Mail Slots

• If your mailbox is locked or is a slot in your front door, the slot must be wide enough to accommodate your daily volume of mail, as mail carriers will not open locked boxes. Make sure your slot is at least 1 1/2-inches wide and 7 inches long and has a hinged flap at the top of the slot if it is placed vertically, or on the side away from your door hinge if the slot is positioned horizontally. The bottom of the slot must be 30 or more inches above the floor.

USPS-Approved Box

• Buy an approved mailbox at a local department and home improvement stores or make your own according to USPS standards detailed in a publication called "Mailbox Standard 7B," which is available at your local post office or by writing to:

  Delivery and Customer SVCS Equipment, Engineering, U.S. Postal Service

  8403 Lee Hwy

  Merrifield, VA 22082-8108

  The United States Postal Service does not sell mailboxes but does provided standards on how to build an acceptable box.