With the holiday season coming up, many people will experience some anxiety about when packages being sent will be delivered.
When shipping through USPS, you can expect a certain amount of shipping accountability that is very reliable.
What are the shipping exceptions, and when should you really expect your mail to be delivered?
Here’s When USPS Delivers The Mail:
USPS prides itself on being one of the most reliable ways to ship and receive mail and packages. You should receive your mail Monday through Saturday by 5 pm. However, some exceptions exist, which are completely out of USPS’s control.
Does USPS Only Deliver On Business Days?
Business days are Monday through Friday from 8 am to the close of the day at 5 pm. USPS delivers during these times.
While USPS does deliver during this window, they have also extended the hours to deliver on Saturdays.
On very rare occasions depending on what type of shipping you are expecting, you may receive a package on a Sunday.
However, regular mail will not be delivered on Sunday. Also, depending on your local post office, the hours they will deliver on Saturdays may be shorter and may not extend to 5 pm.
The one major exception to this rule is on weekends that land on federal or national holidays, which we will explore next.
Does USPS Deliver On National Holidays?
USPS will not deliver on federal or national holidays.
This is because the USPS is a government agency, so when a holiday is considered federal, USPS will close for their employees to enjoy the holiday, much like the banks would.
Holidays that force USPS to close are some of the most popular, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, and Independence Day.
Others include Martin Luther King Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, and President’s Day.
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On What Days Does USPS Not Deliver?
You should expect USPS to deliver your mail anytime from Monday to Saturday until 5 pm.
The only time you can expect USPS not to deliver during these days is during federal holidays and Sundays. This helps to make USPS one of the most reliable shipping services available.
Several years ago, there was talk about reducing USPS hours to no longer include Saturdays, but this ended up not passing a vote.
One of the reasons why USPS does not want to reduce its operating hours is that they need to remain competitive.
With so many delivery services now available, USPS wants to continuously show that you can count on them for all your delivery needs, no matter the day.
Does USPS Deliver During Storms And Hurricanes?
If the state has declared a weather emergency, the USPS must follow its recommendations to keep its employees safe.
In the case of a severe storm, if the state puts in place a mandatory evacuation of a certain area, this will also include the USPS, which means that you can expect your mail not to be delivered during that time.
In the case of severe weather storms like hurricanes, the local post office may be closed for an extended time if a great deal of damage is done.
This will delay your mail delivery and mean that you can expect future deliveries to be paused until the damage can be assessed.
Does USPS Deliver During Rain And Snow?
USPS is known for its popular slogan that has been adopted since they first were established – “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
However, the number one priority for USPS is to keep their employees safe. This is especially true for mail carriers who have to walk door to door and drive around to deliver the mail.
Whether or not USPS will deliver has to be determined by the Post Master at each USPS location.
Weather complications like icy roads and snow will not always force USPS to close but may delay your mail delivery.
This is because the policy is that mail carriers are expected to make their deliveries using reasonable and safe measures.
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Does USPS Deliver When No One’s Home?
USPS will deliver your regular mail daily to your mailbox whether or not you are home. Most times, the mail carrier will not need to check to see if someone is home before delivering the mail.
However, there are some expectations.
If you are being sent something labeled as certified mail, it may require your signature to be delivered. This is the same policy for packages delivered through USPS that also need proof of delivery, like a signature or a picture.
If you are not home during the window when this type of mail or package is being delivered, don’t worry – you will eventually get your package.
The mail carrier will often leave a slip in your mailbox letting you know that you missed a delivery that requires a signature.
Either the mail carrier will attempt to re-deliver this mail another day, or you will receive instructions stating that you must pick up this mail directly from the post office.
Most of the time, these deliveries include private information or time-sensitive goods.
Outside of these deliveries, you can expect your regular mail to be right in your mailbox when you get home from work.