Good citizen 101: What do you do when you receive someone else’s mail?

Mail carriers are among the most respected United States government employees, but given the challenges of the job, they’re bound to deliver a letter or package to the wrong address on occasion. Plus, some USPS customers can make the job even more difficult. Some folks have illegible handwriting, making addresses hard to read, and not every house is clearly numbered. So, we all receive someone else’s mail from time to time. The question is: What do we do with it? We all want to be good citizens and members of our communities, so it’s important to know what to do with an errant piece of mail. Otherwise, it could sit on the kitchen table for weeks before someone accidentally throws it away. It seems like knowing what to do with an errant letter or package was something every grandparent or parent knew back in the day, but you’d be surprised how many people have no idea what to do when a letter meant for someone five blocks away ends up in their mailbox. A postal worker delivering the mail. Photo credit: Paul De Los Reyes/Flickr Why not deliver it yourself? There’s nothing illegal about opening someone else’s mailbox to drop a letter inside. It’s perfectly legal to leave a package at someone’s door, too. So if the person lives nearby, enjoy taking a walk and dropping off the misplaced item yourself. A woman putting a letter in the mailbox. Photo credit: Canva Leave it for the postal worker to handle If you have a mailbox with a flag that lets the mail carrier know there’s something to be picked up, you can leave the letter in your mailbox with the flag raised. Be sure to write “Return to Sender” or “Delivered to Wrong Address” across the envelope in black ink so the carrier doesn’t miss the message. Try to avoid writing “Not at This Address,” because that could indicate the person used to live there but has since moved, which requires a different USPS procedure. You can also drop the letter in a USPS collection box or, if it’s a package, leave it at your local post office. USPS vehicles. Photo credit: Ron Doke/Flickr What not to do if you receive someone else’s mail The most important thing is not to open the letter or package because doing so is against federal law. While it’s rare for anyone to be prosecuted for opening someone else’s mail, it’s always best to be on the safe side. Plus, the correspondence could contain private or sensitive information. What if it isn’t USPS mail? If you receive a package from a delivery service other than USPS, such as Amazon, FedEx, or UPS, it’s best to contact the company to see what they’d like you to do with it. In some cases, Amazon may tell you to keep the package because it’s more trouble to retrieve and redeliver it than to send a new package to the correct address. A big part of being a good citizen is going out of your way for people you don’t know, like when you accidentally receive their mail and take the time to make sure the letter or package gets where it needs to go. By returning it, you not only ensure the rightful owner receives their property, but also send the message that there are still plenty of good people willing to help a stranger.