Legal Mailbox Height

Mailboxes must meet specific USPS standards.

Postal delivery customers must have an approved mailbox or door slot. You can buy mailboxes in department stores, home improvement stores or online. You must erect your mailbox according to specific legal height requirements.

Curbside Mailboxes

According to the United States Postal Service, install your mailbox with the "bottom of the box at a vertical height of between 41-45 inches from the road surface, unless you have a road or curb condition that prevents this." The box must be on the right-hand side of the road, and set back six to eight inches from the curb. The post must be "neat and of adequate strength and size" to support the box.

Door Slots

The bottom of a door slot must be "at least 30 inches above the finished floor line." The slot must have a hinged flap at the top, and the "clear rectangular opening in the outside slot plate must be at least one and one-half inches wide and seven inches long."

Residential Mailbox Standards

The United States Postal Service has specific requirements for residential mailboxes. This information is available on-line, or consult your local postmaster before erecting your box and support.

References

• USPS: Residential Mailbox Standards

Resources

• DMM 508 Recipient Services