How to Prepare And Mail A Certified Letter

Do you have an important letter or document to mail to the IRS, a business, or an individual? Do you need the recipient to sign for it and receive proof that it was received by them? If so, then you should be sending your document by Certified Mail through the United States Postal Service.

Certified Mail gives you these benefits: Proof of Mailing, Signature Of Recipient, Online Proof of Delivery, and available Hardcopy Proof Of Delivery. If you don't need your article insured (Insured or Registered Mail), but do need a signature and the ability to prove it was delivered, Certified Mail is the service you need.

Sending a Certified Letter satisfies certain legal requirements for proof of delivery. For example, if you filed your income taxes by mail, and the IRS says that they did not receive them, they will accept Certified Mail delivery information as proof that they were actually received.

Certified Mail can be the type of mail service you need, but it must be properly prepared before it will be accepted by the United States Postal Service. Here is How To Prepare And Mail A Certified Letter.

Things You'll Need

• Document To Mail

Instructions

1. Place the letter or document that you intend to send into a suitable mailer. You can use a regular letter-size envelope, manila envelope, or even a box if the size of your article warrants it. Place your Return and To addresses on the article.

2. You will need to complete two United States Postal Service (USPS) forms to get your article ready to send by Certified Mail. These are: PS Form 3800, Certified Mail Receipt, and PS Form 3811, Domestic Return Receipt.

   You can get these forms for free at any Post Office, or you can order them from the USPS website, www.usps.com, and they will be shipped to you free of charge. To order from the website, click on Order Supplies, and then Forms.

   Once you have your forms, you're ready to fill them out.

3. 

   Start with the PS Form 3800. This is actually a three piece form. It contains your proof of mailing receipt, an adhesive numbered/barcoded self-adhesive label that attaches to your mailpiece, and an adhesive number-strip that attaches to the back of the Domestic Return Receipt.
   On the right section of the PS 3800, there are lines where you fill in the Name and Address of the business or person that the article is being mailed to. Complete this information on the form.

4. 

   Next, complete PS Form 3811, Domestic Return Receipt. This card will be mailed back to you after your Certified article is delivered. When you get it back in the mail, the card will show the date the Certified was delivered. It will also have the printed and signed name of the person who accepted it on it.

   On the front side of the form, there is a blank box. Fill in your Name and complete Address here. This is the address the card will be returned to, so if you want it returned to someone other than you, write in their name and address instead.

5. 

   On the back of the Domestic Receipt Form, there is a section that says, "Article Addressed To". Write in the Name and Address of the company or person that your article is being mailed to. In the section that says, "Service Type", put a check in the box that says, "Certified". Peel off the adhesive number-strip from the edge of the PS Form 3800, and stick it to the bottom of the Form 3811 in the section that says, "Article Number".

   See the photo attached to this section to see a properly completed addressee side of the PS Form 3811.

6. 

   Next, tear off the right side of the PS Form 3800, Certified Mail Receipt. You will keep this part as your proof of mailing.

   The barcoded/numbered label from the PS Form 3800 is attached to the address side of your mailpiece. Peel off it's adhesive backing and affix it to the top of your envelope or package, to the right of the return address. (The sticker has a dotted line on it showing where you can fold it, allowing a small edge at the top of the form to overlap the edge of the mailpiece to better hold it in place.)

   Peel off the adhesive strips from the green Domestic Return Receipt, and affix it to the envelope. If you are mailing it in a regular business size envelope, attach the Return Receipt to the back side of the envelope. If you are using a large manila envelope or box, you can also attach the Return Receipt to the front of the article if there is room.

7. 

   Take your package to the Post Office.

   Present your package and your proof of mailing portion of the PS Form 3800 to the Sales Associate at the Post Office retail counter. They will calculate and affix the proper postage to your Certified article, and also date stamp your proof of mailing portion of the PS 3800 and return it to you for your records. Be sure you keep this portion of the form in a safe place, because you will need the Certified number on it if you need to check on it's delivery status or prove that you mailed it.

8. When your article is delivered, the recipient will have to sign to receive it. They will also have to sign the green Domestic Return Receipt card attached to it, print their name on the card, and date it. This card will be put in the mail by the Postal Service and returned to you as proof of delivery of your article.

Tips & Warnings

• The PS FORM 3811 is actually optional and costs an additional amount on top of the Certified Mail fee. The USPS recommends that you use the Domestic Return Receipt form for your greatest protection, but you can mail a Certified without using it.

• If you do not purchase a Return Receipt, you can go online at www.usps.com, put in your Certified number in the TRACK AND CONFIRM box, and the website will show you the date and time that your article was delivered. You will not be able to see who actually signed for your article though, so this is the only disadvantage in not paying for the Return Receipt.

• If your Certified mailpiece is not deliverable on the first attempt (the business may have been closed for lunch or the addressee wasn't home), the USPS will send a second notice after five days. If the article is not picked up after 15 days from the first attempt, it will be returned to you marked, "Unclaimed".

Resources

• USPS Website