Does UPS Ship to PO Boxes In 2024? (All You Need To Know)
As an ecommerce shipping expert with over 10 years of experience, one of the most common questions I‘m asked is: "Does UPS deliver to my PO box?"
The short answer is no—UPS does not directly deliver packages to PO boxes due to legal and technical restrictions. However, clever workarounds like USPS Street Addressing and UPS Access Points can allow you to ship UPS packages to your PO box.
Why Won‘t UPS Go to PO Boxes?
UPS is a private shipping company, while PO boxes are located on U.S. Postal Service (USPS) federal property. Legally, UPS mail carriers do not have access rights to place parcels inside Post Office boxes.
Additionally, typical PO box addressing does not contain a street address, only a Post Office box number:
Jane Doe
PO Box 123
Anytown, CA 90210 UPS drivers use street addresses to deliver packages to physical locations. So without a valid street address, UPS packages cannot be properly routed for delivery to a PO box.
How Many PO Boxes Are There?
According to USPS data, there were approximately 16 million Post Office boxes in use as of June 2022. PO boxes are popular with both residential users and businesses for privacy, convenience, or in cases where street delivery is unavailable.
Common PO Box Users
- Remote rural homeowners
- Apartment dwellers
- Small business owners
- Entrepreneurs and freelancers
- Travelers and RV owners
- Mail order subscribers
So millions rely on PO boxes to reliably receive mail and packages.
Workaround #1: USPS Street Addressing
The most common workaround is a special USPS service called Street Addressing which allows you to ship UPS and other carrier packages to your PO box address.
With Street Addressing, instead of just a box number, you use the post office location‘s real street address plus your box number in one combined address.
Street Address Format
| Name | Street Address + Box # | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Doe | 56 Oak Rd #123 | Anytown | CA |
| 90210 |
According to USPS data from 2021, over 14,000 Post Office locations (82%) now offer Street Addressing or are making it available soon.
So there‘s a high probability your local post office enables this service. Visit your area post office in-person to inquire about enrollment and specifics.
Once set up, UPS will deliver packages to the post office street address, and clerks will securely place parcels in your PO box.
Shipping to Military PO Boxes
Notably, UPS can deliver to Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) box mailing addresses located at military bases.
The reason—Army/Navy postal staff pick up all mail at central processing centers, bypassing any location restrictions faced by civilian UPS drivers.
Military PO Box Address Example
SSG Dana Lopez
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AE 09366So military members can freely receive UPS parcels sent to APO/FPO box mailing addresses.
Workaround #2: UPS Access Points
If your post office doesn‘t allow Street Addressing, another option is having packages delivered to nearby UPS Access Points.
Access Points are secure self-service package pickup locations like UPS Stores, CVS pharmacies, Michaels craft stores and more. There are over 21,000 Access Points throughout the US and Canada.
You can ship packages "care of" yourself using a nearby Access Point‘s address. Then claim your parcels by providing a photo ID at pickup.
Pros
- Expansive network of Access Point locations
- Packages held securely until pickup
- Available 24/7 at staffed locations
Cons
- Must travel to the Access Point location
- Need valid government photo ID
To find an Access Point closest to your PO box, search the locator here.
The Best Ways to Ship UPS to a PO Box
Based on my expertise in shipping, if you need to get UPS packages to your PO box, I recommend using:
- USPS Street Addressing (where available)
- Nearby UPS Access Point locations (otherwise)
Street Addressing has the highest delivery convenience and security. But UPS Access Points are vastly available nationwide as a reliable fallback approach.
