How To Write a Shipping Address

For sending mail and parcels within the United States, use the following format:

Line One: Start with the name of the recipient, including any legal or professional title as appropriate. When sending to organisations, include the company name as well as the recipient’s work title and (if known) the name of their department.

Line Two: Write the street address. Remember to include the apartment number, where one exists, and any directional information (NW, SE, NE, SW).

Line Three: Write the town/city followed by the two-letter state abbreviation and five-digit zip code, on one line if it fits. Otherwise, separate the information across two lines.

EXAMPLE:

RECEIVER’S NAME 
47 ANYVILLE RD NW #2
ANYTOWN AZ 01234

If shipping or posting from overseas, add a final line for UNITED STATES or USA.

International address formats are similar in structure to domestic addresses. Just be aware of minor variations in format among countries. Taking a little extra time to clarify the correct format can make all the difference when shipping overseas.

For example, in the United Kingdom it’s common to include the county or metropolitan area before the postcode:

RECEIVER’S NAME
47 ANYVILLE RD
READING
BERKSHIRE
RG1 1AT
UNITED KINGDOM

In France, the postcode precedes the town or city name:

RECEIVER’S NAME
APARTMENT 2
47 ANYTOWN RUE
01234 ANYVILLE
FRANCE

And in India, it’s common to include the state before the postcode:

RECEIVER’S NAME
47 ANYTOWN ROAD
CHENNAI
TAMIL NADU 600 002
INDIA

The Universal Postal Union, which governs postal standards worldwide, provides a handy online directory of address formats for countries around the world.

Military mail is handled by its own dedicated postal channel. For this reason, there’s no need to list city or country names in a military address. In fact, you should actively avoid including city or country names because you don’t want military mail to enter domestic or foreign postal networks.

The military address format is straightforward. Use the service member’s full name and title, followed by the unit and APO/FPO number.

Here’s an example:

SSGT RECEIVER’S NAME
UNIT 2050 BOX 4190
APO AP 96278-2050

APO stands for Army Post Office (Army and Air Force installations), and FPO stands for Fleet Post Office (Navy installations and ships). As shown above, the APO or FPO designation is followed by one of:

AA = Armed Forces of the Americas
AE = Armed Forces of Europe
AP = Armed Forces of the Pacific

Followed by an extended zip code. When sending military mail, provide a return address on the front of the parcel.

Finally, addressing parcels to a domestic PO Box is simple. Replace the street address with the PO Box number as follows:

RECEIVER’S NAME
PO BOX 101010
ANYTOWN AZ 01234

It may seem like an extra step but adding a return address is always a smart idea in the event of non-delivery.

The return address should follow the same format as other domestic addresses in the United States

SENDER’S NAME
47 ANYVILLE RD NW #2
ANYTOWN AZ 01234

or your local country if you’re sending from overseas. Write the return address in the upper left corner of the parcel or envelope.