General
The components of the delivery address are the primary address number, street name, secondary address identifier, and secondary address range.
Examples:
125 CALLE MAIN Primary address
URB HIGHLAND GDNS Urbanization name
(secondary address identifier)
1 COND AMAPOLA APT 103 Pri. & Sec. Addr. Range
Street Names
Do not abbreviate street names. Consult the abbreviation tables in Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards[1] prior to making any abbreviation. Always write the word "CALLE" (Street), "AVE" (Avenue), etc., on the mailpiece before the street name unless the street name is equivalent to the word "CALLE." When the following words are used (in singular or plural), there is no need to write the word "CALLE" before the street name:
PASEO
PLAZA
PASAJE
CARR
PARQUE
VEREDA
VISTA
VIA
CALLEJON
PATIO
BLVD
CAMINO
Example:
585 AVE FD ROOSEVELT
105 CAMINO AMAZONA
1025 PARQUE DEL REY
1212 VIA ANGELICA
Numbered Streets
Numbered streets must always contain the word "CALLE" to avoid misinterpretation of the delivery information between the numbered street and the house number(s).
Examples:
A17 CALLE 1
13 CALLE 191
Note: Remember not to translate "CALLE" to the suffix "ST." This translation makes the address undeliverable.
House Numbers
Always place the house number before the street name. When the house number is alphanumeric, do not use a hyphen to separate the letter from the number.
Examples:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
CALLE 125 C-19 C19 CALLE 125
A-17 CALLE AMAPOLA A17 CALLE AMAPOLA
B-40 CALLE 1 B40 CALLE 1
Hyphens in the address range are sometimes necessary. When addresses contain block numbers and house numbers, use a hyphen to separate the block number from the house number. Identifiers commonly used to separate these elements (including "Bloque," "Numero," "Casa," "Lote," "#," etc.) need to be eliminated.
Examples:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
CALLE 19 BLQ 199 CASA 31 199-31 CALLE 19
CALLE 117 BlOQUE 23 Num. 18 23-18 CALLE 117
This process facilitates matching customer files against AMS files.
Urbanization
Because the urbanization name can be the most important part of the delivery address, the name is standardized. In most instances, use the abbreviated urbanization identifier "URB" followed by the urbanization name.
Example:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
URBANIZATION GOLDEN GATE URB GOLDEN GATE
Generally, urbanization names are not repeated within 5-digit zones and, in most cases, are served by the same carrier route. Therefore, a list of urbanization names serves as 5-digit ZIP Code® verification.
Certain words identify names as urbanizations. Words like "EXTENSION," "REPARTO," "ALTURAS," "ESTANCIAS," "QUINTAS," etc., are used instead of "URB." When these words are present, there is no need to place the abbreviation "URB" before the name of the urbanization.
Example:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
URB EXT VISTA BELLA EXT VISTA BELLA
URB ALTS DE CANA ALTS DE CANA
The following is a list of the most common cases in which the word "URB" is not used. Always use the appropriate abbreviation.
Word Abbreviation
Altura ALT
Alturas ALTS
Colinas COLINAS
Estancias EST
Extension EXT
Jardines JARD
Mansiones MANS
Parque PARQ
Quintas QTAS
Reparto REPTO
Sector SECT
Terraza TERR
Villa VILLA
Villas VILLA
Post Office Box
Always use the words "PO BOX" to identify post office boxes. Do not use Spanish words.
Example:
PO BOX 1195
PO BOX 193565
Post Office box addresses are often written with the words "CALLER," "CALL BOX," "GPO BOX," "PO BOXS-," "APTDO," "APARTADO," "APT," "BOX," and "BUZON." All of these words should be changed to "PO BOX" on the mailpiece. This is the only authorized format.
The postal station name is not needed on the mailpiece, because the ZIP Code identifies the station. However, when the station name appears on the mailpiece, it should be placed above the delivery line as follows:
Example:
OLD SAN JUAN STA
PO BOX 9021190
SAN JUAN PR 00902-1190
Rural Routes
The following addressing format is used for rural routes addresses: RR____ BOX____. Do not use the words "RURAL," "RUTA RURAL," "RFD," "BUZON," or "BZN." A leading zero before the route number is not necessary.
Examples:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
Ruta Rural 3 Buzon 12000 RR 3 BOX 12000
RR02 Box 9800 RR 2 BOX 9800
RFD 1 Bzn 17-A RR 1 BOX 17A
There should be no additional designations, such as sector names, on the delivery address line of rural addresses. Using sector names with route and box numbers can create potential matching difficulty. Mailers are required to use only one style of addressing. Eliminate unnecessary information.
Examples:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
RR 2 BOX 1980 RR 2 BOX 1980
SECTOR EL BRINCO
RR 3 BOX 3415 RR 3 BOX 3415
BARRIO VISTA ALEGRE
Highway Contract Routes
Highway contract route addresses are written on mailpieces as HC___ BOX___ which is basically the same format used for rural routes. Likewise, a leading zero before the route number is not necessary.
Examples:
Incorrect Form Correct Form
Ruta Estrella 1 Buzon 18 HC 1 BOX 18
HC03 Bzn 1050 HC 1 BOX 1050
As with rural route addresses, there should not be any additional designations such as names of sectors in the delivery address line of HC addresses. Use only one style of addressing, and eliminate unnecessary information.
Private Mailbox Addresses
Private companies offering mailbox rental services to individuals or businesses may require a box number for final sortation. Print this number, called a "MailStop Code" (MSC), above the recipient line or the attention line. The words "POST OFFICE BOX" or "PO BOX" and the private mailbox number cannot be used on the delivery address line.
Note: Only the U.S. Postal Service™ is entitled to provide delivery to a PO box.
Examples:
MSC 1587 MSC 1587
ABC COMPANY ABC COMPANY
12 E MAIN AVE STE 209 PO BOX 7530
KRYTON TN 38188-0002 KRYTON TN 38188-7530
The delivery address line shown is the standardized address of the private company.