Mail Addressed to the Deceased
How to Stop or Forward Mail
After loved ones pass, you can stop mail from being sent to their addresses. Learn how to file a proper request at the Post Office™ to redirect their mail or remove them from advertising lists.
Advertising – Do Not Contact List
The Data & Marketing Association maintains a Deceased Do Not Contact List (DDNC). Within 3 months of registering the deceased's name with DDNC, advertising mail should decrease.
If You Shared an Address
If you shared a mailing address with someone who has died and continue to receive that mail, you have several options:
- You may open and manage the deceased's mail as needed.
- You may forward all of the deceased's mail to a different address. See If You Have a Different Address.
- You may forward a single piece of mail, for example, to an appointed executor, without going to a Post Office™ location. To forward the single mailpiece:
- Neatly cross out your address.
- Print Forward to and the new address on the front of the envelope.
- Leave the envelope in your mailbox for carrier pickup, drop it off in a blue collection box, or take it to a Post Office lobby drop.
If You Have a Different Address
To forward the deceased's mail to yourself or to a different address, you must go to a Post Office location to submit a change of address request. You will need to:
- Provide documented proof that you are the appointed executor or administrator authorized to manage the deceased's mail. (Simply having their death certificate is not enough.)
- Complete a change of address request in person.