How much does certified mail cost? Current USPS amounts

The two worked examples use the 1 oz letter price. USPS can change its amounts, so check the USPS extra services page on the day you mail.

The Certified Mail fee is not a replacement for postage. You pay postage for the First-Class Mail or Priority Mail item, and then you pay the Certified Mail fee on top. Each piece needs its own fee. If you send two letters to two addresses, you pay twice.

A Return Receipt works the same way. It is a separate fee, charged per piece, and it is added to the Certified Mail fee. The Restricted Delivery fee is also separate and is added on top of the others.

• Postage depends on the shape and weight of the letter.
• The Certified Mail fee is the same for every piece.
• A Return Receipt is optional and must be bought at the time of mailing.
• Restricted Delivery is optional and limits who can sign for the piece.

For a First-Class Mail letter, USPS sets the price by shape and weight. A rectangular letter of 1 ounce uses the Forever stamp price in the table. A square or oversized letter costs more, and the table lists that price too. Letters can weigh up to 3.5 ounces, and USPS lists delivery at 1 to 5 days.

A heavier letter costs more postage. If your letter runs to several pages, weigh it before you go, or have the counter weigh it. The Certified Mail fee does not change with weight. Only the postage does.

If you choose a mailed Return Receipt, the card is attached to the piece. USPS excludes the card's weight from the postage, so the card does not push your letter into a higher price.

The Certified Mail fee pays for the two records: the postmarked sender's receipt and the delivery record, which includes the recipient's signature and shows delivery or a delivery attempt. It does not pay for anything more than that.

• It includes no insurance. A lost or damaged piece is not paid for by the fee.
• It does not speed up delivery. The piece travels as ordinary mail.
• It does not include a Return Receipt. That is a separate fee, bought at the time of mailing.
• It does not limit who can sign. That is Restricted Delivery, also a separate fee.

Because the pieces add up, it helps to decide what you need before you reach the counter. For a letter where you only need to show the mailing date and the delivery date, the Certified Mail fee alone may be enough. If you need to show who signed, add the receipt.

Both examples in the table follow the same three steps. Take the postage for a 1 oz letter, add the Certified Mail fee, and add the Return Receipt you chose. The only difference between the two examples is the receipt. The emailed receipt costs less than the mailed one, so the first total is lower.

If your letter is square or oversized, swap in that postage line instead. If you add Restricted Delivery, add that fee last. You can check any total against the table line by line before you pay.

You buy Certified Mail at a Post Office. Hand the piece to a postal employee and ask for Certified Mail, plus a Return Receipt if you want one. You pay at the counter and leave with a postmarked sender's receipt.

That receipt is the proof of mailing, so keep it. Our guide to what certified mail is explains what each record proves, and Certified Mail for cancellations explains how to store them.

The emailed Return Receipt cannot be bought through USPS.com. You buy it at a Post Office when you mail the piece.

The emailed receipt costs less and arrives by email, so you can save it at once. The mailed receipt costs more and comes back as a card, which needs the full return address on the piece. The card can take time to arrive. Our guide to the Certified Mail return receipt compares the two in detail.

Many people skip the Return Receipt and rely on the delivery record from USPS Tracking. That can be enough when you only need to show a delivery date. A Return Receipt adds who received the piece and the actual delivery address.

Two free tools can help you plan. The cancellation deadline calculator works out the last safe day to mail a letter, so you know how much time you have. The subscription cost calculator shows what a subscription costs you each month and each year.

If you would rather not go to a Post Office, our guide on how to send certified mail online explains that route.