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Sending Your Letter

Addressing the Envelope

Place the return address in the upper left corner, the destination address in the center, and the correct postage at the upper right.

Acceptable Envelope Forms

There are two acceptable forms for addressing the envelope. You can use upper- and lowercase letters as well as punctuation, or as the postal service recommends, you can use all caps and no punctuation.

U.S. Postal Service Guidelines

1. Capitalize everything and leave out ALL punctuation.
2. Use the list of common abbreviations found in the National ZIP Code Directory. (See page 349.) Use numerals rather than words for numbered streets and avenues (9TH AVE NE, 3RD ST SW).
3. If you know the ZIP + 4 code, use it. You can get this information online or by phoning the postal service.