Understanding USPS General Delivery: A Lifeline for Travelers on the Move

If you don’t have a fixed address, whether you’re an RVer or van lifer, a long-haul trucker, a full-time traveler, or just staying somewhere temporarily, you can still get your mail. USPS General Delivery lets you receive letters and packages at a post office and pick them up in person. It works well for regular USPS mail, but it comes with real limits, and for anything you order from Amazon, a pickup locker is usually the better move. Here’s how General Delivery works, where it falls short, and when to reach for a locker instead.

What is General Delivery?

General Delivery is a USPS service that holds your mail at a post office until you collect it, with no local address required. It’s meant as a temporary option for people who are passing through or between addresses.

To use it, address your mail to the post office that offers General Delivery, using that office’s ZIP code with the -9999 add-on:

John Smith
General Delivery
Seattle, WA 98101-9999

Then pick it up in person at that post office and bring a valid photo ID that matches the name on the mail. USPS holds General Delivery mail for up to 30 days before returning it to the sender. The service is officially free, though some locations apply their own fees or restrictions, so confirm with the specific office before you count on it.

Where General Delivery falls short

General Delivery is handy, but a few limits matter, especially if you order online:

• USPS only: This is the big one. General Delivery only accepts USPS mail. Anything shipped by UPS, FedEx, or Amazon’s own carriers will not be accepted, and Amazon ships with those all the time. So for a lot of Amazon orders, General Delivery simply won’t work.
• Amazon rejects the address: Amazon’s checkout often won’t accept an address with “General Delivery” in it, so even USPS-shipped Amazon orders can be a hassle to route this way.
• Not every post office offers it: Smaller offices may not, and in a city with several branches only one usually handles General Delivery, sometimes a central downtown location rather than the one nearest you.
• Size limits: It follows USPS package rules, so bulky items may be impractical or refused.
• Local rules and fees vary: General Delivery is officially free, but some offices charge their own handling fees or add restrictions, and pickup hours and holding practices differ. Call ahead to confirm.

Best practices for using General Delivery

If General Delivery is the right fit for your USPS mail, a few habits make it smoother:

• Confirm the office offers it: Use the USPS Post Office Locator and filter by “General Delivery,” or call the office directly.
• Use the -9999 ZIP: Address your mail to the post office’s ZIP code with the -9999 add-on.
• Bring photo ID: You’ll need valid ID that matches the name on the item.
• Keep packages small: Smaller items are less likely to run into size or storage issues.
• Don’t trust the “delivered” status: Tracking may say delivered before the office has it ready at the counter, so check or call before you drive over.
• Pick up within 30 days: After that, USPS returns it to the sender.

For Amazon orders, use a locker instead

General Delivery is a fine backup for USPS letters and the occasional small package. But if you’re mainly receiving Amazon orders on the road, an Amazon Locker or Counter is the better tool, and it sidesteps every one of General Delivery’s headaches:

• Addresses just work: You select the locker at Amazon checkout, so there’s no “General Delivery” address to be rejected.
• Any Amazon carrier is fine: The locker is Amazon’s own pickup point, so it doesn’t matter which courier delivers it.
• Open around the clock: Many lockers are accessible 24/7, not just during post office hours.
• Roomier size limits: Lockers and Counters handle a wider range of package sizes.

LockerMap makes this easy by showing every Amazon Locker, Counter, and pickup point near you or along your route, so you can grab your orders wherever the road takes you.