How to Contact the Postmaster

Co-authored by Tami Claytor and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 3, 2022 References

The Postmaster General is in charge of the entire United States Postal Service, or USPS. It can be hard getting ahold of the Postmaster General since the USPS is a large company that spans the nation. If you have any questions or complaints about the postal service, you can call them on the phone or submit a form online detailing your needs for a quick response.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Asking General Questions

1
Call the USPS office at 703-248-2100 for general inquiries. Although you can’t contact the postmaster general directly, you can ask questions about delivery services, package tracking, and more. Be prepared to give your address and phone number in case they need to call you back.^{[1]
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- You can ask questions like, “Why was my mail late last week?”
  ”If I’m going out of town, how do I stop my mail delivery?”
  ”How can I track my package?”
2
Call the USPS TTY line at 1-866-644-8398 if you are hearing impaired. If you’d like to ask your question over the phone but you need assistance, use the postal service’s TTY line instead of the general line. Ask your general questions about mail service or deliveries.^{[2]
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- Ask questions like, “How can I request a package pick-up?”
  ”If I missed a delivery, where do I pick up my package?”
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3
Send an email to the USPS for general problems or questions. If you’d like to resolve your situation by email, you can ask questions about your packages, submit inquires about postal service workers, or ask about business services. Use their email form to ask your question directly, and be sure to include your name, phone number, and your return email address.^{[3]
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- Send a message like, “Hi there, I was wondering how long a package usually takes to ship across the United States. I’d like to get it there in about 1 week, if possible.”
- To email the USPS, visit https://usps.force.com/emailus/s/.
4
Send USPS a letter in the mail for general questions. If you don’t mind waiting for a response, you can send a letter to the postmaster general. Ask your questions about USPS’s services or any general inquiries you have, and be sure to include your name and return address to get a response.^{[4]
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- Write something like, “Dear USPS, I was wondering how I’d request that my packages be delivered to my back door rather than the front doorstep. Is there a way to do this online, or do I have to talk to someone in person?”
- When you write a letter to someone in authority, you should start with dear.
- You can write thank you and close the letter if you have made a request.
- If it is a simple communication, you can write sending you wishes for a nice day.
- Address your letter to:
  USPS
  1735 N. Lynn Street
  Arlington, VA 22209-2020
5
Contact the postmaster closest to you for regional concerns. If you have a problem or a question that could be answered by the postmaster of your local Post Office, search the postmasters in your city. Their page will have their contact information on it so you can reach them directly.^{[5]
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- To search for the postmasters in your city, visit https://webpmt.usps.gov/pmt002.cfm.
Tip: Ask questions about your mailing route or about what time of day your mail gets delivered.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Filing a Complaint

1
Use the online complaint form for an easy option. If you notice any illegal activities like fraud, waste, theft, or misconduct from a postal employee, use the USPS hotline to report it. Be sure to include your name, phone number, and address, as well as detailing your complaint.^{[6]
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- The hotline should only be used to report violations, not for general questions.
- You can file a complaint by visiting https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint.
2
Call the hotline at 1-888-877-7644 to make a complaint over the phone. You can use the Inspector General’s hotline to tell them about abuse or theft done by a USPS employee. You should only use this number for complaints and reports of illegal activity, not general questions.^{[7]
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Official website for the United States federal government
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- Say something like, “I noticed one of your employees throwing away mail yesterday instead of delivering it to my street. I’d like to report them for misconduct.”
3
Send your complaint through the mail if you don’t mind waiting. Make sure you describe your complaint in detail and ask how it will be rectified, and provide your phone number or mailing address to get a response. It can take up to 2 weeks for USPS to get back to you if you send a complaint through the mail.^{[8]
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- Write something like, “I’d like to file a complaint about your employee who was playing loud music from their phone early in the morning. It disturbed my sleeping child, and I don’t think that it is acceptable.”
- Address your complaint to:
  ATTN: HOTLINE
  USPS OIG
  1735 North Lynn Street
  Arlington, VA 22209-2020