WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Postal Service is recommending that customers in the contiguous United States mail most holiday letters and packages by Dec. 17 for expected delivery before Christmas, setting its key shipping deadlines for the 2026 holiday season.
Customers using USPS Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail in the lower 48 states should ship by Dec. 17. The recommended date for Priority Mail is Dec. 18, followed by Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express.
The Postal Service recommends slightly earlier Ground Advantage shipping for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, with a Dec. 16 date for customers seeking delivery before Dec. 25.
First-Class Mail in those locations carries a Dec. 17 recommended mailing date, while Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express have Dec. 18 and Dec. 19 dates, respectively.
The dates are recommended shipping windows rather than guarantees that items mailed by those dates will arrive before Christmas.
USPS plans to publish a complete list of recommended mailing dates for packages going to military and international addresses on its holiday shipping page beginning in mid-October.
The Postal Service is encouraging customers to send holiday cards and packages early rather than wait until the recommended cutoff dates as mail and package volumes increase ahead of Christmas.
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