Each year, the Postal Service designates the third full week of May as “Mailbox Improvement Week” to encourage customers on city motorized, rural, or contract delivery service routes (formerly highway contract box delivery routes) to examine and, where necessary, improve the appearance of their mailboxes. Neat, attractive mailboxes make a significant contribution to the appearance of the countryside and streets in suburban areas. Mailbox Improvement Week calls attention to the need for providing mailboxes that are:
1. Approved by the Postmaster General.
2. Fully operational.
3. Designed to protect the mail from weather.
4. Safe to use.
5. Conveniently located.
6. Neat in appearance.
7. Large enough within allowable size limits to support the customer’s daily mail and package volume (see about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/current-initiatives/delivery-growth-management/welcome.htm).
Mailboxes designed to meet these seven important requirements help delivery and collection operations while improving service to the entire route. There are two main design groups of curbside mailboxes:
1. Non-locked designs (full or limited service):
- Traditional design (see Exhibit A1, below).
- Traditional design — wide; USPS preferred (see Exhibit A2, below).
- Contemporary design (see Exhibit B, below).
2. Locked designs (full or limited service):
- Mail slot design.
- Wide or large-capacity design; USPS preferred.
Read more: Postal Bulletin – May 15, 2025
Source: USPS