Can you call the cops if someone opens your mail?
Asked by: Clyde Schuppe | Last update: September 4, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (69 votes)
The short answer is "yes." Opening or destroying mail that is addressed to someone else is a crime called "Obstruction of Correspondence." It is a serious felony that could lead to prison time. It is remarkably easy to find yourself charged with this crime, even if you didn't mean to do anything wrong.
Can I call the police if someone opens my mail?
Provided there is no malicious intent, the legal system typically does not treat the accidental opening of another person's mail as a criminal act. However, intentionally misusing mail belonging to someone else may fall under obstruction of correspondence, mail tampering or mail fraud.
Can I report someone for opening my mail?
If you believe that someone has opened your mail and shared its contents without your permission, it can be considered a violation of your privacy. As a starting step, you will want to contacttact your local police department and file a report about the incident. Provide them with all the details and evidence you have.
Is it illegal for someone to open your mail?
We know that the law is complicated at best, and confounding at worst. Trying to decipher legalese can just leave people feeling vulnerable. Most people know that it's illegal to open mail that is addressed to someone else. In fact, there is a federal law that makes it a crime to do so.
What to do if your mail has been opened?
Call the postal inspector. These are federal law enforcement that take the sanctity of the mail quite seriously.
How Are Thieves Getting Access To Master Keys Assigned To Mail Carriers?
Who to call if my mail was opened?
Mail Theft
Or call USPIS: 1-877-876-2455.
What to do when someone is opening my mail?
Ok, even if you don't have any provable money damages, you could still contact the local Postmaster General's office and file a formal complaint for mail tampering... which can be charged as a felony under the law if the Postmaster decides to pursue a case against roommate...
Can police open your mail?
Who has the authority to check your mail in California? According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website, first-class letters and packages are protected under the Fourth Amendment. They cannot be opened without a search warrant, the website states.
Am I obligated to return mail that isn't yours?
If you get mail that doesn't belong to you, then you should not open it. Don't throw it away, either. Instead, take the mail to the correct recipient or write “return to sender” on the package or letter. You can also return it to the post office directly.
Can I go to jail for hitting a mailbox?
Penalties for mailbox damage
Those who are convicted of destroying a mailbox or the mail inside can spend up to three years in prison and pay as much as $250,000 in fines.
Can you sue someone for keeping your mail?
A: Under California law, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the post office and the carrier for withholding mail, returning mail to sender, and causing emotional distress.
Why would a postal inspector come to your house?
Postal Inspectors investigate any crime with a nexus to the mail. These crimes include mail theft, mail fraud, financial fraud, identity theft, robberies and burglaries of postal facilities, assaults and threats on postal employees, investigations of dangerous and prohibited mails, narcotics, cybercrime and much more.
How do you report someone for opening your mail on Reddit?
Go to the post office and ask to speak to the postmaster. Say someone is opening your mail and ask if it can be held there on a weekly basis and you just go pick it up. You have to fill out a little form and it usually takes a week or two to take affect.
What to do if you suspect someone is taking your mail?
Report suspected mail losses to Postal Inspectors by calling 877-876-2455 or at www.uspis.gov. Keep Registered Mail separate from other mail.
Can I throw away mail that is not mine?
In a word, no. It is a federal crime to destroy, hide, open, or embezzle mail that is not intended for you. The official crime is obstruction of correspondence, which is a felony.
Is it illegal to open a deceased person's mail?
You may open and manage the deceased's mail as needed. You may forward all of the deceased's mail to a different address. See If You Have a Different Address. You may forward a single piece of mail, for example, to an appointed executor, without going to a Post Office™ location.
Is opening someone's mail a crime?
Is it a federal crime to open someone else's mail? The short answer is "yes." Opening or destroying mail that is addressed to someone else is a crime called "Obstruction of Correspondence." It is a serious felony that could lead to prison time.
Do I legally have to return to sender?
Short answer: yes. But, there are a few reasons for returning mail to the sender and different ways for each. “Return to sender” is a common policy used by the United States Postal Service (USPS), UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other carriers to handle mail items that are misdelivered or rejected.
Is it illegal to throw out previous tenant's mail?
While it may seem like a simple solution, throwing away a former tenant's mail is not recommended. And you shouldn't try to open or destroy it either as this is illegal.
Can I call the police if someone is holding my mail?
To submit a report for theft of letter mail or a package without a Tracking Number, select "Where is my mail?" to complete the form. You may also visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website for additional tips to protect your mail. Notify your local police.
Is it illegal for the post office to open your mail?
Can Postal Inspectors open mail if they feel it may contain something illegal? First-Class letters and parcels are protected against search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, and, as such, cannot be opened without a search warrant.
What is the law enforcement for mail?
U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service supports and protects the U.S. Postal Service and its customers by enforcing the laws that defend the nation's mail system from illegal or dangerous use.
How do I report a mailman?
USPS Office the Inspector General - Concerns about suspected misconduct by a postal employee should be reported to the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG), which is responsible for investigating alleged employee misconduct. The OIG can be reached by phone at 1-888-877-7644.
Is it illegal to give out someone's address without their permission?
If permission is not requested and granted, that person is committing address fraud and maybe even mail fraud [*].
Can you sue someone for putting mail in your mailbox?
It is against Federal law to put anything in a mailbox, “on which no postage has been paid,” and if caught doing so a person could be fined up to $5,000 and an organization $10,000.