Can you remove someone from getting mail at your address?
Asked by: Triston Rodriguez | Last update: July 12, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (42 votes)
The most effective way to stop receiving mail for previous residents or strangers is to talk to your local Post Office. Most of the time, you'll be able to quickly resolve any issues by listing your household members as the only people who should receive mail at your address.
Can you stop someone from using your mailing address?
If you believe someone is using your address to commit fraud, you should: Report it: Report the ID theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and consider contacting your local police department. You should also report any mail fraud to the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
How do you stop someone from receiving mail at your house?
Write on the envelope Person unknown, Return to sender and drop it in a public mail box or better yet, take it to your local post office and tell them you do not know this person and want to discontinue receiving their mail. Or better yet, Write out you delivery address and write in return to sender. If it continues.
How do you get someone's name off your mailing address?
Hand the mail back to your mail carrier and indicate that it's not addressed to you or someone living with you. Put the mail back in your mailbox or drop it off at a local collection box. Before you do, cross out any barcode on the item and write “Not at this address” without covering the address.
How do I stop someone from getting informed delivery to my address?
How to Remove Someone From Informed Delivery. If a roommate or relative moved out and you want to kick them off your informed delivery, you can either contact the USPS customer service line at 1-800-275-8777 or sign in to your informed delivery account and do so.
Throwing Away Someone Else's Mail Is A Felony — Here's How To Get Rid Of It Legally
Can you block someone from sending mail to your address?
The most effective way to stop receiving mail for previous residents or strangers is to talk to your local Post Office. Most of the time, you'll be able to quickly resolve any issues by listing your household members as the only people who should receive mail at your address.
Can anyone stop my mail from being delivered?
A third party may schedule a USPS Hold Mail request for a particular address as long as the customer can provide all information required to complete the request.
What to do if someone is using your address but doesn't live there?
Report a scam or mail fraud with the USPIS
There's also a complaint hotline at 1-800-372-8347. Postal inspectors — the federal law enforcement and security arm of the USPS — investigates all complaints that they deem valid. Along with mail fraud, you can report identity theft and suspicious mail.
How do I disassociate someone from my address?
If someone is using your address without your permission, and you're receiving post addressed to someone else, simply write 'not at this address' on the envelopes and post them back to the senders. You don't need to put new stamps on them. The senders should soon stop sending correspondence to your address.
What do I do if I keep getting someone else's mail at my address?
If misdelivered mail is a recurring issue at your current address, you should notify the local post office so they can look into the matter. They may be able to contact the intended recipient to let them know that they need to submit a change of address form.
Can you stop mail for one person at an address?
Yes. The individual wanting mail held can open a Post Office Box and have their mail forwarded to the box. Regular vacation hold requests are for the entire address, not individuals who receive their mail at the same delivery address as others.
How do I stop letters from coming to my address?
Register with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) - this will stop advertising material that's addressed to you personally. You can register online at the MPS website, or you can contact them by phone or email.
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.
Can I stop other peoples mail from coming to my house?
Additionally, you can also talk to your USPS worker directly. Another way to curtail the delivery of old owners' mail to your home is by clearly labeling your mailbox with the current occupants' names on it so that your mail person knows who should be receiving mail at this address.
Is it illegal to prevent someone from getting their mail?
Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778 ; Pub.
Is there a way to block mail from a certain address?
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app .
- Open the message from the sender.
- At the top right of the message, tap More .
- Tap Block "{sender}" or Unblock "{sender}."
How do I remove someone from my residence?
“In California, for example, if they're paying rent and you want them out, they may be entitled to 30 days' notice. If they're there for more than one year it's 60 days' notice. And every time you accept rent, the clock starts again,” he says.
What is a notice of disassociation?
Once done, you can ask credit reference agencies to place a notice of disassociation on your credit report, which should prevent your former associate's actions from affecting your credit report and score in the future. If you get a divorce or break up with someone, you're still financially linked to them.
How do I stop someone from finding my address?
How do I keep my address private? You can keep your address private on websites like Whitepages by sending a request to remove it. To avoid it leaking online, you can use a VPN on your computer or mobile, keep your social media account private, and block third-party cookies.
How do I remove someone from my mailing address?
Explain the problem either to your specific postal carrier or to a clerk or postmaster at your local post office. Ask them to stop delivering the previous resident's mail to your mailbox. Be pleasant about it.
How do you stop mail for someone who doesn't live here?
If the mailpiece is delivered to the correct location but the recipient on the mailpiece does not reside at the address: Write "Not at this address" on mailpiece.
Is it illegal for someone to use your address if they don t live there?
People may use your address for their insurance, driver's license, and proof of residence. These are totally against the law and can even help criminals get away with bigger crimes.
Why am I getting mail with someone else's name at my address?
More ominously, a letter that comes to your address in someone else's name may also be a sign you're caught up in synthetic identity theft—a type of identity theft in which a thief mixes real and fake information to create fake identities.
Can you block certain mail from coming to your house?
To decide what types of mail you do and don't want from marketers, register at the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) consumer website DMAchoice.org, and choose what catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail you want to get. DMAchoice will stop most, but not all, promotional mail.
Can I throw away previous tenant's mail?
Is it okay to open, tear, or throw away the mail of a previous renter? No, you must not read, shred, or discard a previous tenant's mail. Doing so can subject you to a penalty of up to five years in prison. You might also face a large fine for opening mail that's not intended for you as this is labeled as theft.