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What is a Certificate Of Mailing and How To Get It

A Certificate of Mailing is proof from USPS that you sent an item on a specific date. It does not track your package or confirm it was delivered. It only proves the item entered the mail and when.

If a customer or a third party ever disputes whether you mailed something on time, this is the record that settles it.

What it proves (and what it doesn't)

A Certificate of Mailing gives you one thing: a dated receipt showing USPS accepted your item.

It does not give you:

  • Tracking or scans along the route
  • Delivery confirmation or a signature
  • Insurance against loss or damage

If you need to know the package arrived, you want tracking or Certified Mail instead. If you only need to prove you sent it, a Certificate of Mailing is the cheapest way to do it.

USPS keeps no copy of the certificate, so hold onto yours. It is the only record you get.

How to get one

You buy a Certificate of Mailing at the time you mail the item, not after.

  • Bring your item to a Post Office counter, or add the service when you create a label that supports it.
  • Ask for a Certificate of Mailing. For a single item, the clerk uses PS Form 3817. For a batch of items mailed together, you use the firm sheet, PS Form 3665.
  • Pay the per-piece fee. It is a small flat charge added on top of postage; check USPS for the current rate.
  • Keep the stamped certificate. The postmark date is your proof.

Certificate of Mailing vs Certified Mail

These two get mixed up often, and they do different jobs.

A Certificate of Mailing proves you sent something on a certain date. That's where it stops.

Certified Mail proves you sent it and creates a delivery record, including a signature when it arrives. It costs more and is built for documents where you need to show the item was received, not just mailed.

Pick Certificate of Mailing when the date of sending is what matters. Pick Certified Mail when proof of delivery is what matters.

When to use it

Reach for a Certificate of Mailing when you are filing something against a deadline, sending notices, or shipping low-value items where you want a paper trail without paying for full tracking. It is cheap, it is quick to add at the counter, and it does one job: proving you mailed an item on a given day.