JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Postal Service has announced recommended mailing and shipping deadlines for the 2026 holiday season to ensure packages arrive by Dec. 25.
The Postal Service advises customers to ship items early during the holiday season. The cutoff dates vary based on the destination and selected shipping service, with deadlines starting in mid-December.
For shipments within the contiguous U.S., the recommended cutoff is Dec. 17 for both USPS Ground Advantage service and First-Class Mail. Customers using Priority Mail have until Dec. 18, while the deadline for Priority Mail Express is Dec. 19.
For mail sent to or from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, the recommended cutoff for USPS Ground Advantage is Dec. 16. The remaining deadlines for those regions match the contiguous U.S. schedule: Dec. 17 for First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express.
The Postal Service provides shipping preparation tips, ordering options for free supplies, packaging guidelines regarding restricted items, and post office hours on its YouTube channel. Additional information for holiday planning is hosted on the agency’s newsroom website.
A complete schedule of recommended shipping dates for military and international destinations will be available on the USPS holiday shipping page beginning in mid-October.
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