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Certified mail

How do I send certified mail online?

Updated · By the SendMyLettersOnline team

To send certified mail online, upload or type your letter on a print-and-mail service, choose USPS Certified Mail (with or without a return receipt), pay, and the service prints the letter, applies a genuine USPS Certified Mail label and hands it to USPS. You get the USPS tracking number by email and, if you chose it, the return receipt with the recipient's signature.

USPS's own online tools are built mainly around shipping labels for packages, so for a letter you want printed, enveloped and certified for you, a print-and-mail service is the practical online route.

Ways to send Certified Mail and what you have to do yourself
MethodPrint the letterEnvelope + formsGo to post officeReturn receipt
Post office counterYouYou fill out PS Form 3800 (and 3811 for a green card)YesGreen card or electronic
Print-and-mail service (like us)ServiceServiceNoElectronic, emailed as PDF
Buy label software, mail yourselfYouYouDrop-off or hand to carrierDepends on the provider

How it works step by step

  1. Write your letter in the browser, start from a template, or upload a finished PDF.
  2. Enter the sender and recipient addresses. The recipient must have a US address (APO/FPO included).
  3. Choose Certified Mail or Certified + return receipt and check the preview.
  4. Pay. The letter is printed, put in an envelope with a USPS Certified Mail label and mailed.
  5. You receive a proof-of-mailing PDF and the USPS tracking number by email. Track it on USPS Tracking.

Is it the same Certified Mail as at the post office?

Yes. The letter travels with a real USPS Certified Mail article number, so the tracking and delivery record live in the USPS system exactly as if you had mailed it at the counter. See is online certified mail legal.

When to add a return receipt

  • Your lease, contract or a statute says "certified mail, return receipt requested".
  • You may need to show a court or agency who signed and on what date.
  • You are sending a deadline notice, a dispute or a cancellation the other side may later deny receiving.

Quick answers

Can I send certified mail without going to the post office?

Yes. A print-and-mail service prints and mails it for you. See certified mail without the post office.

How do I get a return receipt for certified mail online?

Pick the electronic return receipt. USPS provides a PDF with the signature and delivery details, which we email to you. See return receipt online.

How much does it cost to send certified mail online?

With us it is $14.99 for Certified Mail or $17.99 with an electronic return receipt, including printing, envelope and postage for up to 3 pages. USPS's own fees are on the USPS price list.

Can I send certified mail online for free?

No. USPS charges postage plus a Certified Mail fee for every letter, so any service has to pass that cost on.

What to do next

Type or upload your letter now and choose Certified Mail. We print it, mail it and email you the tracking number.

Send certified mail online

Sources

Checked: . General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change: confirm current values at the official links above.