USPS Missed Delivery: What "Delivery Attempted" Means and What to Do

Which USPS missed delivery status do you have?

USPS uses several statuses for a missed delivery. Each one has a different next step:

• Delivery Attempted - No Access to Delivery Location: the carrier could not reach your door. USPS retries on the next business day by itself.
• Notice Left (No Secure Location Available): there was no safe place to leave it. No automatic retry. Book a redelivery or pick it up.
• Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available): it needed a signature and nobody was there. No automatic retry. Book a redelivery or pick it up.
• Receptacle Blocked or Receptacle Full / Item Oversized: your mailbox was blocked or too small. You can book a redelivery.
• Reminder to Schedule Redelivery: USPS is reminding you that the package is still waiting.
• Available for Pickup: redelivery can't be booked. Pick it up or ask for a return.

Why USPS leaves a notice instead of the package

The carrier leaves a PS Form 3849 when the package can't be left safely. USPS lists these reasons:

• Your mailbox is full, or there is no parcel locker
• The item is too large for the mailbox
• It needs a signature, or postage is due
• There is no secure place to leave it

How to book a USPS redelivery, step by step

Redelivery is free. If bad weather delays the route, the attempt moves to the next business day. If you want someone else to sign for you, USPS points to PS Form 3801 or a signed letter to your postmaster.

1. Go to usps.com/redelivery.
2. Enter your tracking number, or the barcode number on the PS Form 3849. You can also scan the QR code on the notice.
3. Pick a date. Any day up to the return date works. USPS does not offer time slots.
4. For same-day delivery, send the request by 2 a.m. Central Time, Monday to Saturday.
5. If the item needs a signature, someone must be home to sign. Signing the notice and leaving it out does not count for these items.

Picking up a missed package at the Post Office

The notice names the Post Office that has your package. Go during retail hours and bring a photo ID. If you can't go, an agent you name can collect it with their own ID. You can also ask USPS to send it back to the sender if you don't want it.

If you sent the package

A missed delivery is usually about the recipient's address, not the label. Still, a clear label helps. Print the full name, the unit or apartment number, and the ZIP + 4 if you know it. If the recipient is often out, skip signature options unless you need them. A signature item can't be left at the door.