LetterAgent

Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.

Status: LetterAgent is currently in private testing ahead of public launch. Everything on this page describes the service as it works today.

Home > Guides > Opened Someone's Mail

I accidentally opened someone else's mail. What do I do?

Stop reading, reseal the envelope, and get it to the right person or back into the mailstream. An honest mistake is not the same as deliberately opening mail that isn't yours, which is a federal crime. Write "opened in error" on the envelope, reseal it with tape, and either hand it to the addressee, return it to your carrier, or drop it in a mailbox.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Is it a crime if it was an accident?

Federal law makes it a crime to deliberately open, take, or destroy mail that isn't addressed to you. An honest mistake: tearing open an envelope before noticing the name isn't yours: is a different matter, and what you do next is what counts. Stop reading the moment you realize the mistake. Reading further, keeping the contents, or acting on what you saw turns a mishap into something worse.

What should you do right now?

Situation	What to do
You opened a letter by mistake	Stop reading, reseal it, write "opened in error" on the front, and return it to the addressee or the mailstream
You opened a package	Don't open it further: reseal it and contact the carrier about a misdelivery
You acted on what you read	Undo it if you can, tell the addressee honestly, and get advice: this is where a mishap turns serious
The mail looks sensitive (court, tax, medical)	Return it promptly rather than letting it sit: someone else's deadline can still cause real harm

Stop reading. Fold the letter back up the moment you notice the addressee isn't you.
Reseal the envelope. Tape it shut and write "opened in error" on the front, so the recipient and the post office can see what happened.
Get it to the right person. Hand it to the addressee if you know them, give it back to your letter carrier, or drop it in any mailbox. The post office will redeliver it.
If it's a package, don't open it further. Reseal it as best you can and contact the carrier about a misdelivery.
Never throw someone else's mail away. Destroying it is its own problem under the law, separate from opening it.

What if someone else's mail keeps arriving?

Don't just keep opening it by habit. Write "not at this address" on unopened pieces and put them back in the mail. Tell your letter carrier that the previous resident's or the neighbor's mail keeps landing in your box: carriers can fix a mis-sort on their route. If the mail looks sensitive: court papers, tax documents, medical bills: return it promptly instead of letting it pile up, because deadlines on someone else's mail can still cause real harm. And if you share a mailbox with roommates or a partner, sort before you open: a glance at the name line takes two seconds and prevents the whole problem.

Related guides

Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.

LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.

Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com