LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Your mailbox has to meet USPS guidelines: an approved box, mounted at the curb within the height and setback ranges, with your house number marked and clear access for the carrier. Only postage-paid mail delivered by the post office can go in it. Anything else, from flyers to your neighbor's package, doesn't belong there.
USPS does not sell mailboxes, but it approves them. Manufacturers submit designs for testing, and approved boxes carry a marking from the manufacturer stating they meet postal standards. The classic tunnel-style box with a red flag is the default, but locking boxes, larger parcel-capable boxes, and decorative designs all exist in approved versions. If you buy an unapproved box, your postmaster can refuse to deliver to it, so check for the approval marking before you mount anything.
Apartment dwellers usually don't choose: cluster box units are installed and maintained under postal rules, and your key or combination comes through the post office or your building management. The same logic applies to door slots in older homes. A slot in the door is legal, but the carrier is not required to push mail through a slot that is painted shut, blocked, or too small; the guidelines assume a working, accessible slot.
The standard placement is curbside, at the edge of your property where the carrier can reach it from the vehicle. The bottom of the box should sit about 41 to 45 inches above the road surface, and the front of the box should sit roughly 6 to 8 inches back from the curb or road edge. These numbers exist so carriers can serve the box without leaving the truck and without the box getting clipped by plows or traffic.
If you live on a rural route, the same placement rules apply and matter more, because the carrier may never leave the vehicle on your road. If your street has sidewalks, the box typically goes at the back edge of the sidewalk. When in doubt, ask your local post office before you pour concrete: moving a post after the fact is a much bigger job than placing it right the first time.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Postage-paid mail delivered by USPS | Flyers, menus, or door hangers left by businesses (they need postage) |
| Outgoing mail with postage, flagged for pickup | A neighbor's package from a private courier |
| Newspapers delivered by the post office | A note you wrote for your neighbor, hand-delivered into their box |
| Anything placed by anyone other than the carrier or you (for outgoing) |
This is the rule people break most often without realizing it. Once your mailbox is installed, it is reserved for USPS use by federal law. Putting a note, a flyer, or a package into someone else's mailbox, even with good intentions, is technically a federal offense. Private couriers know this, which is why they leave packages at the door rather than in the box. If a business leaves flyers in your mailbox without postage, you can report it to your post office.
Carriers can suspend delivery to a box they can't reach safely: a car parked in front of it every day, an unshoveled approach in winter, an aggressive dog in the yard. The post office will usually leave a notice explaining the problem. Fix the access issue and delivery resumes; ignore it and your mail accumulates at the post office for pickup. The fix is almost always on your side of the curb, not theirs.
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.
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