Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQs

• Monday, September 14: Letters can now be sent to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888.  

• Monday, November 2: Registration and ID verification for adopters begins.  

• Monday, November 16: Letter adoption begins.  

• Saturday, December 5: This is the last day to send letters. Letters must be postmarked by this date.  

• Saturday, December 12: This is the last day to adopt letters before the website closes at 8pm ET. Send packages before this date to be sure they arrive by December 25, but the earlier the better to help families plan ahead.

A letter to Santa should be placed into an envelope with a postage stamp, and sent to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. Don’t forget your return address — be sure to write it clearly and include an apartment number if applicable, so there is no confusion about where the gift should be sent. Write your return address on the letter itself as well. Be sure to apply the correct postage on the envelope so that the letter gets delivered! 

Get more tips for writing a letter.

Please ensure you submit a change of address with USPS to be sure that any gifts find you! 

There is no guarantee your letter will be posted, and if posted, there is no guarantee it will be adopted and fulfilled. The program’s success depends on the generous participation of adopters all throughout the country. 

New letters are added to the site daily starting Monday, November 16 through December 12. In many instances, letters are adopted as soon as they are posted. If there are no letters, it means they’ve currently all been adopted and are getting their holiday wishes fulfilled. But check back — new letters are added to the site every day. 

No. You can respond however you’re inspired to. Some people fulfill one or two of the child’s wishes, while still others may choose to grant all the wishes listed.

No, you don’t have to fulfill expensive requests. Hopeful as ever, kids do tend to wish big. But just hearing back from Santa is a win!

Packages must be under 70 pounds and have a maximum combined length and girth of 108 inches (girth is the distance around the thickest part of the package). If you are worried about the weight or size of your package, consider shipping in multiple boxes. You can send up to six packages through USPS Ground Advantage^® service and up to six packages through Priority Mail^® service for each individual adoption and each family adoption. Read our Shipping Guidelines for more information.

Remember to ship before the deadline. We recommend shipping gifts as soon as they’re ready. Be sure to check the hours of the participating Post Office™ location closest to you.

Participation in the USPS Operation Santa^® program requires adopters pay for shipping. Read our Shipping Guidelines for more information on postage costs.

• Monday, September 14: Letters can now be sent to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888.  

• Monday, November 2: Registration and ID verification for adopters begins.  

• Monday, November 16: Letter adoption begins.  

• Saturday, December 5: This is the last day to send letters. Letters must be postmarked by this date.  

• Saturday, December 12: This is the last day to adopt letters before the website closes at 8pm ET. Send packages before this date to be sure they arrive by December 25, but the earlier the better to help families plan ahead.

Every year, thousands of families send letters to Santa at the North Pole. The USPS Operation Santa^® program makes it possible for people to adopt and respond to these letters, fulfilling the holiday wishes of children and families across the country.

Letters addressed to Santa’s official address are sorted, read and published on the USPS Operation Santa^® website with personal information redacted. Adopters are then able to browse and select letters they love and respond with a gift and a note. 

Learn more about the letters here, including helpful tips for writing and mailing a letter to Santa to get your wishes fulfilled. 

And be sure to read more about the history of this much-beloved tradition that’s been running for over 100 years.

Anyone in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico can participate. All you have to do is sign up, create an account and get verified.

The USPS Operation Santa^® program is only available to those residing in the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately, military servicemen and women deployed overseas cannot participate in the program at this time.

We appreciate the thought, but as a federal agency, we are prohibited from accepting monetary donations.

Because we are not a 501(c)(3) organization, any funds spent on USPS Operation Santa^® items are not tax-deductible.

We take many precautions to protect letter writers. Every letter writer’s personally identifiable information (PII) is redacted — last names, addresses, school or community names, etc., are blacked out on the letter that is posted on the USPS Operation Santa^® website. The sender of the gift does not receive the PII of the letter writer from the Postal Service. 

No. There is no guarantee that every letter will make it to the website, that your letter will be selected, or that your letter to Santa will receive a response. The program depends on when the letters are received, the generosity of others, and the magic of the season! 

We are working very hard on communicating program details to our approximately 650,000 employees nationwide. Please contact us at operationsanta@usps.gov if you experience any issues.

No. The USPS Operation Santa^® program is conducted exclusively online.

Find resources here to encourage others to get involved with the USPS Operation Santa^® program.

Adopted letters are sometimes cancelled during the program as people change their mind. Those letters are returned to the site to be adopted again. This can cause the community statistics to shift.

The USPS Operation Santa^® program invites everyone in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to write letters to Santa. 

Letters will be posted on USPSOperationSanta.com without personal identifying information, so others can respond to the holiday wishes. There’s no guarantee all letters will be posted on the site or answered, but it is certainly the goal to fulfill as many wishes as possible.

You’re never too young or old to believe in the magic of the season! We realize that younger children or elderly adults may not be able to write themselves, so it’s ok for the parent, guardian, teacher or caregiver to assist writing. 

A letter to Santa should be placed into an envelope with a postage stamp, and sent to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. Don’t forget your return address — be sure to write it clearly and include an apartment number if applicable, so there is no confusion about where the gift should be sent. Write your return address on the letter itself as well. Be sure to apply the correct postage on the envelope so that the letter gets delivered! 

Get more tips for writing a letter.

Being specific with details about the items on your wish list — like game and book titles, sizes (include infant, toddler or teen), colors, etc. — makes it easier for the letter adopter to know what kind of gift to purchase. 

Get more tips for writing a letter. 

Yes! You can find ideas to get started here, including letter designs you can download and print.  

Letters are not evaluated based on needs or if they’re fit to be fulfilled. They are randomly posted for the public to decide which ones they want to adopt. However, to be included in the program a letter must:

• Be legible 

• Contain a valid return address — including apartment number — in the letter or on the envelope 

• Include the writer’s first and last names. Last names will not appear on the website. 

• Be addressed to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888 

• Have the correct postage on the envelope

• Be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service 

• Be postmarked by December 5

There is no guarantee your letter will be posted, and if posted, there is no guarantee it will be adopted and fulfilled. The program’s success depends on the generous participation of adopters all throughout the country. 

In order to be adopted, all letters must be addressed to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888 and include appropriate postage, as well as a return address with your full first and last name. If you already mailed a letter without the North Pole address, a return address or correct postage, send another one that meets these requirements in order to participate.

Please ensure you submit a change of address with USPS to be sure that any gifts find you! 

No. We have to process letters to remove personally identifiable information (PII) before we post them. We cannot guarantee that every letter received will be uploaded for adoption.  

We can’t confirm receipt of letters or guarantee that your letter will be uploaded. There’s a chance you may see it on the site, but letters are often adopted as quickly as they are uploaded!

The only way to know is if you receive a gift. Believe in the magic of the season!

If it’s no longer posted, most likely it was adopted. However, please keep in mind that there’s no guarantee you’ll receive a gift. 

We don’t keep physical letters after the season is over, so unfortunately, you won’t be able to get your letter back.

Strict USPS guidelines for the USPS Operation Santa^® program ensure that members of the public do not have access to the personally identifiable information (PII) of those who write to Santa. All PII is redacted from letters before they are posted, and adopters never see an address when sending a gift.

Our goal is to get all letters answered! Regardless of whether they are adopted or not, we don’t keep any physical letters after the season is over.

The identity verification process opens on November 2. Stay updated to receive reminders on key dates.

To ensure the safety of our recipients, we do not repurpose accounts or their associated data from previous years. Our adopters are required to create a new verified account each year to participate in the program.

Verifying adopters online helps simplify the process of keeping all letter writers safe. We want to ensure that we know who is responsible for each gift sent.

In order to verify your identity, we try to match the information you provide with records matching your user information. This allows us to know who is responsible for each gift.

There are several possible reasons why we aren’t able to verify your identity. We might not have been able to identify enough records tied to your name. If you are unable to be verified online, you can come into a Post Office™ location to have your identity verified in person.

Yes. In-person verification is an option for customers unable to get verified online. Once you go through the online process and cannot be verified, you will be provided information to take to your local participating Post Office™ location. 

If we can’t find enough records to confirm your identity online, you can come into a Post Office™ location to verify your account. Once you’ve opted into this service, you will receive an email with detailed instructions for completing the process.

Once you’ve opted into in-person proofing, you will have 30 days to come into a participating Post Office™ location. Bring a valid form of identification and your assigned barcode. Please look for an email from USPS^® ID Services with details. In-person proofing must be completed before December 12 to adopt a letter. 

If you’re unable to get verified, please know there are other ways to help out with the program. You can encourage friends that have already been verified to adopt letters and share the gifting experience with them.

Yes. Each registered person can adopt no more than 20 letters. Teams can adopt 20 letters per participating team member. 

Please be sure you are able to fulfill the letters that you do adopt. Every adopted letter is removed from the site. If you are unable to fulfill the request, cancel your adoption on the Your Letters section of your account so it can be adopted by another generous person.  

Yes. Letters from the same household are posted collectively as a family. Because we don’t want anyone to think Santa forgot about them, we encourage families to be adopted together and for each family member to receive something. You can adopt families individually or as a team — the team format is set up to make it easy to join forces, divide up the wishes and fulfill all the letters together!  

Yes. While most of the letters received are in English, the letters written in Spanish are posted and are searchable using the language filter. Occasionally, letters written in other languages come in — we will be working on adding additional language filters in the future.

New letters are added to the site daily starting Monday, November 16 through December 12. In many instances, letters are adopted as soon as they are posted. If there are no letters, it means they’ve currently all been adopted and are getting their holiday wishes fulfilled. But check back — new letters are added to the site every day. 

Your adopted letters can be found under Your Letters in your account profile and in the email account you used to register. If you’ve checked all places and cannot find it, please send an email, with the Letter ID Number, to operationsanta@usps.gov.

You can cancel an adoption under Your Letters in your account profile. This allows the letter to be republished on the site so it can be adopted by someone else. 

We’re constantly processing new letters to add to the site. Check in daily to see if new letters from your state have been added, or consider adopting from a different state. Please know, shipping rates vary by distance. See our shipping guidelines.

No. You can respond however you’re inspired to. Some people fulfill one or two of the child’s wishes, while still others may choose to grant all the wishes listed.

No. For health and safety reasons, we require only new items be sent.

No, you don’t have to fulfill expensive requests. Hopeful as ever, kids do tend to wish big. But just hearing back from Santa is a win!

Yes, it’s up to you how you fulfill their wishes. Please know that no more than six boxes will be accepted per individual adoption. Read our Shipping Guidelines for more information.

It is up to you what you purchase and how much you spend.

Please do not send checks as we want to keep all gifts anonymous, and please do not mail cash. We recommend sending any monetary value in the form of Gift Cards.* Be sure to include any needed activation codes for gift cards.

*Gift Cards may not be insured against loss; see Domestic Mail Manual Section 609 for details.

Before shopping, please review the general requirements for common gifts that may be restricted and/or prohibited in the mail stream. Gifts declared as hazardous materials that are mailable must be shipped in strong, rigid containers (e.g., fiberboard boxes). USPS-produced packaging (e.g., a Priority Mail^® box) is not eligible for shipping mailable hazardous material. Batteries must be installed in electronic devices. 

Electronic skateboards, scooters, e-bikes, fireworks/sparklers and perfume are not mailable and are prohibited in the USPS Operation Santa^® program.

No, please remember to keep any written correspondence anonymous — it’s from Santa, after all.

To ensure the safety and privacy of our recipients, we do not give access to any personally identifiable information of those participating in the program.

You can wrap the presents if you choose, but it isn't required.

Yes, if they are for the same address. If you adopted a family’s letters, make sure to mark each gift with the recipient’s name.

Writing the child’s name on the gift helps personalize it. If you adopt a family’s letters, labeling gifts makes it easier for the recipients to distribute them.

We recommend you use the Note from Santa found in your instructions packet. It explains the program to parents and where your gift came from. You can write a note of your own as well, just please remember to sign it from Santa to keep it anonymous — and to keep the magic alive!

No, the package is from Santa. Please remember to keep any written correspondence anonymous.

You can send up to six packages through USPS Ground Advantage^® service and up to six packages through Priority Mail^® service for each individual adoption and each family adoption. Please note that you’ll have to pay for postage for every package. 

Packages must be under 70 pounds and have a maximum combined length and girth of 108 inches (girth is the distance around the thickest part of the package). If you are worried about the weight or size of your package, consider shipping in multiple boxes. You can send up to six packages through USPS Ground Advantage^® service and up to six packages through Priority Mail^® service for each individual adoption and each family adoption. Read our Shipping Guidelines for more information.

Remember to ship before the deadline. We recommend shipping gifts as soon as they’re ready. Be sure to check the hours of the participating Post Office™ location closest to you.

To help ensure your gift arrives before Christmas, ship it from a participating Post Office™ location by December 12 at the latest. The earlier, the better to make wishes come true and help families plan ahead. 

There are more than 19,000 Post Office^TM locations that accept USPS Operation Santa^® packages.

You must have the QR Code^® to ship your gift. The postal clerk will scan it to retrieve the necessary information and will place the shipping label on the package for you. 

There are more than 19,000 participating Post Office locations to choose from. Find the location closest to you.

We ask that you ship your own gifts. However, if you need to have a local friend or family member do it for you, please make sure to provide them with the QR Code^® from your adoption confirmation email. Be sure to provide money for postage.

You’ll need the QR Code^® to ship your gift. When you’re at a participating Post Office™ location, just have your QR Code ready on your smartphone for our retail associates to scan, or have the printed email with QR Code on hand. Let them know that you’re here for the USPS Operation Santa^® program.

If you’ve checked your email and under Your Letters on your account profile on USPSOperationSanta.com and cannot find your QR Code, you can email operationsanta@usps.gov for assistance. Please provide your Letter ID Number.

Participation in the USPS Operation Santa^® program requires adopters pay for shipping. Read our Shipping Guidelines for more information on postage costs.

If you have a large shipment, it might help to contact the Postmaster at your nearest participating Post Office™ location to assist you with additional information and anything you need for drop-off. You can send up to six packages through USPS Ground Advantage^® service and up to six packages through Priority Mail^® service for each individual adoption or family adoption. Please remember you are responsible for postage for every box shipped. 

All USPS Operation Santa^® packages must be shipped via the Postal Service. You have the option of using either Priority Mail service or USPS Ground Advantage^® service — each a secure, cost-effective way to ship.

Bigger packages and further distances can affect shipping costs. We offer shipping options with Priority Mail^® service or USPS Ground Advantage^® service. See more things to know before you ship. 

No. The Package Pickup option is not available with USPS Operation Santa^® packages.

No. To ensure privacy, the Click-N-Ship^® feature is not available with USPS Operation Santa^® packages.

USPS retail associates can use a re-print function in the admin section of their Retail Systems Software — please ensure this has been attempted first. Otherwise, email operationsanta@usps.gov for assistance.

Tracking information allows you to see the recipient’s address. To protect the letter writer, we do not provide tracking numbers.

On your profile page, under Your Letters, the status of the package will change to Delivered.

If your letter is adopted and fulfilled, you could receive a package any time after the website opens in November through mid-January 2027.

It’s from Santa! Thousands of his helpers adopt letters each year. Both those who write letters and the people who answer them are kept anonymous to protect participant privacy and preserve the spirit of Santa. If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please contact us at operationsanta@usps.gov.

If you have signed up for Informed Delivery ^® notifications, you will see that a package is coming to your residence. Otherwise, no, you will receive no notification from the program that you are receiving a gift.

You can donate the gifts to a charity near you and/or you can pay it forward!

We hope every letter gets adopted and fulfilled. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. The program relies on the generosity of others and does not guarantee a gift. We encourage anyone not receiving a gift to write again next year.

If you have a group that wants to adopt together, you can create a team! To set up a team, you’ll need to sign up and get verified once registration is open. 

From there, you can name your team, set adoption goals, and share via email with the people you want on your team. 

Teaming up with others to adopt is an awesome opportunity to bring joy to more households this season. We’ve made it easy to work as a group and all play a part, splitting up the responsibility for getting gifts. 

A team can only adopt and share one family letter. However, there is no limit to the individual letters that can be adopted by or added to a team. 

The Team Admin is a facilitator and program manager. They create the team, select a family letter to fulfill, and invite people to join the team and work together.  

If a team member adopts a letter or letters from a family, that member is responsible for fulfilling their letter — from buying the gift to paying for shipping when they bring it to a Post Office™ location. 

Should the adoption deadline approach and there are family members left unadopted, the Team Admin becomes responsible for buying and shipping those gifts. 

A team link is public and can be shared anywhere, but only the Team Admin can add members to the team. There is no limit to the number of people on a team, but keep in mind that there is only one family of letters per team. 

Yes! This feature is reserved for a Team Admin only. You can make the change from the Manage Team tab on your team page. Change the team name only if you absolutely have to, as it might confuse your teammates. 

You can create as many teams as you like. You’re encouraged to do so if you’d like to adopt more than one family. Please be sure to keep them motivated and to fulfill the letters you all adopt. We don’t want Santa to forget anyone this holiday.

No, teams and their members cannot be deleted.

Yes, but only if all of the pages within the family have been released by your teammates. If a family member has been adopted and/or fulfilled, you cannot cancel that family letter. 

A main goal of creating a team is to fulfill an entire family’s wishes. Please check in on your team and motivate them to adopt a page and get gifting. Any pages of a family letter that are released and/or not adopted by the deadline will be assigned back to the Team Admin to fulfill their wishes. 

Teaming up with others to adopt is an awesome opportunity to bring joy to more households this season. We’ve made it easy to work as a group and all play a part, splitting up the responsibility for getting gifts. 

Team links can be shared, but your Team Admin decides who can join the team. 

Absolutely. You can be a part of as many teams as you like, just please be sure to keep track of all your adopted letters.

No, you cannot leave a team. However, if need be, you can reassign your adopted letter to a teammate or release it to be adopted by others.

If your letter is one of the family members, you only can release the letter for someone else on the team to adopt or reassign it to someone else on the team (be sure to discuss it with them first!). If you brought in an individual letter adoption to a team, you should be able to cancel that on your team page under My Letters, or on the Your Letters page. 

That would be wonderful! Just be sure to follow through on all and get your gifts to the sleigh on time.