What are non-USPS/non-postal addresses?
A non-USPS address (also known as a non-postal address) is an address that's not recognized as deliverable by the United States Postal Service but is a valid address that other delivery parties (FedEx, DHL, UPS, LaserShip/OnTrac, pizza, etc.) will deliver to.
The USPS currently has around 200M deliverable addresses in its database. Smarty includes 20M addresses in our database that are deliverable but unrecognized by the USPS for reasons we'll cover below. In the meantime, maybe you'd like to test out these addresses on one of our epic products.
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In this article, we'll cover some important things:
- Introduction to non-USPS/non-postal addresses
- Why won’t USPS deliver to me?
- Can I petition to get my address added to USPS's database?
- How does Smarty's database include non-USPS/non-postal addresses?
- Conclusion
Introduction to non-USPS/non-postal addresses
As we mentioned above, the United States Postal Service (USPS) doesn't recognize all addresses as deliverable - even if people live or work there and get things delivered to them by other companies. These addresses are often referred to as non-USPS or non-postal addresses.
But why the heck not?!? If the local pizza place will deliver a pie to my house, why won't the USPS send me my ringmaster Halloween costume? What gives??
Why won't USPS deliver to me?
If it's any consolation, it has nothing to do with your personal hygiene or political alignment. You have to remember that the USPS is run by the US federal government. They oversee 31,000+ local post offices and deliver more than 140 BILLION parcels every year.
With such a heavy workload and a nationwide office, the USPS designs its routing with efficiency in mind. When a mail route is established, the USPS tries to design the most direct route possible for delivering mail and parcels. They don't want their mail carriers wasting precious time, fuel, and mileage as they double back or go far out of their way for one parcel.
Routing plans
Routing plans are split into two segments: a "day-before" plan and a "daily" plan. The former covers all the necessary prep (sorting, facility organizations, and designating specific carriers), while the latter involves the exact route the mail carrier will drive and which packages will be delivered.
If you live out in the middle of a remote ranch or bayou, the USPS personnel will have to drive longer to get to your place and deliver your mail than any other place on their route. Your location would make them have to double back on the one road in and out of your property, taking them significantly farther away from the main clump of their deliveries.
Sorry, but this is one reason you won't get mail delivered to you by the USPS. You're just not near the epicenter of their operations when routing.
New builds
Another reason the USPS might ignore your property is that it hasn't been around long enough. (Look at you, buying a house in this economy. Congrats!)
New builds are notorious for not being in the USPS's system. It's nothing against your neighborhood (chances are you aren't the only neighbor that's going unrecognized), but it's just the simple fact that development is exploding. The United States has 1,529,000 completed homes yearly, just in the single-family housing segmentation. Add in all the multi-family housing and commercial buildings, and we have a mess of new property data to add. I'm sorry to say this, but your address probably isn't that special in the eyes of the USPS.
Can I petition to get my address added to USPS's database?
KIND OF! Sorry. We wish there were a better answer, but "it depends" will have to suffice for now.
Tax assessor route: You could try contacting your local tax assessor. Their offices establish your address as a new and deliverable address, and they can notify the local USPS office in charge of maintaining the database. Obtaining official documentation from your tax assessor or local governance can help speed up the process.
The con to this attempt? You're at the complete mercy of your particular tax assessor's office. You'll be at the bottom of their to-do list if they're slammed. Your address might just matriculate naturally into the system before they can submit a specialized request on your behalf.
County emergency services route: Some have found success in getting their address recognized in the USPS database by contacting their local county emergency services department to confirm that the address is in their database for fires, medical emergencies, etc. They can then contact your local post office to request your address be added to their system.
*Note: Do NOT CALL 911 for this. There's a local non-emergency line to call for every county. A simple search online can pull up the appropriate number for this.
The con to this approach is similar to the earlier one: You are at the will of the emergency service location (and, let's face it, even the person answering the phone) as to whether or not they care about this. Good luck if you live in a high-crime neighborhood or a location that's just rural enough for a small handful of service people.
How does Smarty's database include non-USPS/non-postal addresses?
We're so glad you asked.
Smarty's database is robust and backed by over 20M + non-postal addresses. These non-USPS addresses are aggregated through multiple verified and validated services.
We collect the data, vet it, and provide it back to you because we like you. As a reminder, just because it's in our database doesn't mean that USPS will start delivering to you. That has to be their decision, sadly.
But! There are several reasons that someone might need a list of non-postal or non-USPS addresses: mapping and geolocation services, emergency services, utility and infrastructure management, real estate and property data, event planning or tourism, census and research, etc. Use your imagination!
Conclusion
Non-USPS or non-postals may seem like a close-kept secret amongst mail carriers, but the simple truth is that they are no match for Smarty's data solutions. Whether you live in a newly constructed home or on a remote ranch that Domino's will deliver to but USPS won't, we've got you covered.
Smarty's extensive database includes more than the typical USPS database, and with our extensive findings, you'll never be left wondering if your address is off the radar. Go ahead and give it a whirl - your Halloween costume, or anything else really, we'll be just a click away with our address verification tools. Chat soon!