Certified Mail cost: postage, fee and receipt added up
The Certified Mail cost is three amounts: postage, the Certified fee and, if you want proof of who signed, a return receipt. Enter yours.
Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.
Example: a 1 oz letter· change a figure to see yours
Certified Mail letter, total at the Post Office
$11.02
Postage, Certified Mail fee and return receipt added
| Postage (First-Class Mail letter) | $0.82 |
| Certified Mail fee | $5.55 |
| Return receipt | $4.65 |
| Same letter from Jan 17, 2027 | $11.02 (no change filed) |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built
Certified Mail cost at a Post Office counter is the postage plus a fee of $5.55, read in the extra services sheet of Notice 123 on November 13, 2026. For a 1-ounce letter that makes $6.37. Certified Mail gives the sender a mailing receipt and, on request, electronic proof that the letter was delivered or that delivery was attempted; the Postal Service keeps a record of delivery with the recipient's signature. To receive that proof yourself, add a return receipt: $4.65 for the green card, PS Form 3811, mailed back to you, or $2.91 by e-mail. The full package for a 1-ounce letter with the green card costs $11.02. Restricted Delivery, which limits delivery to the addressee or an authorized agent, raises the Certified fee to $14.35. No change to these fees was filed for January 2027. Certified Mail carries no insurance.
Certified Mail cost for common pieces
| What you send | Total at the counter |
|---|---|
| 1 oz letter, Certified only | $6.37 |
| 1 oz letter, Certified + green card | $11.02 |
| 1 oz letter, Certified + e-mail receipt | $9.28 |
| 2 oz letter, Certified + green card | $11.31 |
| 3 oz large envelope, Certified + green card | $12.47 |
| 1 oz letter, Restricted Delivery + green card | $19.82 |
The fee is the same whatever the weight; only the postage changes. A thick envelope of papers costs more because its postage does, not because of the Certified fee.
Certified Mail for your letter
Example: a 1 oz letter· change a figure to see yours
Certified Mail letter, total at the Post Office
$11.02
Postage, Certified Mail fee and return receipt added
| Postage (First-Class Mail letter) | $0.82 |
| Certified Mail fee | $5.55 |
| Return receipt | $4.65 |
| Same letter from Jan 17, 2027 | $11.02 (no change filed) |
What Certified Mail proves, and what it does not
Certified Mail proves that you mailed something on a given date and, through the delivery record, that it was delivered or that delivery was attempted. It does not prove what was inside the envelope, and it travels like ordinary First-Class Mail, no faster. If the recipient refuses or never collects it, the record shows the attempt, which is often what a deadline requires. Keep the mailing receipt with a copy of the letter.
Restricted Delivery is worth its higher fee only when the letter must reach one named person, not just the address: legal notices to an individual are the usual case. Adult Signature options exist for pieces that must go to someone 21 or older.
Green card or e-mail
The electronic return receipt costs $1.74 less and arrives faster; the green card is a physical document some offices still prefer. Both show who signed and when. The return receipt page compares them, and the signature page covers packages, for which Signature Confirmation is often the better tool.