Named person, not named household
The addressee has to be a natural person specified by name. Anything addressed to a business, a title or a family fails the test before the carrier has left the depot.
Narrow extra service
Restricted Delivery on Certified Mail and other USPS services
Restricted Delivery costs $8.80 on top of a qualifying USPS service and narrows delivery to the addressee or the addressee's authorized agent, who has to be a named natural person. The pairing people ask about most is Certified Mail Restricted Delivery, which lists at $14.35 and is built for legal notices rather than ordinary parcels.
Notice 123 combinationsDMM 503 wordingAn honest recommendation
Built for notices, not parcels
It answers a legal question about who may receive something. Sellers usually want an evidence answer instead, and that one is cheaper.
What it costs, on top of what
Restricted Delivery is never bought alone. It attaches to a service that already captures a signature, and USPS prints the combined price for each pairing. Our anchor shipment is a bulky but light box, 18 x 14 x 10 in at 5 lb, quoted 2026-07-28 from Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303, where USPS Ground Advantage came back at $23.69.
SMKlog rates for the anchor box, quoted 2026-07-28
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground Saver | $20.50 | no window supplied on this rate |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $20.51 | 6-7 business days |
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $23.69 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $23.70 | 2-3 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $32.23 | 5-6 business days |
The published combinations
USPS Notice 123 on pe.usps.com, prices effective 2026-07-12, checked 2026-07-28.
| Pairing | Combined fee | The restricted delivery share |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Delivery on declared value coverage | $8.80 | $8.80 |
| Restricted Delivery on Registered Mail | $8.80 | $8.80 |
| Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, electronic | $12.95 | $8.80 above the $4.15 base |
| Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, retail | $13.95 | $8.80 above the $5.15 base |
| Certified Mail Restricted Delivery | $14.35 | $8.80 above the $5.55 base |
| Adult Signature Restricted Delivery | $10.00 | $0.30 above the $9.70 adult signature |
The last row is the odd one. Adult Signature Restricted Delivery lists at $10.00 against $9.70 for the plain adult version, a thirty-cent step rather than the $8.80 charged everywhere else. If you already need an adult signature and also want the delivery narrowed to one person, that upgrade is close to free.
Restricted Delivery permits a mailer to direct delivery only to the addressee (or addressee's authorized agent). The addressee must be an individual (natural person) specified by name.USPS Domestic Mail Manual 503, pe.usps.com, fetched 2026-07-28
What restricted delivery means on Certified Mail
Pairing Restricted Delivery with Certified Mail changes one thing about the delivery itself: who is allowed to sign. The Domestic Mail Manual language above applies unchanged, so the piece can be handed only to the named addressee or an agent that person authorized, rather than to anyone who happens to be at the address. That is why courts, tax offices and lawyers reach for the combination when a notice has to land in one specific pair of hands. USPS lists Certified Mail Restricted Delivery at $14.35, which is the $8.80 restricted-delivery charge on top of the Certified Mail base, per USPS Notice 123 effective 2026-07-12.
Why it usually is not the right tool for a parcel
Three reasons. It costs more than double what Signature Confirmation costs and produces evidence that is no stronger for a marketplace dispute. It requires a named individual, which fails on anything addressed to a company, a department or a household. And it makes a successful first delivery attempt less likely, because the one person allowed to sign has to be at the address when the carrier arrives.
For a seller trying to prove a buyer received an item, electronic Signature Confirmation at $4.15 does the job. Restricted Delivery earns its fee when the rule you are satisfying is legal rather than commercial: service of process, a notice that has to reach a specific individual, or a high-value item where you want the chain narrowed to one pair of hands.
What SMKlog checkout offers
We sell U.S. domestic parcel labels with no account required, and signature options appear at checkout when the carrier and route you selected support them. We do not sell international labels, fulfillment or platform integrations, and the narrower USPS legal-mail services in the table above are bought at a Post Office counter rather than through an online parcel checkout. If your shipment is really a legal notice rather than a parcel, the counter is the right place for it.
The adult upgrade is the bargain
Thirty cents separates Adult Signature Required from its Restricted Delivery version. Everywhere else in the chart the same narrowing costs $8.80, which makes that one pairing worth knowing about.
Delivery success drops
One eligible signer means more failed attempts, more notices and more counter trips. That is acceptable for a legal notice with a deadline and irritating for a customer waiting on an order.
Restricted Delivery questions
What does restricted delivery mean on Certified Mail?
It limits who may sign for the piece. With Restricted Delivery added, Certified Mail can be handed only to the named addressee or an agent that person authorized, not to anyone at the address. USPS lists Certified Mail Restricted Delivery at $14.35, the $8.80 restricted-delivery charge above the Certified Mail base.
How much does USPS Restricted Delivery cost?
$8.80 added to a qualifying service, per USPS Notice 123 effective 2026-07-12. That puts Certified Mail Restricted Delivery at $14.35, Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery at $13.95 retail and $12.95 electronic.
Who is allowed to sign for Restricted Delivery?
Only the addressee or the addressee's authorized agent. USPS rules require the addressee to be an individual, a natural person specified by name, which rules out mail addressed to a company or a department.
Is Restricted Delivery worth it for a parcel?
Rarely. It costs more than double electronic Signature Confirmation, produces no stronger evidence for a marketplace dispute, and lowers the chance of a successful first delivery attempt.
What is the cheapest way to narrow an adult signature?
Adult Signature Restricted Delivery lists at $10.00 against $9.70 for plain Adult Signature Required. Thirty cents is the smallest restricted-delivery step in the whole USPS fee chart.