Section 231 describes the delivery line as components parsed right to left, which is why word order carries weight.
Six habits the standard corrects
Each row below is a real formatting habit and the version Publication 28 asks for instead. The rules cited sit in sections 212, 213, 222, 224 and 234 at pe.usps.com, checked 2026-07-28.
| Case | Typed the usual way | Written to the standard |
|---|---|---|
| Commas and mixed case | 1234 Market St., Apt. 5B | 1234 MARKET ST APT 5B |
| Suffix spelled out | 1234 MOUNTAIN AVENUE | 1234 MOUNTAIN AVE |
| Two suffix words in a row | 1234 PINE CREEK ROAD | 1234 PINE CREEK RD |
| Pound sign jammed against the number | 1234 MARKET ST #5B | 1234 MARKET ST # 5B |
| State name written out | Newark, New Jersey 07102 | NEWARK NJ 07102 |
| Attention line under the company | ACME SUPPLY CO ATTN RECEIVING | ATTN RECEIVING ACME SUPPLY CO |
A 15 lb carton on the Newark to Atlanta lane, quoted 2026-07-28
Formatting costs nothing and moving the box costs everything, so here is what the box in question actually runs. This is a 12 x 12 x 12 in carton at 15 lb, priced through the SMKlog calculator on one day with nothing edited afterward.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $17.01 | 8-9 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $19.63 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $19.78 | window not quoted |
| UPS | Ground | $23.54 | 2-3 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $28.59 | 5-6 business days |
The cheapest row was also the slowest here, and the UPS Ground Saver row came back with no transit window at all, so that cell says so instead of carrying a guess. Note that the address block plays no part in any of these numbers; it only decides whether the box finishes the trip.
Uppercase, one left margin, no commas
Section 212 is short and blunt: "Format all lines of the address with a uniform left margin. Uppercase letters are preferred on all lines of the address block." Lowercase in various type styles is acceptable when it meets the readability guidance for automation. Section 222 removes the punctuation, keeping only the hyphen inside a ZIP+4, and section 224 asks for at least one space between city, state abbreviation and code, with two preferred before the code.
The delivery line is a set of fields
Section 231 lists what the line breaks down into: the primary address number, predirectional, street name, suffix, postdirectional, secondary address identifier and secondary address, with one space between elements. It also describes how the Postal Service reads it, starting "from the right-most element of the address and work toward the left" until every component is isolated. Section 234.2 handles the awkward case of two consecutive suffix words by abbreviating the second and spelling the first out as part of the street name.
Attention lines, firms and the recipient
Section 214 puts the attention line "above the Recipient Line, that is, above the name of the firm to which the mailpiece is directed", which is the reverse of how most people type it. For a business shipment that means the person goes on top and the company underneath, then the street. All of the above is from pe.usps.com, checked 2026-07-28.
Address format questions
What is the correct USPS address format?
Three lines from the top: recipient name, the delivery address with any unit number at the end of it, then city, two-letter state abbreviation and ZIP. Publication 28 asks for a uniform left margin and prefers uppercase on every line, per pe.usps.com, checked 2026-07-28.
Should a USPS address use commas and periods?
It does not need them. Section 222 states that with the exception of the hyphen in the ZIP+4 code, punctuation may be omitted in the delivery address block. Leaving it out is the preferred form rather than a shortcut.
Does USPS require capital letters in an address?
Preferred rather than required. Section 212 says uppercase letters are preferred on all lines of the address block, and lowercase in various type styles is acceptable provided it meets the readability guidance for automated processing.
Where does a company name go in the address?
On the recipient line, with any attention line placed above it. Section 214 puts the attention line above the name of the firm the piece is directed to, so a named person sits on top and the company sits below.