Any Day NowUSPS tracking statuses explained
USPS tracking is detailed but full of internal wording. Here's how to read it.
What a USPS tracking number looks like
- Domestic packages: usually 20 to 22 digits, often starting with 92, 93, 94 or 95 (for example 9400 1000 0000 0000 0000 00).
- International mail: two letters, nine digits, two letters, such as LM123456789US or, for mail coming in, a code ending in the sending country (CN, GB, HK).
- Certified Mail: starts with 92 or 93 and is printed on the green slip.
The statuses you'll see most
- Label Created, not yet in system: the sender printed the label. USPS hasn't scanned the package.
- Arrived / Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item: scans sent in by the private company that will hand the package to USPS, common on international shopping-agent orders. USPS doesn't have it yet. More on shipping partner scans.
- USPS in possession of item / Accepted at USPS Origin Facility: the first real scan.
- Arrived at / Departed USPS Regional Facility: moving through the network of large sorting centers.
- In Transit to Next Facility: on the way between buildings. Updates can pause for a day or two.
- In Transit, Arriving Late: it missed the original date but is still moving.
- Arrived at Post Office: it's at the office that delivers to you, usually one day before delivery.
- Out for Delivery: with your carrier today.
- Delivery Attempted, Notice Left: nobody could receive it. USPS normally holds the item at the post office for about 15 days before returning it.
- Delivered, In/At Mailbox, Front Door/Porch, Parcel Locker: where the carrier says they left it.
How long USPS usually takes
Ground Advantage within the United States usually takes two to five days, Priority Mail one to three. Our own estimates for domestic USPS packages start from a two-to-seven-day window and narrow as the package moves and as we see real deliveries on the same route.
When to contact USPS
- No update for five or more business days on a domestic package.
- "Delivered" but not there after a full day (neighbors, mailroom and side doors checked first).
- The package shows damage or a "return to sender" you didn't expect.
USPS's own Help page lets you start a Missing Mail search after seven days. If you're the buyer, telling the seller is often faster: as the shipper, they can file claims directly.