Does USPS provide photo proof of delivery? What USPS offers instead
The short version
- USPS delivery photos were confirmed only as a field test in February 2026, with the images unavailable to customers, including the shipper. USPS has announced no change since.
- The standard USPS proof is the delivery scan in tracking. It shows when and where the carrier scanned the package, not what the doorstep looked like.
- For a signed record, add Signature Confirmation or Adult Signature Required, then request the Proof of Delivery letter through USPS Tracking. Certified Mail with a Return Receipt is for documents and legal notices.
- UPS and FedEx already offer picture proof of delivery, which matters most for packages left without a signature.
- For a commercial shipper, the useful question is which packages are worth a signature: where the fee is smaller than the delivery losses it is likely to prevent.
No. USPS has not announced customer access to delivery photos. In February 2026 it confirmed a field test in which carriers photograph packages at delivery in parts of four metro areas, and said the images were not available to customers. What USPS offers today is a tracking scan at delivery and, for items sent with a signature service, an emailed Proof of Delivery letter with the recipient’s signature.
The 2026 USPS photo pilot
USPS confirmed in February 2026 that it was testing delivery photos. Carriers in the test areas use a camera feature in the Mobile Delivery Device app to capture an image of the package when they deliver it. The test covers parts of the Phoenix, New York City and Dallas metro areas and Fargo, North Dakota.
The internal memo announcing the test said that without photo-based proof it is harder to resolve inquiries, claims and disputes. A USPS spokesperson said the images “are not available to customers at this time” and called it “a field test of our capability to capture delivery images.” We have found no later USPS announcement of customer access or a national rollout, so customers cannot access a delivery photo.
What proof of delivery USPS offers today
| Service | What it proves | Price |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Tracking | A delivery scan with date, time and location | Included with USPS Ground Advantage commercial and Priority Mail |
| Signature Confirmation | A signature from someone at the address, kept as a delivery record | $4.15 electronic; $5.15 at retail |
| Adult Signature Required | A signature from someone 21 or older at the address | $9.70 |
| Adult Signature Restricted Delivery | A signature from the named adult addressee or their authorized agent | $10.00 |
| Certified Mail | Proof of mailing and delivery, mainly for letters and legal notices | $5.55, plus postage |
| Return Receipt | The signature record sent back to the sender, with Certified Mail and other qualifying services | $2.91 electronic; $4.65 on the green card, PS Form 3811 |
| USPS Tracking Plus | Tracking scans, and signatures where captured, kept beyond the standard period | $2.50 to $8.50, by retention period |
Prices from USPS Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, per piece, in addition to postage. Signature Confirmation is available on Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, Parcel Select and Package Services.
How to get proof of delivery from USPS
For items sent with a service that captures a signature, such as Signature Confirmation, Adult Signature or Certified Mail:
- Go to USPS Tracking on USPS.com and enter the tracking number.
- Select Proof of Delivery.
- Give your contact details and choose whether the letter should include the delivery address.
USPS emails a Proof of Delivery letter with the delivery details, the tracking number, the recipient’s name and an image of the signature. You can request it before delivery; it arrives shortly after the item is delivered. USPS does not have a proof of delivery for items delivered internationally.
Informed Delivery is sometimes mistaken for photo proof. It shows images of incoming letter-size mail and notifications about packages before delivery; it does not show where a package was left.
How USPS compares with UPS and FedEx
UPS and FedEx already show picture proof of delivery on many packages left without a signature, and FedEx has added photos of missed delivery attempts. For a shipper, that is the practical difference: a disputed delivery at UPS or FedEx often comes with an image of the package at the door, while the same dispute at USPS comes down to the scan and the customer’s account. The choice of carrier is still mostly a price and service decision; our UPS vs USPS comparison covers it.
What this means for commercial shippers
“Delivered but not received” claims cost a shipper the goods, a replacement shipment and a customer contact. Without a photo, USPS gives you two lines of evidence: the delivery scan, and a signature if you paid for one. That makes the signature decision a cost question you can answer with your own numbers:
- Price the signature against the loss it prevents. Compare the signature fees on a group of orders with the delivery-related losses you expect a signature to avoid on that group: how often those orders are disputed, what each dispute costs, and how many of those disputes a signature would actually settle. Count the missed deliveries and customer inconvenience a signature adds on the other side.
- Apply it by rule, not by default. Order value, product type and destination history are the usual triggers. Addresses with previous delivery disputes are a better target than every package.
- Remember what a signature costs the customer. A package that needs a signature and finds no one home goes back to the post office, and an uncollected one is returned to sender after the hold period. Our USPS return to origin guide covers what a return costs.
- Keep the records you have. The delivery scan, the address as entered and any customer correspondence are what a claim or chargeback response rests on.
When a package is genuinely lost or damaged, the route is a claim rather than a delivery dispute; our claims filing service prepares and files loss and damage claims within carrier deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Does USPS take photos of delivered packages?
Only in a field test USPS confirmed in February 2026, in parts of the Phoenix, New York City and Dallas metro areas and in Fargo, North Dakota. USPS said then that the photos were not available to customers, and it has not announced customer access or a national rollout since.
How do I get proof of delivery from USPS?
For items sent with a signature service, enter the tracking number in USPS Tracking on USPS.com, select Proof of Delivery and give your contact details; USPS emails a letter with the delivery details and an image of the signature. For other items, the tracking record’s delivery scan, with date, time and location, is the proof available.
Can I see where USPS left my package?
Not in a photo. USPS tracking shows that the package was scanned as delivered, and sometimes a short location note, but no image is available to customers.
Which carriers offer photo proof of delivery?
UPS and FedEx both offer picture proof of delivery on many packages left without a signature. USPS is testing it but does not offer it to customers.
How much does USPS Signature Confirmation cost?
$4.15 when bought electronically, including on commercial labels, and $5.15 at a post office counter, on top of postage. Adult Signature Required is $9.70.
Will USPS roll out photo proof of delivery nationwide?
USPS has not said. In February 2026 it described the program as a test of whether carriers can capture delivery images, and it has given no date for making them available to customers.
Sources
- Supply Chain Dive, USPS tests picture proof of delivery capability, February 25, 2026, for the test areas, the USPS spokesperson’s statement and the UPS and FedEx comparison.
- United States Postal Service, Notice 123, Price List, effective October 4, 2026, for every extra service price.
- United States Postal Service, What is Proof of Delivery?, for how to request the Proof of Delivery letter and what it contains.