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Happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! Is mail delivered on New Year’s Eve 2020 or New Year’s Day 2021? Can you visit the post office on either of these days to mail something at the last minute? The answer is yes and no. Post offices and mail delivery services are available on New Year’s Eve, but everything is closed on New Year’s Day.
Mail Is Delivered on New Year’s Eve 2020
According to USPS, post offices nationwide are open on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2020. Blue collection boxes will also still be serviced on New Year’s Eve and regular mail will still be delivered as normal on New Year’s Eve.
Mail Isn’t Delivered on New Year’s Day 2020
Unfortunately, mail is not delivered on New Year’s Day and the post offices are closed on January 1, 2021, because it’s a postal holiday. Mail won’t be picked up from blue collection boxes on New Year’s Day either.
There’s one exception, however. Priority Mail Express mail will still be delivered on New Year’s Day, even though nothing else is being delivered. Priority Mail Express orders is overnight to two-day delivery with a money-back guarantee, USPS explained. This is available to most U.S. addresses and PO boxes. You can put in Priority Mail Express orders at the post office or from a home or business using Click-N-Ship. The service also includes USPS tracking and up to $100 insurance. The maximum weight is 70 pounds.
It’s also important to note that post offices are closed on New Year’s Day except for lobbies and self-service kiosks, since these don’t require employees to be present to be open. So if you need to use a self-service kiosk or check your PO Box in the lobby, you can still do this in most locations as long as you don’t need an employee’s help.
According to USPS’s holiday schedule, the postal service is closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. (For 2021, postal offices will be closed on Monday, July 5, since July 4 falls on a Sunday this year. And because Christmas Day 2021 falls on a Saturday, some post offices may be closed on Christmas Eve even if they normally would be open.)
Mail May Be Delayed Right Now
It’s still possible that some mail deliveries may be delayed over New Year’s, like it was over Christmas. The U.S. Postal Service’s website notes that it is experiencing delays due to “unprecedented volume increases and limited employee availability due to the impacts of COVID-19. We appreciate your patience and remain committed to delivering the holidays to you.”
Shortly before New Year’s, mail delays were still an issue. Fox 8 reported that if you mailed something Express and it was delayed, you can file a claim at the USPS website. This applies to Priority Mail Express items, Registered mail items with insurance, COD items, and insured mail services. But getting an answer on the phone would be difficult, so it’s better to just file a claim online.
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