No. USPS says destroying mail that wasn’t meant for you may be prohibited by law. Sending it back takes seconds, and it’s the only signal the sender gets.
The quick answer
- Don’t open it or throw it away.
- Write “Not at this address” on the front. Don’t erase or mark over the address.
- Leave it in your mailbox for the carrier, or drop it in a collection box.
- For catalogs and offers in that name, ask each company to remove the name from your address. Here’s how.
What about the junk mail?
- Ad mail is where returning falls short. USPS says Marketing Mail isn’t forwarded unless the sender paid for it, and returned ad mail with no endorsement is disposed of by USPS. So the sender may never hear.
- That’s why the company request matters: it asks the mailer itself to stop sending that name to your address.
- Mail in your own name is yours to keep, shred or recycle as you like.
What not to do
- Don’t open it to see what it is. A federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 1702, covers opening or destroying someone else’s mail to obstruct it or pry into their business.
- Don’t write over the address or black it out. USPS asks you to leave it as is.
Good to know
- Not sure if a piece is personal or junk? Return it. It costs nothing and covers both cases.
- Each kind of mail has its own move: what to write on mail for someone who doesn’t live here.
- This page is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- USPS, How is undeliverable and misdelivered mail handled?: “Not at this address,” don’t erase or mark over the address, carrier or collection box; destroying mail not intended for you may be prohibited.
- USPS, Domestic Mail Manual 507, Exhibit 1.5.3: undeliverable Marketing Mail with no endorsement is disposed of by USPS. USPS, Standard Forward Mail: Marketing Mail isn’t forwarded unless the sender paid forwarding postage.
- 18 U.S.C. § 1702 (Cornell LII), obstruction of correspondence. Last checked November 5, 2026.
Making it stop for good: How to stop mail for previous residents →
Or let us do it: Move-in Reset
Forward us your free USPS Informed Delivery preview, or snap a photo of the mail. We spot former residents’ names, ask each mailer to drop them, and follow up to check that it stopped. Mail from companies you use is never touched without your yes.
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