USPS package stuck or lost: Help Request and Missing Mail search
USPS has two tools for a package that stopped moving: a Help Request Form (sent to your local post office) and a Missing Mail search (a wider search, including the Mail Recovery Center). Use them in that order.
Rules checked against the official pages on November 14, 2026.
Before you file
- Check how long the package has gone without a new scan, counting business days only.
- Compare that with the normal time at the facility in your tracking (see its page here).
- Check USPS service alerts for the region.
Step 1: Help Request Form
File it on usps.com from the tracking page or the "Missing Mail" page. Your local post office gets it and usually replies within a few business days. Either the sender or the recipient can file.
Step 2: Missing Mail search
If the package still hasn't moved, submit a Missing Mail search with as much detail as you can: what's inside, the box, colors, any photos. That detail is what lets the Mail Recovery Center match a package whose label came off.
Step 3: Claim
If the package had insurance (Priority Mail Express and most Priority Mail include some), file a claim. The sender usually files, but the recipient can too in many cases.
The official rules and deadlines
| Who | Rule | Who files | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | You can submit a USPS Missing Mail search starting 7 days from the mailing date. It asks for both addresses, the container size and type, the tracking number and mailing date, a description of the contents and photos. The page doesn't say who must file, and it asks for both the sender's and recipient's addresses. | either | Official page |
| USPS | USPS's tracking FAQ says to submit a service request (Help Request) to the local Post Office if an item isn't delivered more than 1 postal business day after Delivered, Out for Delivery, Arrived at Post Office or Awaiting Delivery Scan, or more than 24 hours after No Access to Delivery Location. Older USPS wording said to wait 7 business days after a help request before a Missing Mail search. The current Missing Mail page only says 7 days from mailing. | either | Official page |
| USPS | Lost Priority Mail Express: you can file a claim no sooner than 7 days after the mailing date and no later than 60 days. Either the sender or the recipient can file, but whoever files must have the original mailing receipt. | either | Official page |
| USPS | Lost Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Insured Mail, COD, Registered Mail and Priority Mail Express COD: file no sooner than 15 days after the mailing date and no later than 60 days. Uninsured items generally can't be paid: "USPS may not legally pay compensation for uninsured lost or damaged articles." | either | Official page |
| USPS | Domestic claims for lost, damaged or missing contents must be filed no later than 60 days after the mailing date. Damaged or missing contents can be claimed right away. | either | Official page |
| USPS | APO/FPO Priority Mail Express Military: 21 to 180 days after mailing. APO/FPO/DPO insured or registered (Priority, First-Class, Ground Advantage, SAM, PAL): 45 days to 1 year. Surface-only insured: 75 days to 1 year. | either | Official page |
| USPS | A denied USPS claim can be appealed within 30 days of the decision, and a second appeal is allowed within 30 days of the first appeal's denial. | either | Official page |
| USPS | USPS Ground Advantage includes up to $100 of insurance against loss or damage in the price, for outbound and return shipments. The package needs a USPS Tracking barcode to qualify. Senders can buy more coverage, up to $5,000. | either | Official page |
| USPS | Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express include up to $100 of insurance in the price for most shipments, if the package has a USPS Tracking barcode. Priority Mail insurance isn't included when it's bought with certain extra services. More coverage is usually available. | either | Official page |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express has a money-back guarantee: postage is refundable if the item didn't arrive by the guaranteed time on the receipt. Request it 2 to 30 days after mailing, or 30 to 60 days if an extra service was bought with it. You need the tracking number and the receipt, and each tracking number allows one refund request. Since August 1, 2023, USPS no longer processes guaranteed-service refunds for PME to or from Alaska and Hawaii (loss refunds still apply). | sender | Official page |
| USPS | Refunds for extra services that weren't provided (for example non-delivery when USPS is at fault) can be requested 30 to 60 days after mailing, and only by the person who paid for the extra service. | sender | Official page |
Questions
How long before USPS considers a package lost?
USPS doesn't declare packages lost on a fixed date. In practice you file a Help Request first, then a Missing Mail search. The minimum waits are listed on this page with links to USPS.
Should the sender or the recipient file?
Either can file a Help Request or Missing Mail search. For claims, the sender usually files because they have the receipt and proof of value.
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