Locked Mailboxes
Some residences have a centrally located unit that contains two or more mailboxes. These are known as cluster mailboxes or NDCBUs. The United States Postal Service® does not sell or provide personal mailboxes.
If you would like to obtain a locked mailbox for your residence:
Note: A mailbox with a lock must have a slot that is large enough to accommodate your daily mail volume. The Postal Service™ neither opens a locked box nor accepts a key for this purpose.
Mailbox Keys
- If the mailbox for a house, condo, apartment or other physical residence is owned and maintained by the US Postal Service® the keys will be available either from the owner, manager or prior resident of the property or from the local Post Office.
- Customers should return all compartment keys to the Post Office when they move from their residence. When a customer moves, the Post Office will change the lock before reissuing the compartment. The new customer is not charged for the first lock and keys even though the Postal Service replaced it.
Duplicate Keys
The Postal Service keeps no duplicate keys and if the customer loses all the keys, the Postal Service will have to install a new lock and issue a new set of keys at the customer's expense.
- Note: There is no established fee; this charge is based on local costs.*
- Customers may duplicate their keys at their own expense (no expense to the Postal Service).
When you move out, leave the mailbox key(s) with the owner, manager or next resident. Any duplicate keys that you had made should also be left when you move out.
Key Found in Mailbox
If you have a key in your mailbox it is likely because you are using a Cluster Box. These units often have parcel lockers. The parcel locker is used for items that are too large for your individual box within the Cluster Box. The key in your mailbox is a parcel locker key. This key has a tag that indicates the parcel locker that contains your item. Insert the key into the correct parcel locker, and you will be able to retrieve your mail piece. The key will remain in the locker once you have inserted it.
My Mailbox Key has been Lost, Stolen, or Broken
You will need to verify whether or not the mailboxes at your residential building (e.g. apartment, condominium, etc.) are owned and maintained by the United States Postal Service®.
For only those boxes that are maintained by the USPS:
For all other mailboxes:
- Please speak with your residential building owner or manager, as they are responsible for purchasing, installing, and maintaining mailboxes.
- Your local residential building complex is also responsible for individual locks on the boxes and may keep a duplicate key to these locks.
Note: The United States Postal Service is not able to help you access mailboxes owned and maintained by private residential building complexes.
