USPS Christmas shipping deadlines for 2026
On September 22, 2026, USPS published recommended mailing dates for expected delivery before December 25. In the lower 48, send Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail by December 17, Priority Mail by December 18, and Priority Mail Express by December 19. International package services share December 9, or December 16 for Priority Mail Express International.
Updated .
See also Priority Mail Express, what to do if a date has passed, and the send-by checker on the home page.
At a glance
| Service | Recommended send-by |
|---|---|
| Ground Advantage and First-Class, lower 48 | December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail, lower 48 | December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express, lower 48 | December 19, 2026 |
| FCPIS and Priority Mail International | December 9, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express International | December 16, 2026 |
On September 22, 2026, USPS published recommended mailing dates for expected delivery before December 25. The consumer table on usps.com is the source for the dates below, checked on November 14, 2026.
Contiguous United States (lower 48)
| Mail class | Recommended send-by date (contiguous U.S.) |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
International mail
On the official 2026 table, every listed region shares the same three dates: December 9 for First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International, and December 16 for Priority Mail Express International. Regions listed include Africa, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Mexico, and the Middle East.
Military mail
USPS also publishes recommended military-mail dates on the same holiday page. This site does not reprint a military table that we could not fully capture from the official page in our November 14 review. Use the official USPS holiday page for APO, FPO, and DPO dates.
Sources
Common questions
When did USPS publish the 2026 holiday dates?
USPS announced the recommended mailing dates on September 22, 2026. The consumer table on usps.com was the source for the dates on this page, checked on November 14, 2026.
What are the lower-48 domestic dates?
December 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, December 18 for Priority Mail, and December 19 for Priority Mail Express.
What are the international USPS dates?
On the official 2026 table, every listed region shares December 9 for First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International, and December 16 for Priority Mail Express International.
Does this page list military APO, FPO, or DPO dates?
No complete military table is reprinted here, because it could not be fully captured from the official page in the November 14 review. Use the official USPS holiday page for those dates.