You typed your password, USPS.com rejected it, and now you are staring at a sign-in screen with a deadline (a package to track, a label to print, a PO Box to manage). Maybe you forgot the password entirely, maybe the account just locked you out after a few wrong tries.
When you reset credentials, use a random password generator rather than inventing a variation of the old password. Random passwords generated locally in the browser are far harder to crack or guess.
The good news: USPS.com has a self-service recovery flow that emails or texts you a temporary password, and a locked account unlocks on its own. This guide walks every verified path in order, quickest and most common first.
Work through the methods top to bottom. Most people are signed back in after the first or second one.
Reset Your Password Using Security Questions
This is the most common fix and works for anyone who remembers the security questions set at registration. USPS emails you a temporary password.
Go to USPS.com and click "Sign In" in the top right corner.
On the sign-in screen, select the "I forgot my Password" link (also shown as "Forgot your password?").
Enter your Username. The username is case sensitive, so match the exact capitalization.
Click "Continue".
Choose the security-questions option and answer the questions you selected when you created the account. Answers are not case sensitive.
Once answered correctly, a temporary password is emailed to the address you used at registration.
Return to USPS.com and sign in with that temporary password. You can copy and paste it straight from the email; USPS.com ignores extra spaces before or after the pasted text.
When prompted, create a new permanent password and confirm it.
If the temporary password email does not arrive, check your Spam, Junk, and Trash folders before trying again.
Reset Your Password by Text Message
If you would rather get a code on your phone, USPS can text you an Account Recovery Code instead. This only works if your account already has a verified mobile number set up for recovery; you cannot add one mid-reset.
Go to USPS.com, click "Sign In", then select the "I forgot my Password" link.
Enter your Username (case sensitive) and click "Continue".
Choose the option to receive a temporary password or code by text to your validated mobile number.
Receive the Account Recovery Code by SMS. USPS sends it from short code 34100.
Enter the code into USPS.com.
When prompted, create a new password and confirm it.
SMS recovery is limited to domestic U.S. and Canadian phone numbers on participating carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Boost, U.S. Cellular, MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile, and Cricket).
Recover a Forgotten Username
If the real problem is that you do not remember your username, that is a separate flow from the password reset, and it keys off the email address on your account. Remember too that a correct username with the wrong capitalization will fail, since the username is case sensitive.
Go to the USPS.com account sign-in page and select "Forgot your username?".
On the "Forgot Username" page, enter the email address associated with your account. This field is required.
Click "Continue".
If your username is eligible for retrieval, you will receive an email containing it.
USPS only sends the email if an account is detected for that address. If no email arrives, USPS directs you to create a new account.
One important limit: usernames cannot be changed once they have been created, so to use a different username you must register a new account with a different email address.
Unlock a Locked Account
Too many failed login attempts will temporarily lock your USPS account. You have several ways to get back in, easiest first.
Wait it out. USPS online accounts automatically unlock after 24 hours. If you still know your password, just sign in normally once the lock clears.
Use security questions. Use the "I forgot my Password" link and unlock the account by answering the secret questions you set at signup.
Use a text message. Use the "I forgot my Password" link to recover by SMS, but only if a verified mobile device is already linked to the account.
Contact the Help Desk. Reach the USPS Help Desk to unlock the account. You must know the answers to your secret questions for them to process a password reset.
Call USPS Technical Support
If the self-service options stall, USPS technical support can help with usps.com accounts (and with Click-N-Ship, The Postal Store, PO Boxes, and File a Claim).
Call 1-800-344-7779.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8:30 PM ET, and Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM ET.
Have your secret-question answers ready. The Help Desk requires them to process a password reset and cannot reset the password without them.
Create a Password USPS Will Accept
When you set your new permanent password, USPS enforces specific rules. A password that breaks any of these is rejected on the spot, so build it to fit all of them.
It must not match your username.
It must be 8 to 50 characters long.
It must include at least one upper case letter.
It must include at least one lower case letter.
It must include at least one number.
If you use special characters, only these are allowed: - ( ) . & @ ? ' # , / " + !
It must not contain more than 2 consecutive repeat characters.
Passwords are case-sensitive, so type your new one exactly the same way every time you sign in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a locked USPS account stay locked?
USPS online accounts automatically unlock after 24 hours. If you still remember your password, you can simply wait and then sign in normally once the lock clears.
Can I change my USPS username?
No. Usernames cannot be changed once they have been created. If you want a different username, you have to create a new account using a different email address.
I never got the temporary password email. What now?
It is sent to the email address you used at registration, so first check your Spam, Junk, and Trash folders. If it still is not there, you can try the reset again or recover by text message if a verified mobile number is on the account.
What if I forgot my security-question answers?
USPS states that you must create a new account in that case. The Help Desk cannot reset your password without the correct secret-question answers, so there is no workaround through support.
Why does my username keep getting rejected when I am sure it is right?
The username is case sensitive. A correct username typed with the wrong capitalization will fail at both the sign-in screen and the Forgot Password screen, so match the exact upper and lower case you originally chose. Note that security-question answers, by contrast, are not case sensitive.
Is there a USPS phone number for account help?
Yes. Call USPS technical support at 1-800-344-7779, available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8:30 PM ET and Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM ET. Have your secret-question answers ready, since they are required to process a password reset.