USPS Address Verification

What each result field means

Every verification returns more than a corrected address. Here is what each field in the results panel tells you. Hover or tap a label in the tool to see the same explanation inline.

Deliverability badge

A plain-English summary of the DPV result: Deliverable (DPV Y), Partially deliverable (D or S) or Not deliverable (N).

DPV match

The Delivery Point Validation code. It tells you whether the street number and any unit number match a known USPS delivery point.

Enhanced DPV

Mirrors the DPV match with one extra case, R, for an address that is valid but does not receive USPS delivery.

DPV footnotes

Two-letter USPS codes explaining the match. AA and BB mean everything matched; codes such as M1 (missing street number) or CC (missing unit number) explain a failure.

No-stat reason

Shown when USPS recognizes the address but does not count it as an active delivery point, for example a drop address or an address that needs a unit number.

Vacant

Yes when USPS has flagged the location as not occupied.

Private mailbox (CMRA)

Yes when the address belongs to a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, such as a mailbox store, rather than a home or office.

County and FIPS code

The county the address sits in, with its federal FIPS code. Useful for tax, reporting and regional segmentation.

Congressional district

The U.S. congressional district for the address.

Carrier route

The USPS route that delivers the address, such as C057. Carrier route coding is what Carrier Route prices are built on.

Delivery point barcode

The ZIP+4 plus a 2-digit delivery point and a check digit. Together they identify a single mailbox.

eLOT sequence

Enhanced Line of Travel: the order in which the carrier reaches the address along the route, used to sequence mail.

Record type

The kind of address: S street, P PO Box, R rural route or highway contract, H high-rise, F firm, or G general delivery.

Address components

The standardized address split into parts: street number, directionals, street name and suffix, unit designator and number, PMB, city, state, ZIP and ZIP+4.

USPS address verification FAQ

Is USPS address verification free?

Yes, for single addresses. USPS offers a free ZIP Code Lookup on usps.com that returns the ZIP Code for a street address, and this Pelcro tool is free with no sign-up. It also returns the DPV result, ZIP+4, carrier route and county. Processing a whole mailing list for postage discounts is a different job: USPS requires lists mailed at automation prices to be matched and coded with CASS-certified address matching methods, which is done with certified software or a service provider.

What is the difference between address verification and address validation?

Many tools use the two terms interchangeably. When they are separated, validation usually means checking that an address is complete and correctly formatted, and verification means confirming it is a real USPS delivery point. This tool does both in one step: it standardizes the address to USPS format and reports the Delivery Point Validation (DPV) result.

What do the DPV codes Y, D, S and N mean?

DPV is the indicator USPS uses to decide whether an address is deliverable. Y means the address was confirmed for both the primary (street) number and, if present, the secondary (apartment or suite) number. D means the primary number was confirmed but the secondary number was missing. S means the primary number was confirmed but the secondary number provided could not be confirmed. N means the address could not be confirmed.

Why can't my address be verified?

The most common reasons are a missing or mistyped street number, a missing or wrong apartment, suite or unit number in a multi-unit building, a misspelled street name, or a missing ZIP Code. When an address comes back as anything other than fully confirmed, the tool lists the USPS footnotes that explain why, with a suggestion for what to fix. Try adding the unit number and ZIP Code, then verify again.

What is CASS certification?

CASS stands for Coding Accuracy Support System. It is a USPS program that tests and certifies address-matching software for how accurately it assigns 5-digit ZIP Codes, ZIP+4 and delivery point codes, and carrier route codes, along with DPV, LACSLink, SuiteLink, eLOT and RDI. USPS requires any mailing claimed at an automation price to be produced from a list matched with CASS-certified methods.

What is NCOALink and the Move Update requirement?

NCOALink is a USPS dataset of roughly 160 million permanent change-of-address records filed by individuals, families and businesses. Licensed providers run your list against it and update addresses for people who have moved. Move Update is required for mailings at commercial First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail prices, and a USPS-approved method must be used within 95 days of the date of mailing. NCOALink satisfies Move Update.

Does a verified address confirm who lives there?

No. USPS describes DPV as identifying whether a ZIP+4 coded address is a known record in the USPS delivery file. It checks the address, not the person, so a confirmed result says nothing about the current resident or business. To find out whether a specific person has moved, a list has to be processed against NCOALink, which is built from the names and addresses on change-of-address filings.

What do vacant and CMRA (private mailbox) mean?

Vacant means USPS has flagged the location as not occupied. The address is still valid, but it is worth a second look before shipping a subscription there. CMRA stands for Commercial Mail Receiving Agency: a private business, such as a mailbox store, that accepts mail from USPS for its customers and holds it in a private mailbox (PMB) or forwards it. A CMRA address is deliverable, but it is not a home or office.

How do I verify a list of addresses in bulk?

This free tool checks one address at a time. For a full mailing list, use CASS-certified address matching software or a service provider, and add NCOALink processing if you need to catch people who have moved. Publishers mailing print subscriptions can use Pelcro's USPS address verification software, which validates and standardizes subscriber addresses inside the circulation system instead of one lookup at a time.

Where does this tool get its data?

The address you enter is sent to Pelcro's address verification API, which matches it against USPS address data and returns the standardized address, the DPV result and the routing details shown in the results. After a result comes back, the standardized address is placed on a map using OpenStreetMap.