On Independence Day USPS and Many Businesses Are Closed – Here Is What to Know

July 4th is Independence Day, a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence establishing the United States of America.

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It is one of the major holidays in the US when government offices, banks, and most non-retail businesses are closed.

USPS

The United States Postal Service observes the holiday as well with most facilities and services not operating today.

What is closed today or not operational today at USPS?

• No counter operations at retail post offices around the country.
• No regular mail delivery.
• No regular mail pick-up.
• No mail pickup from USPS mailboxes.
• No USPS phone customer service.

What is open or operational today at USPS?

• Access PO Boxes at most locations, if separated area from counter operations/lobby.
• Use self-service machines at most locations, if separated area from counter operations/lobby.
• Priority Mail Express may be delivered. Restrictions and conditions apply, check tracking.
• Online USPS Ship-N-Click is fully functional.
• Inside and outside USPS mailboxes are open 24/7 – but outside boxes could become very full at busy post office locations.

UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Others

Since this is a major holiday, some courier services may offer critical shipment services today, but standard ground or express shipments are not picked up or delivered today.

Most company-operated or licensed shipping centers are closed today. However, some retailers like Walgreens or Staples that offer shipping services with these carriers may process or accept packages today.

Tips for Sellers on Independence Day

When USPS, UPS, FedEx and other shippers are closed, it’s a bit tricky for sellers that ship internationally as many foreign buyers don’t know about this major federal holiday and expect shipments to process today.

Here are some tips on how to deal with this situation:

• Email international buyers that today is a US Federal Holiday and shipments will be processed on Tuesday.
• eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, PayPal and other platforms that offer shipping services will process labels today if sellers wish to do so. However, most of them will not inform buyers that it is a holiday, so international buyers may expect a pick-up scan and therefore, sellers should inform buyers that packages will not show any tracking until Tuesday.

Additional Federal / USPS Holidays in 2022

Looking forward to this year, here is a list of the remaining federal and postal holidays in 2022.

• Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
• Monday, October 10 – Columbus Day
• Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day
• Thursday, November 24 – Thanksgiving Day
• Monday, December 26 (observed)* – Christmas Day

* December 25, 2022 (Christmas Day), falls on a Sunday. Monday, December 26, will be treated as a federal holiday.

Here is a more complete list of all major holidays and other important dates for eCommerce in 2022.