USPS® Address Verification | Free Options and Best Tools (2024)

USPS Address Verification validates and standardizes mailing addresses to ensure accurate and timely mail delivery.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers an address verification service that confirms address information and corrects any errors or inconsistencies. Address verification involves comparing address information to the USPS database and standardizing it to conform to USPS formatting rules.

We will explore the components of a cleansed address and explain how USPS address verification works to ensure reliable and efficient mail delivery.

There are some limitations to using the USPS free service which can reduce the effectiveness of USPS Address Verification for some users.
If the address validation options provided as a free service by the USPS aren’t sufficient for your needs, we have a capable validation tool that also helps users understand each component of an address cleanse.

Why Use USPS Address Validation?

There are several reasons why businesses should consider using USPS Address Validation to ensure accurate and reliable mail delivery. Here are some key facts about address and ZIP code data that highlight the importance of address validation:

• Addresses and ZIP codes can change over time, with new construction and changes to street names and boundaries.
• The average business experiences a 20% turnover in addresses annually, making it challenging to maintain accurate data.
• The USPS estimates that about 5% of all mail is undeliverable as addressed (UAA).

By using USPS Address Validation to verify and standardize address information, businesses can ensure that their mail and packages are delivered to the intended recipient at the correct address. This can help to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Validating an Address with the USPS Address Verification tool

One of the most common ways to validate an address is to use the USPS Address Verification tool. This tool is available on the USPS website and can be used to verify the accuracy of address information and standardize it to conform to USPS formatting rules. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the USPS Zip Code Lookup tool:

1. Go to the USPS Zip Code Lookup tool at https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?byaddress
2. Enter the street address, city, and state in the appropriate fields. Note: The more complete and accurate the address information, the more likely the USPS will be able to validate it.
3. Click “Find.”
4. Review the results to ensure that the address is correct and standardized according to USPS formatting rules. If the address is not recognized, the tool will provide suggestions for correcting it.
5. To view additional information about the address, click on the “More Info” link next to the result. This will expand the result to show the Delivery Point Validation (DPV) information, which indicates whether the address is a valid delivery point according to the USPS.
6. Make any necessary corrections to the address and update your records accordingly.

By using the USPS Address Verification tool to validate and standardize address information, businesses can help ensure accurate and reliable mail delivery, reduce the cost of returned or undeliverable mail, and improve customer satisfaction.

USPS Valid Address Metadata

The USPS provides two types of metadata that can be used to validate and standardize addresses: Delivery Point Validation (DPV) and Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS) and LACS^Link. Here is a brief overview of each type of metadata:

Delivery Point Validation (DPV)

The DPV^® product is a USPS trademarked technology that can be used to verify that an address is a valid delivery point. DPV processing involves checking the address against the USPS Delivery Point File, which contains information on all known delivery points in the United States. If the address is a valid delivery point, DPV processing will return a code indicating the level of confidence that the address is valid.

DPV processing can also identify potential issues with the address, such as missing or incorrect apartment numbers or suite information. By using DPV processing, businesses can help ensure accurate and reliable mail delivery, reduce the cost of returned or undeliverable mail, and improve customer satisfaction.

Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS) and LACS

The LACS and LACS^Link products are copyright protected by the USPS and can be used to standardize rural-style addresses to city-style addresses. LACS processing involves converting rural-style addresses to city-style addresses by replacing rural-style route and box numbers with city-style street names and numbers.

LACS^Link processing takes LACS processing a step further by also updating address information for renamed or renumbered streets. By using LACS and LACS^Link processing, businesses can help ensure accurate and reliable mail delivery, reduce the cost of returned or undeliverable mail, and improve customer satisfaction.

By leveraging the DPV and LACS/LACS^Link products, businesses can validate and standardize address information to conform to USPS formatting rules and help ensure successful mail delivery.

The USPS Postal Address Verification tool is available for free on the USPS website and can be used to occasionally verify USPS addresses. Users can enter an address into the tool and receive standardized address information and delivery point validation results. Additionally, developers can integrate the USPS web API into a website or application to verify and standardize address information in real-time. This can be particularly useful for businesses that regularly ship products and need to ensure that their addresses are accurate and deliverable.

Conclusion

The USPS Postal Address Verification tool is available for free on the USPS website and can be used to occasionally verify USPS addresses. Users can enter an address into the tool and receive standardized address information and delivery point validation results. Additionally, developers can integrate the USPS web API into a website or application to verify and standardize address information in real-time.

By using the tool to verify and standardize address information, businesses can reduce the cost of returned or undeliverable mail, improve customer satisfaction, and help ensure reliable mail delivery. While the USPS provides this service for free, it’s important to note that large enterprise-scale companies will need a more robust and high-volume solution for address verification. Firstlogic specializes in providing self-managed, on-premise or in-cloud data quality software that is performant and ready for large datasets. With a licensing model that allows unlimited records to be processed per server, Firstlogic DQ is ideal for companies who process large address databases. As a provider of USPS CASS-certified software, we use authoritative data to keep addresses correct, up-to-date, and standardized.