Are you going to be shipping any of your Christmas gifts to family or friends this year? If so, you should really think about doing it sooner rather than later.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced their holiday shipping deadlines and they are a little bit earlier than normal. The USPS told customers earlier in the year that they should expect some delays with their First-Class Mail service and that is reflected in the holiday shipping deadlines.

Below, you can find all of the deadlines so you can make sure all of your presents reach their destinations by Christmas.

USPS Retail Ground Service

  • Contiguous United States - Dec. 15
  • Alaska - Dec. 2
  • Hawaii - N/A

First-Class Mail Service

  • Contiguous United States - Dec. 17
  • Alaska - Dec. 18
  • Hawaii - Dec. 17

Priority Mail Service

  • Contiguous United States - Dec. 18
  • Alaska - Dec. 18
  • Hawaii - Dec. 17

Priority Mail Express Service

  • Contiguous United States - Dec. 23
  • Alaska - Dec. 21
  • Hawaii - Dec. 21

If you are shipping packages to destinations outside of the country, the deadlines are different depending on their destination. You can find a complete list of countries and their deadlines on the USPS website.

It is recommended that you don't reuse boxes or overfill them to reduce the chances that the contents are damaged during the shipping process. Also, be sure to check out the domestic shipping prohibitions and restrictions list so you don't accidently mail something that you shouldn't.

But regardless of the deadlines, the USPS recommends that you don't put off mailing your packages and says "The earlier you send, the better: Don’t delay, mail and ship today!"

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