USPS Delivery Attempted, Business Closed: What It Means and What to Do

Why it may show as No Access to Delivery Location

The reference adds one more sentence to event 51: “On the scanning device, this event is now combined with No Access.” So a closed business may appear in your tracking as event 30, No Access to Delivery Location, instead of event 51.

Event 30 has its own wording. The reference describes it as “The item was attempted but not delivered because the employee could not access the delivery location (e.g., gated community where an access code is required).” Its tracking message ends: “We will redeliver on the next delivery day. No action needed.”

USPS’s tracking help page explains No Access in plain terms. Its list of common reasons includes an “address is in a gated community or locked building we could not get into.” The page also says: “No action is needed at this time. We will automatically reattempt delivery the next business day.” For an office inside a building with a locked lobby, that reason can apply even when your own suite is open.

A Notice Left status works differently, because USPS waits for you to act. Our guide to Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available) covers that status.

What USPS does next, and how long it holds the item

For event 51 and event 30, the next step is another delivery attempt. Event 51 says “next business day.” Event 30 says “next delivery day,” and the tracking help page says “next business day” for No Access. If your business is closed again when the carrier comes back, the next attempt may fail for the same reason.

Some failed attempts end with a notice instead. The carrier leaves PS Form 3849, and the item waits at the Post Office. The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), section 508.1.1.7, covers Priority Mail Express and accountable mail such as Certified Mail. It says “A notice is provided to the addressee for a mailpiece that cannot be delivered.” The piece then goes back to the sender after 15 days, or 5 days for Priority Mail Express, “unless the sender specifies fewer days on the piece.”

USPS’s page on notice and return dates lists hold times in a table. It gives 15 days after the first delivery attempt for USPS Tracking, Certified Mail, and Signature Confirmation. It gives 5 days for Priority Mail Express. The page adds: “Unless otherwise noted, the return date is in calendar days, not Postal business days.”

If no one claims the item in time, it goes back to the sender. Our guide to USPS return to sender reasons explains the endorsements the sender sees.

How to schedule a redelivery or pick up the package

You need these steps only when a notice was left or tracking asks you to act. For event 51 and event 30, USPS says no action is needed. When you do schedule a redelivery, pick a date when your business is open.

1. 1Schedule a redelivery online. USPS’s redelivery page says to use “a tracking number or the barcode number shown on the back of your PS Form 3849.” The page says redeliveries “can be scheduled online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
2. 2Ask early for same-day redelivery. The same page says “For same-day Redelivery, make sure your request is submitted by 2 AM CST Monday-Saturday or your Redelivery will be scheduled for the next day.” CST here refers to Central Time.
3. 3Check that redelivery is offered for your address. When it is not, the page says “You will need to pick up your mail or package.”
4. 4Pick it up at the Post Office named on the notice. USPS’s tracking help page says “An authorized agent can pick it up for you. You must show valid photo ID.”

What to do if tracking says closed but you were open

Start with the time in the tracking entry. Compare it with your opening hours and with the hours of the building entrance. A locked lobby or gate can stop a carrier while your office is open.

Then wait for the next attempt. For No Access, USPS’s tracking help page says: “If it's been more than 24 hours since the No Access status, use your tracking number and submit a service request to your local Post Office.” The page links that request to USPS’s Email Us site.

In the request, give the tracking number, the date and time of the scan, and the hours you were open. Also explain how a carrier gets in, such as a lobby code, a buzzer, or a mail room.

If the package goes missing after that, USPS’s Missing Mail search is the next step. USPS says “Missing Mail search requests can be submitted starting 7 days from mailing.” Its Missing Mail FAQ gives the latest date as “365 days after the original date of mailing.” If tracking stops updating after Out for Delivery instead, our guide to Awaiting Delivery Scan covers that status.

What to do if your business keeps short hours or closes for a while

A carrier comes when the route reaches your address. If that time falls outside your opening hours, the same status can repeat. The options below can help.

A staffed front desk, reception, or mail room can accept packages while you are away from the office. USPS tracking has a separate status for that, and our guide to Delivered, Front Desk/Reception/Mail Room explains it.

For a planned closure, such as a holiday week, request USPS Hold Mail. DMM 508.11.1.1 says the service holds “all mail, including accountable mail, for an eligible address” at the Post Office “for not less than 3 days and not more than 30 days.” The same section says “There is no fee for this optional service.” For a longer closure, USPS’s Hold Mail page says to sign up for a forwarding service.

Some businesses do not keep regular hours at the address on their packages. For them, it can help to ask any address provider how it receives packages and during which hours. Before you give senders a new address, our free address checker shows how USPS data classifies it.

Our Silicon Valley virtual office and Los Angeles business address pages describe the business addresses save office offers.