# 11-digit postal codes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 15, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558 "2012-08-15T13:42:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![david\_42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@david\_42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/david_42)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558/1 "2012-08-15T13:42:25Z")

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I think the USPS has been adding these to everything lately, so they can hire people further down on the list. My carrier got extremely upset when I put up a new delivery box, because it changed the order of the boxes along the street. She was having trouble dealing with it, so maybe reading the actual address was a problem. Fortunately, she wasn’t on our route for long and the new carrier isn’t complaining.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558/2 "2012-08-15T18:11:53Z")

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What do long ZIP codes have to do with hiring people?

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558/3 "2012-08-15T21:02:37Z")

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Eleven digit zip codes?

I know about ZIP+4, but what are the other two numbers?

And which of Cecil’s columns does this refer to?

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558/4 "2012-08-15T21:49:50Z")

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Those are citizen relocation codes. With any luck, we’ll … never need 'em.

column is

> **[What do U.S. Postal Service bar codes mean?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342000/what-do-u-s-postal-service-bar-codes-mean)**

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**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-digit-postal-codes/631558/5 "2012-08-15T22:22:32Z")

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Did your old mailbox have a sticker with a barcode in it? That could throw off the carrier if the sticker is missing.