# Opening mail not addressed to you (legal?)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 11, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992 "2003-04-11T06:55:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/1 "2003-04-11T06:55:22Z")
Today I was opening my mail and found that one envelope, while having my address on it, was to someone I’ve never heard of. I’ve owned this house for 10 years and know who had it before me. I also know that no such person lives in this neighborhood.
I gave it back to the mailman.
But it was actually addressed to my home. Could I legally have opened it? Is there a postal code about this? Someone on these boards must work for USPS.
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### Author:  [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/2 "2003-04-11T08:04:40Z")
I would ask a cop if I knew one.😃
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/3 "2003-04-11T09:31:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by whuckfistle \*
> \*\*I would ask a cop if I knew one.😃 \*\*
Yeah, but most of the cops I know are drunks who keep wierd hours!😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/4 "2003-04-11T13:23:28Z")
Here’s an [index](http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/I022.htm) to postal regulations. I checked through some of the listings but couldn’t find the specific answer.
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### Author:  [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/5 "2003-04-11T13:45:19Z")
Good question - we are in rented accomodation and constantly get mail for previous tenants. When there is a return address, we mark it “Unknown - Return to sender” and stick it back in the post, but if there is no address, there isn’t much point and we normally throw it away. Occasionally, I do wonder if we shouldn’t open it, but the only time I have done so, it was a “send out 200 copies of this letter and you will make millions” chain letter.
I didn’t.
Grim
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/6 "2003-04-11T13:51:00Z")
Theft of mail is a federal crime, [18 U.S.C. 1708](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/1708.html), although I don’t know that the situation you describe would qualify, and doubt that even if it did it would warrant a federal prosecution (assuming the letter was merely an old bill or something mundane). I should add I have no personal experience with this, however.
Standard disclaimer about legal advice. IAAL, BIANYL, etc.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/7 "2003-04-11T14:36:45Z")
There used to be an old public service announcement-type commercial for the post office (I’m talking OLD…at least 20-25 years ago) where they said pretty much “If it comes to your house, you can keep it – even if it’s something you didn’t order!” They showed an Eskimo guy outside his igloo opening a box with an electric fan in it and scratching his head. I’m thinking this has more to do with unsolicited scams (where stuff you didn’t order shows up, then you receive a mysterious bill that you aren’t obligated to pay) than misaddressed stuff. And obviously after that much time I’m not sure if the rules are the same.
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### Author:  [@Ego\_Mk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ego_Mk2)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/8 "2003-04-11T14:45:34Z")
I used to get all sorts of mail for this girl who lived before me in the apartment I rented.
I just started throwing it out after about 6 months.
Then once I saw that she got a DUI summons.
I threw that out too. Not my problem. 🙂
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### Author:  [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opening-mail-not-addressed-to-you-legal/167992/9 "2003-04-12T05:26:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by voguevixen \*
> \*\*There used to be an old public service announcement-type commercial for the post office (I’m talking OLD…at least 20-25 years ago) where they said pretty much “If it comes to your house, you can keep it – even if it’s something you didn’t order!” \*\*
I remember this from 9th grade civics. Basically, companies used to send you stuff for free, and a note that said if you liked it and kept using it (or wanted more), you should send them money. The legal upshoot of it is that you are not legally obligated to pay for unrequested merchandise.