Below you will find information on USPS, UPS/DHL/OnTrac, FedEx, online merchant mail delivery, and information for graduate students.
U.S. Mail Delivery: Rent a P.O. Box
In order to receive U.S. mail on campus, students living in undergraduate residences must rent a P.O. Box at the Stanford Post Office, located on campus. Students living in graduate residences can receive mail at their residence (see the section for Graduate Students below). Students must have a U.S. billing address to be able to rent a P.O. Box online, otherwise, a P.O. Box can be purchased using U.S. dollars once on campus.
Instructions for making a reservation online are available below (because you cannot designate a start date, do not make a reservation until at least mid-May).
Stanford Post Office Location (located next to the Stanford University Bookstore):
Stanford Post Office
531 Lasuen Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (package pick-up only)
*P.O. Boxes can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week
How to Rent a P.O. Box:
P.O. Boxes are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. A U.S. debit or credit card is required.
1) Go to www.usps.com. In the top tab, click on “Track & Manage,” then select “Rent or Renew PO Box” from the drop down menu.
2) In the Zip Code search box, enter “94305”, and change the “Search Post Offices within:” drop down menu to 1 mile. Click the “Search” button.
3) “Post Office – STANFORD” should appear as the only choice. DO NOT choose any other location. Choose the P.O. Box size you would like, and select “3 months” for the length of time. Pay attention to the “Special message” at the bottom: your 3 month contract for the P.O. Box will automatically renew unless a Permanent Change of Address card is submitted to the Post Office at least three weeks prior to your departure (refer to the “How to Cancel Automatic Renewal of your P.O. Box” section below). Click the “Continue” button.
4) If you have an existing account with USPS, enter your username and password, then click the “Sign In” button. If you do not have an account with USPS, click on the “Sign Up Now” button and create your account.
5) Fill out the PO Boxes Online Application. Take special note of the “two required forms of ID” link. Information about how to verify your Stanford address is detailed on the next page. In addition, be sure your payment period is 3 months. Lastly, read the Privacy Act Statement and check the box that you have read and agree to it. Click “Submit” to apply.
How to Access your P.O. Box:
Once you have rented a P.O. Box online, you can go to the Stanford Post Office to pick up your P.O. Box key, starting on Monday, June 22. You will need to show two valid IDs: one photo ID and one non-photo ID that verifies your Stanford campus address. Your ID must be current and contain sufficient information to confirm that you are who you claim to be.
1) Acceptable photo IDs are:
- Valid driver’s license or state non-driver’s identification card
- Armed Forces, Government, University, or recognized corporate identification card
- Passport, passport card, alien registration card, or certificate of naturalization
Social Security cards, credit cards, Stanford ID cards, school ID cards and birth certificates are not acceptable IDs.
2) Acceptable Non-Photo ID (to verify physical Stanford address):
- Housing Assignment Confirmation email (this is sent to your Stanford email address)
Using your P.O. Box:
P.O. Boxes can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The U.S. Post Office sorts mail into recipients’ P.O. Boxes. For U.S. mail parcels and U.S. Express Mail deliveries, a card will be put into the P.O. Box to notify the recipient that a package is waiting for pick-up.
If you are receiving items through the U.S. Postal Service, please address as follows:
Your Name
531 Lasuen Mall
P.O. Box (insert your box number here)
Stanford, CA 94309 (note that while the ZIP code for the rest of the campus is 94305, the ZIP code for the Post Office is 94309)
If you are planning to ship items as you move to campus, please keep in mind that it is not possible to receive packages until after you arrive. Therefore, do not send your belongings in advance of your arrival. Packages that arrive before you do will be returned to the sender.
How to Cancel Automatic Renewal of your P.O. Box:
Your 3 month contract for the P.O. Box will automatically renew and charge your debit or credit card. To cancel automatic renewal, complete the following steps:
1) Submit a Permanent Change of Address card (available in the lobby of all U.S. Post Offices) to the Post Office at least three weeks prior to your departure (this service is free, but can take up to three weeks to be processed). Be sure to enter a Stop Date.
2) Turn in your P.O. Box key before your departure.
UPS, DHL or OnTrac
Delivery Information
In order to receive packages sent via UPS, DHL, or OnTrac on campus, students living in undergraduate residences must follow the instructions below. Students living in graduate residences can receive packages at their residence (see the section for Graduate Students below). If you are receiving items through one of these carriers, please address as follows:
Your Name
531 Lasuen Mall
# (if applicable, insert your P.O. Box number here, but DO NOT write “P.O. Box”)
Your telephone number and Stanford email address
Stanford, CA 94305 (note this is a different ZIP Code from the Post Office address above)
As recipients will be notified of package arrivals via email or phone call, please be sure to put your telephone number and email address on all packages being shipped and ask friends and family to do the same.
Package delivery personnel will not be given access to the residences, which are secured 24 hours a day. Any packages mistakenly addressed to a student residence will be returned to sender.
Package Pick-Up Information
All packages sent via UPS, DHL, and OnTrac will be directed to Roble Package Center, located at Roble Hall on campus.
Upon the arrival of your package at the Roble Package Center, UPS or OnTrac website tracking may indicate that the package is “on hold at Menlo Park” or “company was closed on delivery attempt.” Please disregard these tracking messages and follow the pickup instructions in the Roble Package Center email.
Please note that the Roble Package Center will not accept Google Shopping Express packages outside our regular business hours.
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Once the package has arrived, you will be notified of its arrival via email or phone call. To ensure that you receive Roble Package Center email notifications, please check your Spam folders and mark our emails as “not spam,” and add roblepackagecenter@stanford.edu to your contact list.
Package Holds
If you are planning to ship items as you move to campus, please keep in mind that it is not possible to receive packages on campus until after you arrive. Packages that arrive before you do will be returned to the sender.
However, UPS will hold your package at one of its service locations for up to five days, at no additional cost. To arrange this, request a “Hold for Pickup” at the UPS facility of your choice when creating your shipping label. UPS will call you when the package arrives. More information is available at the Hold for Pickup webpage. In this case, you will need to arrange your own transportation to pick up the package.
FedEx
Delivery Information
In order to receive packages sent via FedEx on campus, students living in undergraduate residences must follow the instructions below. Students living in graduate residences can receive packages at their residence (see the section for Graduate Students below). If you are receiving items through FedEx, please address as follows:
HOLD AT: FedEx Kinko’s – Tresidder
ATTN: Your Name, telephone number, and Stanford email address
459 Lagunita Drive, Suite A200-a
Stanford, CA 94305
As recipients will be notified of package arrivals via email or phone call, please be sure to put your telephone number and email address on all packages being shipped and ask friends and family to do the same.
Package delivery personnel will not be given access to the residences, which are secured 24 hours a day. Any packages mistakenly addressed to a student residence will be returned to sender.
Package Pick-Up Information
All packages sent via FedEx will be directed to FedEx Kinko’s, located in Tresidder Memorial Union on campus.
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Once the package has arrived, you will be notified of its arrival via email or phone call.
Package Holds
If you are planning to ship items as you move to campus, please keep in mind that it is not possible to receive packages on campus until after you arrive. Packages that arrive before you do will be returned to the sender.
However, FedEx will hold your package at one of its service locations, at no additional cost. To arrange this, mark the “Hold at FedEx Location” box in the Special Handling section of your shipping label and indicate where the shipment should be held. FedEx will call you when the package arrives. More information is available at the Hold at FedEx Location webpage. In this case, you will need to arrange your own transportation to pick up the package.
Online Merchants
Delivery Information
If you are ordering from an online merchant (Amazon, etc.) and you do not know which carrier will be used to ship your items, please use the address below. Carriers will route as needed, but packages may be delayed. Students living in graduate residences can receive packages at their residence (see the section for Graduate Students below).
Your Name
531 Lasuen Mall
# (if applicable, insert your P.O. Box number here, but DO NOT write “P.O. Box”)
Your telephone number and Stanford email address
Stanford, CA 94305 (note this is a different ZIP Code from the Post Office address above)
Information for Graduate Students
Delivery Information
Students living in graduate residences can receive all mail and packages at their residence. Mail should be addressed to:
Your Name
Street Address of Residence, Apartment Number
Stanford, CA 94305
To find your residence address, check the Summer Housing website. Please note that students will not be given a specific room or apartment number until shortly before Summer Session begins. Do not send your belongings in advance of your arrival. Packages that arrive before you do will be returned to the sender.
Additionally, an optional Graduate Housing Package Center is available in Escondido Village.
Location:
160 Comstock Circle (near the Escondido Village Housing Front Desk)
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
If you wish to utilize the Graduate Package Center, you must register by completing the online registration form, printing and signing the form and submitting it to your Graduate Housing Front Desk, after which you will receive a confirmation email from the Package Center staff which includes your personalized mailing address and mail code. An email will be sent to the recipient of each package received at the Graduate Housing Package Center.
