APO address format

The APO address format

Every APO address follows the same three-line pattern:

Replace the placeholders with the recipient’s details. Here is the same address filled in, using USPS’s own example:

Line by line

Line 1: recipient’s name and rank

Use a specific person’s rank and full name. USPS says addressing mail to “Any Service Member” is no longer permitted, so every package needs a named recipient.

Line 2: unit and box

Military post offices don’t deliver to street addresses. The second line is the recipient’s unit, which USPS writes as Unit, PSC or CMR plus a number, followed by Box and the box number. Copy it exactly as the recipient gives it to you. Other lines the recipient gives you, such as a unit name or an office symbol, can stay above the box line, but the box line must sit directly above the last line, because USPS reads the line right above the APO line as the delivery address.

Line 3: APO, region code and ZIP

The last line takes the place of the city, state and ZIP of an ordinary address:

• APO goes where the city would go.
• AA, AE or AP goes where the state would go. It tells USPS which region the mail is bound for.
• The ZIP code comes last. Use the full nine-digit ZIP when the recipient has one. The checker accepts a five-digit ZIP, and notes that USPS prefers nine digits when you have them.

Which region code to use: AE, AP or AA

The ZIP decides it, so the code and the ZIP must agree. ZIPs that start with 09 are always AE. ZIPs starting 962 through 966 are AP, and ZIPs starting 340 are AA. USPS defines AE as Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada, AP as the Pacific, and AA as the Americas excluding Canada. See what AA, AE and AP mean for the full breakdown.

APO address examples

A standard address using a PSC and box:

With a nine-digit ZIP:

With an extra unit line above the box line:

These are made-up recipients on real address patterns. Always use the exact address the service member gives you.

Mistakes that get APO mail returned

• Adding a base, city or country. “Ramstein AB, Germany” doesn’t belong on the label. The APO line already routes the mail, and a foreign place name can make USPS address checks and shipping software reject or rewrite the address.
• Writing a street address. There is no street. Use the unit and box.
• Using APO on an FPO or DPO ZIP. USPS assigns every ZIP to exactly one of APO, FPO or DPO. For example, 09618 is an FPO ZIP, so “APO AE 09618” is wrong. Read how APO, FPO and DPO differ.
• A region code that doesn’t match the ZIP. A ZIP starting 09 can only be AE, so “APO AP 09021” is wrong even though both halves look plausible.
• Dropping the leading zero. Spreadsheets and some forms turn 09096 into 9096. APO ZIPs in Europe start with 0, so keep all five digits.
• Leaving out the return address. USPS says to always include one.
• Sending to a ZIP that has closed. USPS removes and adds military ZIPs. The checker compares yours against the current USPS table.

It’s a domestic address

An APO address looks overseas, but USPS treats it as domestic. You pay domestic rates, and if a form asks for a country, choose United States. See shipping to APO, FPO and DPO addresses for the customs form, carrier and size rules.

Questions about APO addresses

What does APO stand for?

Army Post Office. APOs serve Army and Air Force units. Navy and Marine Corps units use FPO (Fleet Post Office), and U.S. embassies and consulates use DPO (Diplomatic Post Office).

Can I put the base name or city in an APO address?

No. Leave off any foreign city, base or country. The label carries only military routing, and extra place names can make USPS address checks and shipping software reject or rewrite the address.

Is an APO address a domestic address?

Yes. USPS treats APO, FPO and DPO mail as domestic and charges domestic rates, even when the recipient is overseas. If a form asks for a country, choose United States.

Can I find out where an APO ZIP code is?

No. USPS and the Department of Defense don’t publish which base, ship or embassy a ZIP serves, to protect the people stationed there. Ask the recipient if you need to know.