USPS Unveils Mail Carrier Costume for Children

Halloween is right around the corner, which means it’s time to get a costume! If you’re looking for inspiration for a kid’s costume, look no further than your local letter carrier. It’s illegal for a civilian to impersonate a mail carrier…and that typically included dressing up as one for Halloween. However, USPS has rolled out an officially licensed mail carrier costume for kids this spooky season.

USPS Previously Advised People Not to Wear a Mail Carrier Costume for Halloween

In the past, USPS advised people to not dress up as a letter carrier for Halloween. In fact, it’s illegal for a civilian to dress up as a letter carrier, with a fine of up to 6 months in prison! According to the official statute 18 USC 1730: Uniforms of Letter Carriers, the only exception is if someone “in a theatrical, television, or motion-picture production” is playing a USPS letter carrier.

All this said, none of that deterred people from donning the mail carrier garb, anyway. In fact, the warnings may have had the opposite effect. Regardless, the impersonations were so great that the Postal Service decided to create an officially licensed costume this year.

USPS promoted the costume in the following tweet:

“We aren’t the only ones going from door to door this Halloween 👻 Get our officially licensed USPS costume and spread smiles all around the neighborhood with your little delivery driver 📦”

Where to Get the Costume for Children

If you want to snag the officially licensed mail carrier costume for children, you can purchase it on the USPS website. It’s on sale for $24.95, and all the revenue goes straight to USPS. The money the Postal Service makes from its costume sales may not be enough to contribute to the 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability…but it’s still a nice way for kids to score some candy on their “routes” this year!