Don’t Dress Up As a USPS Letter Carrier for Halloween

Halloween is upon us! If you’re scrambling for a last minute costume, we’ve got a piece of advice for you: don’t dress up as a USPS letter carrier. It is illegal for a civilian to dress up as a USPS letter carrier, with a fine and/or a penalty of up to 6 months in prison…so don’t try it!

The Penalty for Dressing Up as a USPS Letter Carrier Could Be Up to 6 Months In Prison

Our federal government takes our USPS letter carriers seriously. So, unless you want to end up paying a fine or spending half a year in federal prison, we suggest avoiding hopping into a USPS uniform and going door-to-door for candy. If you’re in a pinch for a costume, you’re much better off just throwing on a bathrobe or one of your old sports uniforms from high school.

Of course, there is an exception to the rule (isn’t there always?). The law states that civilians can rock the US Postal Service uniform only if they are playing a letter carrier “in a theatrical, television, or motion-picture production.” So, if you’re cast as a letter carrier in a play at your local community theater, you’re all good!

Don’t believe us? Check out this official statute titled 18 USC 1730: Uniforms of Letter Carriers.