2026 season · letters accepted now
USPS Operation Santa 2026
Children mail their letters to Santa; the Postal Service posts them online with personal details removed; strangers “adopt” a letter and send the gifts. Here's how it works from both sides — and the dates for 2026.
Santa
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888
The 2026 timeline
From uspsoperationsanta.com. The next step is highlighted.
Mon, Sep 14, 2026 · ✉️ Letter writers
Letters accepted
Children and families can mail their letters to Santa.
Mon, Nov 2, 2026 · 🎁 Adopters
Adopter registration opens
Create an account and verify your identity on uspsoperationsanta.com.
Mon, Nov 16, 2026 · 🎁 Adopters
Letter adoption starts
Letters appear online with personal details removed. Pick one — or a whole family.
Sat, Dec 5, 2026 · ✉️ Letter writers
Last day to mail letters
Mail your letter by this date to have a chance of being posted for adoption.
Sat, Dec 12, 2026 · 🎁 Adopters
Last day to ship gifts
USPS's recommended date to send your gift so it arrives by Christmas.
For families: how to write and mail the letter
- 1Write Santa's address exactly: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. Letters with other "North Pole" addresses can come back marked undeliverable.
- 2Put your full name and return address — with the apartment number — in the top-left corner of the envelope. Without it, no gift can reach you.
- 3Put a First-Class stamp in the top-right corner.
- 4Write your full name and address inside the letter as well.
- 5List wishes in order, most wanted first. Families can put all their letters in one envelope (add stamps for the weight) — they're more likely to be posted together.
Before you mail it
USPS says every letter mailed to Santa may be published on uspsoperationsanta.com with personal identifying information removed, and that sending a letter doesn't guarantee it will be posted, adopted, or that a gift will arrive. If you'd rather your child's letter stayed private, use the North Pole postmark or keep the letter at home.
Other ways to send a letter to Santa →For givers: how to adopt a letter
- 1Register on uspsoperationsanta.com and verify your identity (registration opens November 2, 2026).
- 2From November 16, browse the letters. You can adopt one letter, a whole family's letters, or create a team with coworkers or friends.
- 3Buy the gifts — from the site's online catalog, which ships for you, or on your own.
- 4If you shop on your own, take the packed gift to a post office and ship it with Priority Mail using the label from the site, by December 12.
Tips from people who've done it
- Read several letters before choosing: some children ask for phones or brand names; others ask for a coat, groceries or a gift for a brother. Both are real Christmas wishes — decide which you want to answer.
- Adopting a family letter makes the biggest difference: every child in the house gets something.
- Teams work well at offices, schools and scout troops — one person admins, everyone claims a child.
- Leave time: shipping by the December deadline matters more than finding the perfect gift.
Tips shaped by adopters' experiences shared on Reddit (r/Parenting, r/USPS), in our own words.
Questions
- What is USPS Operation Santa?
- A Postal Service program, running for more than a century, that publishes letters children and families send to Santa — with personal details removed — so volunteers can "adopt" a letter and send the gifts on it.
- What is Santa's address?
- For USPS Operation Santa: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. For a reply from Canada Post: Santa Claus, North Pole H0H 0H0, Canada.
- Is 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888 real?
- Yes — it's the official address USPS uses for letters to Santa. The 88888 ZIP code routes them into USPS Operation Santa.
- When is the deadline for Operation Santa 2026?
- Letters should be mailed by December 5, 2026. Adopters should ship gifts by December 12, 2026.
- Does everyone get picked for Operation Santa?
- No. USPS says sending a letter doesn't guarantee it will be posted, adopted, or that a gift will arrive. USPS does say that family letters mailed together in one envelope are more likely to be posted together.
- How do I know if my letter was chosen?
- Most families find out when a package arrives at the return address in the weeks before Christmas — so make sure the return address on the envelope is complete.
- Is there an age limit for Operation Santa?
- USPS doesn't publish one — the program accepts letters from children and from families in need.
- Does Santa write back?
- Operation Santa doesn't send replies. For a written reply, send a letter to Canada Post's Santa (North Pole H0H 0H0) or use the USPS North Pole postmark with a reply you write yourself.
Sources: uspsoperationsanta.com · USPS News (2025). Checked 2026-09-30. MerryHoHo is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service.