Learn more about addressing formats
General Information
- Addresses should be upper case
- Addresses should be formatted with a uniform left margin
- Punctuation should not be used unless it is part of a proper name. Accents are not considered to be punctuation
- Postal codes must be printed in upper case
- The # symbol must never be used
- Addresses must be less than 40 characters per line, including spaces
- The municipality, province and postal code should always appear on the same line
- For mail addressed outside Canada and the U.S.A., the name of the country must be the last entry on the address and the name of the country must be spelled in full.
For more information visit Canada Post >
Preferred Destination Address Format:
The proper sequence for information on a destination address is:
- Non-Address Data (i.e. Attention, Confidential etc)
- Addressee Information (i.e. Name, Title/Position, Company Name etc)
- Delivery Address Information
- City Province Postal Code
- Country – only if out of Canada
Examples:
Below is an example of how to address mail using sample information.
Sample Delivery Address Information
Street number: 10521
Street number Suffix: D
Street Name: RAINBOW
Street type: COURT
Street direction: SE
Unit designator and identifier: SUITE 101
Place the above information in one of the following formats:
- 10521D RAINBOW COURT SE SUITE 101
- 101 – 10521D RAINBOW COURT SE
- SUITE 101
10521D RAINBOW COURT SE

Province and State abbreviations
| Canada: | |||
| AB | Alberta | NU | Nunavut |
| BC | British Columbia | ON | Ontario |
| MB | Manitoba | PE | Prince Edward Island |
| NB | New Brunswick | QC | Quebec |
| NL | Newfoundland & Labrador | SK | Saskatchewan |
| NT | Northwest Territories | YT | Yukon |
| NS | Nova Scotia |
| USA: | |||
| AL | Alabama | MO | Missouri |
| AK | Alaska | MT | Montana |
| AS | American Samoa | NE | Nebraska |
| AZ | Arizona | NV | Nevada |
| AR | Arkansas | NH | New Hampshire |
| CA | California | NJ | New Jersey |
| CO | Colorado | NM | New Mexico |
| CT | Connecticut | NY | New York |
| DE | Delaware | NC | North Carolina |
| DC | Dist. Of Columbia | ND | North Dakota |
| FL | Florida | MP | Northern Mariana Islands |
| GA | Georgia | OH | Ohio |
| GU | Guam | OK | Oklahoma |
| HI | Hawaii | OR | Oregon |
| ID | Idaho | PW | Palau |
| IL | Illinois | PA | Pennsylvania |
| IN | Indiana | PR | Puerto Rico |
| IA | Iowa | RI | Rhode Island |
| KS | Kansas | SC | South Carolina |
| KY | Kentucky | SD | South Dakot |
| LA | Louisiana | TN | Tennessee |
| ME | Maine | TX | Texas |
| MH | Marshall Islands | UT | Utah |
| MD | Maryland | VT | Vermont |
| MA | Massachusetts | VA | Virginia |
| MI | Michigan | VI | Virgin Islands |
| FM | Micronesia (Federated States of) | WA | Washington |
| MN | Minnesota | WV | West Virginia |
| MS | Mississippi | WI | Wisconsin |
| WY | Wyoming |
| Preferred Street abbrevations | |||
| APT | Apartment | HARBR | Harbour |
| AVE | Avenue | HTS | Heights |
| BLVD | Boulevard | HWY | Highway |
| CTR | Centre | HILL | Hill |
| CIR | Circle | ISLAND | Island |
| CRT | Court | LANE | Lane |
| CRES | Crescent | MTN | Mountain |
| CDS | Cul-de-sac | PKY | Parkway |
| DR | Drive | PL | Place |
| FARM | Farm | PLAZA | Plaza |
| FOREST | Forest | PO BOX | Post Office Box |
| FRY | Freeway | RD | Road |
| GDNS | Gardens | RR | Rural Route |
| GATE | Gate | SQ | Square |
| GD | General Delivery | ST | Street |
| GREEN | Green | STE | Suite |
| GROVE | Grove | VLY | Valley |
| Directional abbreviations | |||
| N | North | NE | North East |
| S | South | NW | North West |
| E | East | SE | South East |
| W | West | SW | South West |
