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:

  1. Non-Address Data (i.e. Attention, Confidential etc)
  2. Addressee Information (i.e. Name, Title/Position, Company Name etc)
  3. Delivery Address Information
  4. City Province Postal Code
  5. 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