Tip #1 = Cleanse Your Data
When sending mail, the absolute last thing you want to happen is having that mail returned to you undelivered. Ensuring mailing addresses are clear and contain all required information is the best way to have your mail get to where it needs to go. This can be easily accomplished by using our data cleansing services but also by following some of the below tips and formats from Canada Post
Tip #2 = Addressing and Best Practices
Below are our addressing tips and formats to follow when sending mail in Canada:
- Write in uppercase letters (also known as block letters).
- Put information such as title or floor above the street address.
- Put a hyphen between the unit/suite/apartment number and the street number. Don’t use the # symbol.
- Abbreviate the street type. Example: “AVE” for “Avenue.”
- Abbreviate the street direction. Example: “SE” for “Southeast.”
- Put the city, province and postal code on the same line.
- Abbreviate the province. Example: “ON” for “Ontario.”
- Separate the first and last 3 elements of the postal code with a space. Don’t use hyphens.
- Put 1 space between the city and province.
- Put 2 spaces between the province and the postal code.
Tip #3 = 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
or
101 – 10521D RAINBOW COURT SE
or
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 abbreviations | |||
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 |