What does USPS charge for a package over 22 inches long?
$4.50 on top of postage when the longest side is more than 22 inches and up to 30 inches, by Ground Advantage, Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express, at the Post Office or online. Past 30 inches it is $10.00 by Ground Advantage and $21.00 by Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express.
USPS calls these nonstandard fees. They have been these amounts since Jan 18, 2026; the Notice 123 edition before that listed $4.00, $8.40 (Ground Advantage) and $18.00 (Priority Mail).
Rates verified on
Postage in the examples is from Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026, which includes USPS's temporary holiday prices for Ground Advantage and Priority Mail until 12 a.m. CT Jan 17, 2027. The fees quoted here are the same as in the July 12, 2026 edition, before the holiday prices began.
The rule, in USPS's words
“Parcels that exceed 22 inches but not greater than 30 inches in length, add $4.50.”
“Parcels that exceed 30 inches in length, add $10.00.”
“Parcels that exceed 30 inches in length, add $21.00.”
“A piece that is subject to both a length (1.7a, 1.7b) and a characteristic (1.7d) nonstandard fee is only subject to the highest fee.”
“Dimensions: A parcel that measures more than 22 inches long, or 18 inches wide, or 15 inches high.”
What it costs, with examples
| Box (inches) | Longest side | Ground Advantage adds | Priority Mail adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 x 12 x 4 (a framed print) | 20 in. | nothing | nothing |
| 24 x 6 x 6 (a rolled rug) | 24 in. | $4.50 | $4.50 |
| 34 x 10 x 4 (a framed poster) | 34 in. | $10.00 | $21.00 |
| Label | Postage | Length fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, online | $12.12 | $4.50 | $16.62 |
| Ground Advantage, Post Office | $15.70 | $4.50 | $20.20 |
| Priority Mail, online | $17.41 | $4.50 | $21.91 |
| Priority Mail, Post Office | $19.05 | $4.50 | $23.55 |
| Parcel | Ground Advantage adds | Priority Mail adds |
|---|---|---|
| 32 x 12 x 10 box: over 30 in. long and 3,840 cubic in. | $10.00 + $21.00 = $31.00 | $21.00 + $35.00 = $56.00 |
| Online label says 20 in. long; USPS measures 23 in. | $4.50 length fee + $3.00 Dimension Noncompliance Fee = $7.50, charged after mailing | $4.50 + $3.00 = $7.50, charged after mailing |
| 38 in. poster tube (a length fee and the tube fee) | $10.00 (only the higher fee) | $21.00 (only the higher fee) |
| Priority Mail Flat Rate box | n/a | nothing: Flat Rate is exempt |
Edge cases
- Tube or long box plus a characteristic: a parcel that owes both a length fee and the $4.50 fee for tubes, cans or wooden boxes pays only the higher one, so a 38 in. poster tube pays $10.00 by Ground Advantage, not $14.50 (tube, can and wooden box fee).
- Long and big: the length fee and the 2 cubic feet fee do stack. A 26 x 12 x 12 in. box (3,744 cubic in.) pays $4.50 + $21.00 = $25.50 by Ground Advantage, before dimensional weight (over 2 cubic feet fee).
- Wide or tall, but short: a box over 18 in. wide or 15 in. high is also nonstandard for USPS processing (DMM 201.7.6.1), but Notice 123 charges only for length. A 20 x 19 x 10 in. box pays no length fee, but at 3,800 cubic in. it is over 2 cubic feet: $21.00 by Ground Advantage.
- Exempt: Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging (DMM 123.1.6), Ground Advantage parcels that pay the oversized price because they are over 108 in. in length plus girth, USPS Ground Return parcels (DMM 283.1.7) and Priority Mail Return packages (DMM 223.1.10).
- Media Mail: the Media Mail tables in Notice 123 list no length or cube fee.
- Slower handling: USPS says nonstandard-fee parcels may get deferred handling (DMM 283.3.1).
- Online labels: a commercial parcel over 22 in. whose dimensions are missing or wrong can also be charged the $3.00 Dimension Noncompliance Fee.
- Priority Mail Express lists the same $4.50, $21.00 and $35.00 nonstandard fees as Priority Mail, at retail and commercial prices (Notice 123).
What to do
- Keep the longest side at 22 inches or less. The fee goes by the parcel you hand over, so a shorter box beats a long one with padding at the ends.
- Prints and posters can usually ship flat between boards in a box under 22 in. instead of rolled in a long tube.
- Type real dimensions into your label tool so the fee is in the price you pay up front, not a postage adjustment later (DMM 604.4.4.3).
Questions
Is the 22 inch fee charged at the Post Office counter too?
Yes. Notice 123 lists the same $4.50, $10.00 and $21.00 fees under the retail Ground Advantage and Priority Mail prices as under the commercial ones (Notice 123).
How does USPS measure length?
Length is the longest side of the parcel, whichever way the label faces (DMM 201.7.3.2; DMM 601.1.1.1). A 24 x 6 x 6 in. box is 24 in. long.
Do the length fee and the 2 cubic feet fee both apply?
Yes, they stack: a 32 x 12 x 10 in. box (3,840 cubic in.) pays $10.00 + $21.00 = $31.00 by Ground Advantage, before dimensional weight. Only the length fee and the tube, can or wooden box fee don't stack (DMM 283.1.7).
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Notice 123, Price List (effective Oct 4, 2026)
- USPS Notice 123 effective Oct 5, 2025 (Postal Explorer archive): fees before Jan 18, 2026
- USPS Notice 123 effective Jan 18, 2026 (Postal Explorer archive)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 123: Priority Mail retail prices and eligibility
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201: physical standards for commercial mail (flats, parcels, nonstandard parcels)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 223: Priority Mail commercial prices and eligibility
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 283: Ground Advantage commercial prices and eligibility
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 601: mailability, packaging and USPS-produced packaging
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 604: postage payment, rounding and postage discrepancies
Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices
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