The U.S. Postal Service is inexpensive and reliable. They have an easy-to-use Web site at www.usps.com that provides rates and information.

The Postal Service delivers mail Monday through Saturday, except on government holidays.

Post offices are generally open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays (Monday to Friday) and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, closed Sundays. You can drop letters (not packages) into the blue mailboxes found on street corners and in front of post offices, or you can take them in to a local post office. Because of customs requirements, we recommend that you take international mail to be processed at the post office.

General Delivery
Mail (letters and very small packages) can be sent to you at your local post office. Address it with your name and the words "c/o General Delivery" on the first line, and the city name and zip code of the post office where you want the mail sent on the second line. Make sure that you choose a zip code that has only one post office so that your mail does not get lost. Here is an example:

Josie Hernandez c/o General Delivery
Los Angeles, CA 90049


This way of sending mail is useful if you do not yet have a fixed address. There is no charge for this service, but you must show photo identification when you pick up your mail, and post offices will only hold received mail for 10 days.

If you are receiving mail at someone else's address, it should be addressed to you, followed by the abbreviation "c/o," followed by the regular occupants name, or it may be returned undelivered. Here is an example:

Josie Hernandez c/o Peter Mays
123 Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90049

U.S. addresses follow a standard format, as follows:

Name
Organization (if applicable)
Street address
City, Two-letter state abbreviation Zip Code (five digits + four)


For example:

The J. Paul Getty Trust
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049–1679


For help finding zip codes, use the U.S. Postal Service's Zip Code lookup tool.

A letter of up to one ounce costs 44 cents to send within the U.S., and a postcard costs 24 cents. Letters in oversized envelopes cost more. A letter sent from one point in Los Angeles to another arrives the next business day.

You can send letters or packages weighing up to 13 ounces via first class mail using regular stamps. Stamps are available at the Getty Center in the mailroom on the L2 corridor.

Classes of Mail
There are several options for domestic mail and packages, including first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail. For information on sending international packages, see the United States Postal Service page."Click Here for Sending International Packages."

Rules for Parcels
Rules on sending parcels within the U.S. are rigid. Parcels must be sent in special containers available free from the post office and sealed according to their instructions. If you are shipping only books or blank recording media, you can take advantage of the cheaper "media mail" rate to ship your package within the U.S.

DHL, UPS and FedEx
DHL (www.dhl.com), The United Parcel Service (www.ups.com) and Federal Express (www.fedex.com) are good choices for shipping large or urgent packages. Check their Web sites for rates and services.

You can airmail a one-ounce letter to Mexico or Canada for 63 cents and to the rest of the world for 84 cents. Airmail between the U.S. and other countries can be slow; for example, a letter usually takes one week to reach Europe from the U.S.

Global Express Mail and Global Priority Mail cost more but are faster. See the Postal Service's "Mailing Products and Services" page to learn about rates and weight limits.

Aside from USPS, other major worldwide courier services include Federal Express (www.fedex.com) and DHL (www.dhl.com).

Note: to send anything weighing more than 16 ounces outside the U.S., you will need to complete a green customs declaration form available at the post office.

Most mail originating outside the customs territory of the United States (i.e., outside the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) is subject to customs examination.

If you ship packages from overseas to the U.S., make sure to complete and enclose the appropriate U.S. Customs Service form 3299, known as a "personal effects form." Download the form online. You must also enclose a "commercial invoice" with your package and keep copies of both forms.

Shipping Your Belongings
We recommend that you itemize everything as you pack it and keep a record of each item's value. Pack breakables very carefully. Confirm on all documents that all your goods are personal property, that they will not be resold, and that they can be transported legally and safely. Use English on all lists and forms. Do not ship anything that you will need during you first week or that is irreplaceable.

Check with your shipper to ensure that you have not packed any items that may be prohibited, such as currency, liquor, plants, perishables, precious metals, precious stones, or negotiable "Items in Bearer Form." For more information on customs and shipping, consult the Web sites of the USPS Customs Page and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.