APO, FPO, and DPO Shipping Rules: What You Can and Cannot Send

Sending mail and packages to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses follows different rules than sending to commercial international destinations. Horizon Pack and Ship in Radcliff handles military mail every business day for Fort Knox families. This guide covers the rules every sender should know before packing the box.

What are APO, FPO, and DPO addresses?

The three address types route through the U.S. military and diplomatic postal system:

• APO (Army Post Office). Used by Army and Air Force overseas units
• FPO (Fleet Post Office). Used by Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard ships and overseas units
• DPO (Diplomatic Post Office). Used by State Department personnel and diplomatic missions overseas

All three use the U.S. military postal system to route mail from the United States to overseas locations. Senders pay domestic USPS rates per USPS APO/FPO/DPO guidance. The military postal service handles the international leg from a stateside aerial mail terminal to the receiving overseas military post office.

How is an APO/FPO/DPO address formatted?

The address format is critical. Mistakes cause packages to be rejected, returned, or delayed for weeks.

Address Field	Content	Example
Recipient name	Full name with rank optional	SGT John Smith
Unit address	PSC, CMR, or unit and box number	PSC 1234 Box 5678
City field	APO, FPO, or DPO	APO
State field	AA, AE, or AP	AE
ZIP code	5-digit military ZIP	09094

The state field codes:

• AA (Armed Forces Americas). Central and South America, Caribbean
• AE (Armed Forces Europe). Europe, Middle East, Africa, Canada
• AP (Armed Forces Pacific). Asia, Pacific

The ZIP code prefix identifies the routing terminal per USPS Publication 141. Never write the destination country name on the address. The military postal system handles routing from the AA/AE/AP code; adding a country name causes the package to be rejected as international mail.

What carriers deliver to APO, FPO, and DPO?

Only USPS. UPS, FedEx, and DHL cannot deliver to military post offices because they have no operational presence inside the military mail system. UPS, FedEx, and DHL all require commercial international addresses with country codes.

This is why the military shipping page at Horizon Pack and Ship focuses on USPS service options. Packages to APO/FPO/DPO must go through the United States Postal Service.

What USPS service levels are available for military mail?

USPS offers several service levels for APO/FPO/DPO mail:

• [Priority Mail](/shipping-usps-radcliff-ky) Express Military (PMEM). Fastest, typically 3 to 5 days, with delivery confirmation
• Priority Mail, 7 to 14 days, flat-rate boxes available, most popular option per USPS Priority Mail
• First-Class Package. Items under 4 pounds, 7 to 14 days
• Parcel Select / Space Available Mail (SAM). Slowest (up to 60 days) and cheapest, available for non-urgent care packages
• Media Mail. Books, recordings, educational materials only; restricted content rules apply

Priority Mail flat-rate boxes are popular because the rate stays the same regardless of weight (within the box capacity). The Large Priority Mail flat-rate box is reduced for APO/FPO destinations under USPS pricing.

What customs forms are required for APO/FPO/DPO shipping?

Every APO/FPO/DPO package needs customs documentation even though the postage is domestic.

• PS Form 2976 (the small green tag). Packages under 16 ounces with a single-line item description
• PS Form 2976-A (full customs declaration). Packages 16 ounces and over, with detailed item descriptions, weights, values, and tariff codes
• PS Form 2976-B. The carrier-attached envelope for the customs documentation

The customs form lists every item in the package with quantity, value, and description. Generic descriptions like "gifts" or "household items" cause rejection. Use specific descriptions: "men's cotton t-shirt," "USB cable," "vitamin C tablets."

Horizon Pack and Ship completes the customs forms during a normal APO/FPO transaction so senders do not have to figure out the format on their own.

What items are universally prohibited from APO/FPO/DPO mail?

Universally banned items per USPS Publication 52 (Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail):

• Hazardous materials, explosives, fireworks
• Ammunition (with limited exceptions for active-duty personnel)
• Lithium batteries shipped loose (must be installed in a device)
• Aerosols, compressed gases, lighter fluid
• Perishable food (fresh fruit, dairy, raw meat)
• Live plants and animals
• Most weapons (firearms, knives, swords)
• Pornographic material
• Money in cash form
• Liquor and wine (most destinations)
• Tobacco products (some destinations)

The destination country also imposes additional bans. Saudi Arabia, for example, bans pork products, alcohol, and many religious materials. Germany bans certain food and herbal supplements. Korea has rules around electronics and import duties even for military mail in some cases.

What country-specific restrictions apply to common APO destinations?

Country / Region	Common Restrictions
Germany (AE)	Food restrictions, no certain herbs, alcohol limits
Korea (AP)	Electronics import limits, strict customs declarations
Japan (AP)	Pharmaceuticals heavily restricted, certain food banned
Saudi Arabia / Middle East (AE)	No pork, no alcohol, religious materials restricted
Italy / Spain / UK (AE)	EU customs rules apply for high-value items
Cuba / Caribbean (AA)	Embargo and trade restrictions

Always check the USPS country listing before shipping. Restrictions change with destination conditions.

How should you pack APO/FPO/DPO shipments?

Military mail goes through more handling steps than typical domestic packages:

1. Origin post office
2. USPS regional sorting facility
3. Aerial mail terminal (Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, or others)
4. Military air transport
5. Overseas military post office
6. Recipient unit mailroom

Each handoff is an opportunity for damage. Packing should be heavier than a normal domestic package:

• Double-walled corrugated box for fragile or heavy items
• Bubble wrap or foam for breakables
• Internal label inside the box (in case external label tears off)
• Heavy-duty packing tape, six strips minimum on all flaps
• No large void spaces (filled with paper or padding)

Horizon Pack and Ship offers professional packing for fragile or high-value APO/FPO shipments.

How does Horizon Pack and Ship handle APO/FPO shipping?

The Radcliff store at 734 Knox Blvd processes APO/FPO/DPO shipments daily. Services include:

• Address format check (catches AA/AE/AP errors before the package leaves)
• Customs form completion (PS 2976 or 2976-A)
• Prohibited-item screening based on destination
• Service-level recommendation (PMEM, Priority, First-Class, SAM)
• Professional packing for fragile shipments
• Tracking setup

Phone (270) 319-4145, email [email protected], or visit Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Veteran-owned, woman-owned, AAPI-owned. The owners understand military addressing because they have lived it. Less than two miles from the Fort Knox main gate per the Fort Knox installation guide.