To ensure that a letter gets to the right person, write “ATTN” on the first line of the address, then the name of the recipient’s department or agency. A good first line of an email or letter would read “ATTN MARY SMITH.”
The United States Postal Service considers any alternative placement of “ATTN,” such as below the city and state or in a corner, to be incorrect. Addresses deviating from the normal format may be misunderstood by automated mail processing equipment, causing delivery delays. As an additional precaution, the United States Postal Service suggests that envelopes be addressed with only uppercase letters and no punctuation.
