Mail a notice to pay, cure, or quit
By Justin Winter · Updated September 16, 2026
The short answer
Notices to pay rent or quit, cure-or-quit notices, and lease-termination notices can be sent as USPS Certified Mail for $12.99 ($14.99 with electronic Return Receipt) so the notice period has a provable start date before you file for eviction.
The math
The math on one certified letter.
| Option | Cost | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| paperplane, Certified + Return Receipt | $14.99, all in | About two minutes |
| At the counter | USPS fees, plus printing, an envelope and the trip | About ten minutes at the counter, plus the drive and the line |
USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over. The difference is the trip, the form and the slip you keep for a year.
Usually the right pick: Certified + Return Receipt · $14.99
Eviction is the one landlord-tenant action where getting notice wrong can throw the whole case out. Courts routinely dismiss eviction filings because the landlord cannot prove the tenant actually received the pay-or-quit or cure-or-quit notice, or cannot prove when the statutory cure period began. Certified Mail with an electronic Return Receipt gives you both dates: when it was mailed and when it was signed for.
Read your state and local ordinance before choosing a delivery method — this is the one area of landlord-tenant law where mail alone is often not enough. Many jurisdictions require notice by more than one method (mail plus posting on the door, or mail plus personal delivery attempt), and some require a process server for the eviction summons itself once you actually file. Certified Mail is frequently one accepted leg of that combination, not always the whole requirement.
What this is honestly good for: the pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, and lease-termination notices that precede a filing, where your local rule accepts or requires mail. It is not a substitute for the summons and complaint service that most courts require once the case is filed — that step usually needs a sheriff, constable, or process server regardless of how the pre-filing notice was handled.
Address it to every named tenant on the lease at the unit address, and to any address the lease designates for notice if different. The letter is printed and handed to USPS the next business day, and the Return Receipt lands in your email once signed — attach it to your filing.
This page is general information about USPS mailing options, not legal advice. Notice rules vary by state and by document. Check your lease, contract or local rules, or ask an attorney, before relying on it for a deadline.
Questions before you send
Why not go to the post office myself?
You can, and if your time is free it costs less. USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over; paperplane does not replace the post office, it replaces the trip. The mailing record comes from USPS, not from us. $12.99 covers the printing, the envelope, PS Form 3800, a USPS address check before you pay and a handoff the next business day. For a letter you already know how to send, the counter is a fine choice.
What if they refuse the letter?
USPS tracking records what happened to it, including refused or unclaimed. You still have the mailing record. Rules on what that means vary, so check with your court or an attorney if a deadline depends on it.
If something goes wrong, do I pay?
If we cannot mail the letter, the hold on your card is released and you are not charged. If a letter fails after your card is charged, you are refunded automatically and in full.
Is Certified Mail enough to serve an eviction notice?
It depends on your state and local court rules. Many jurisdictions accept or require Certified Mail for the pre-filing notice (pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit) but require a different method — posting, personal service, or a process server — for the notice itself or for the eviction summons once filed. Check your local rules before relying on mail alone.
What if the tenant refuses to sign for the Certified letter?
USPS logs the delivery attempt regardless, and many statutes treat a refused or unclaimed Certified letter as sufficient notice once mailed. Keep the tracking history from your order — it shows the attempt even without a signature.
Can I send notices to more than one tenant on the same lease?
Yes — send a separate order addressed to each named tenant if your state requires individual notice, or one letter addressed to all named tenants at the unit if that satisfies your jurisdiction. Each order is one piece of mail, so plan for one order per required recipient.