Letter to Santa

Letter to Santa template: how to write it and where to mail it

Where do you mail a letter to Santa?

Address the envelope to Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. That is the address USPS publishes for USPS Operation Santa, and it has no state: the last line is just North Pole and the ZIP Code 88888. Put the child’s full name and return address, including any apartment number, in the upper left corner and a First-Class stamp in the upper right corner, then mail it like any other letter.

To be eligible for adoption in 2026, the letter must be postmarked by Saturday, December 5, 2026. USPS began accepting letters on September 14, and the program accepts letters from children and families in the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

• USPS Operation Santa: Writing to Santa

Why doesn’t IRIS mail letters to Santa?

IRIS mails only to complete US addresses, and its address form requires a two-letter state code. Santa’s USPS address has no state, and adding one would change the address USPS publishes for the program. USPS also asks for a First-Class stamp on the envelope. So this template is download-only: fill it in, download the PDF, print it, and mail it yourself. IRIS isn’t part of USPS Operation Santa.

How do you write a letter to Santa?

USPS doesn’t judge letters by need. Letters are posted at random, but a letter has to meet these conditions to be included:

• It’s legible.
• It has a valid return address, including any apartment number, in the letter or on the envelope. This template prints the child’s name and address at the end of the letter.
• It includes the writer’s first and last names. Last names don’t appear on the website.
• It’s addressed to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888.
• It has the correct postage and is mailed through USPS.
• It’s postmarked by December 5, 2026.

What should a letter to Santa say?

Let the child say a little about their year in their own words, then list wishes. USPS suggests listing gifts in order of preference, being specific about each one, such as a book or game title, a size (infant, toddler, or teen), or a color, and not asking for gifts that might be too expensive. A parent, guardian, teacher, or caregiver can help a younger child write.

Sample letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

My name is Sofia and I am 7. This year I learned to swim without floaties and I helped my grandma plant tomatoes. I tried hard to be nice to my little brother, even when he broke my crayons.

My wish list, in order of preference: 1. The book “The Wild Robot.” 2. A purple winter hat, kid size medium. 3. A puzzle with 100 pieces.

Say hi to Rudolph! Love, Sofia Ramirez, followed by her street address, city, state, and ZIP Code.

Do you need a stamp, and can siblings share an envelope?

Yes, USPS asks for a First-Class stamp. Families can put all of a household’s letters in one envelope with extra stamps for the added weight, and USPS says letters sent together have a better chance of being posted together. Classrooms and organizations should send each letter in its own standard envelope with a stamp and the return address where the child will be during the holidays. Keep the letter flat: glitter and glued-on objects can keep it from being uploaded.

What happens after you mail a letter to Santa?

USPS removes personal details such as last names and addresses and posts letters on USPSOperationSanta.com, where adopters choose letters and send gifts. Letter adoption starts November 16, and new letters are added daily through December 12. USPS says there is no guarantee a letter will be posted, adopted, or answered, it can’t confirm that a particular letter arrived, and it doesn’t keep the physical letters after the season, so make a copy first if you want one. Writing a letter doesn’t need an account; accounts are only for adopters.

Will Santa write back?

Not necessarily, so many parents write Santa’s reply themselves. Use the letter from Santa template to write a personal reply and have IRIS mail it to your child, or download it and use USPS’s North Pole postmark program for a reply postmarked from the North Pole.

• Letter from Santa template
• How USPS Operation Santa works in 2026

Sources

• USPS Operation Santa: Writing to Santa
• USPS Operation Santa: Frequently asked questions
• USPS news release: USPS Operation Santa Program Is Now Accepting Letters (September 14, 2026)
• USPS: Greetings from the North Pole Post Office (North Pole postmark)

Checked against these sources: October 22, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.