Do commercial emails in the USA and Canada require a physical address?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 6 May 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
7 min read
One of the most common questions I hear regarding email marketing compliance, especially for businesses operating across North America, revolves around whether a physical address is truly required in commercial emails. It's a fundamental aspect of email deliverability and legal adherence that many find confusing, particularly when they see others seemingly sidestepping this requirement. Let's clear up this uncertainty.
The short answer is yes, for the vast majority of commercial emails sent in both the United States and Canada, including a valid physical postal address is a legal mandate. This requirement isn't just a suggestion, it's a critical component of anti-spam legislation designed to ensure transparency and accountability for email senders.
The specific regulations governing this differ slightly between the two countries, primarily through the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S. and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Understanding these differences and ensuring your email practices comply with both, where applicable, is key to maintaining good sender reputation and avoiding potential penalties.
Compliance in the USA: The CAN-SPAM Act
In the United States, the primary law governing commercial email is the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. This legislation, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, clearly stipulates that every commercial email must include a valid physical postal address of the sender. This requirement applies whether you are sending a promotional newsletter, a sales email, or any other message considered commercial content.
The purpose of this rule is to provide recipients with a way to contact the sender via traditional mail, increasing transparency and accountability. The good news is that this address doesn't necessarily have to be your private home address. The CAN-SPAM Act allows for a few options, providing flexibility while ensuring compliance.
Current street address: This is the most straightforward option, using your business's physical location.
Post office box: You can use a P.O. box that you have registered with the U.S. Postal Service.
Private mailbox: A private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA) is also acceptable.
A common point of confusion arises when distinguishing between commercial and transactional emails. While commercial emails generally require a physical address, transactional messages (like order confirmations, shipping updates, or account statements) are often exempt from most CAN-SPAM provisions. However, the line can sometimes blur if transactional emails include promotional content, which then might fall under the commercial category. I delve into this more in my article, Does CAN-SPAM require a physical address.
Compliance in Canada: CASL
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) is often considered one of the strictest anti-spam laws globally. Similar to CAN-SPAM, CASL mandates the inclusion of specific sender identification information in commercial electronic messages (CEMs), which includes a physical mailing address. This is required for all CEMs sent to or from Canadians, regardless of the sender's physical location. This means even if your business is based in the U.S. or elsewhere, if you send commercial emails to recipients in Canada, CASL applies to you.
CASL requires that your commercial electronic message clearly and prominently set out the name of the person sending the message (and on whose behalf it is sent, if different), and provide contact information. This contact information must include a valid mailing address and either a telephone number, email address, or web address. The mailing address requirement is non-negotiable for commercial messages.
It is important to note that CASL's definition of a CEM is broad and encompasses various types of electronic messages, making compliance crucial. For a deeper dive into how CASL impacts international senders, you can refer to my article on CASL's applicability to emails. Just like CAN-SPAM, CASL also distinguishes between commercial and transactional messages, with transactional messages generally having fewer requirements, though the physical address is still often recommended for transparency and consistency.
Understanding both CAN-SPAM and CASL is vital for anyone sending commercial emails in North America. Here's a quick comparison of key aspects regarding physical address requirements:
Requirement
CAN-SPAM Act (USA)
CASL (Canada)
Physical address
Mandatory for commercial emails. Can be street address, PO box, or private mailbox.
Mandatory for commercial electronic messages (CEMs). Must be a valid mailing address.
Unsubscribe mechanism
Clear and conspicuous, one-click unsubscribe required.
Mandatory for all CEMs, including transactional if recipient is Canadian.
Consent requirements
Opt-out model (implied consent is default).
Opt-in model (express consent generally required).
Practical considerations and best practices
Many businesses express concerns about privacy or revealing their physical location by including an address in every email footer. While these are valid concerns, there are compliant ways to satisfy the legal requirement without compromising sensitive information. As mentioned earlier, using a P.O. Box or a private mailbox service (like L-Soft's information on laws) is a widely accepted practice and fully compliant with both CAN-SPAM and CASL.
Beyond legal compliance, including a physical address also plays a subtle but important role in email deliverability. Mailbox providers like Mailchimp often factor in the completeness of email content when assessing sender reputation. A missing physical address can be a red flag, potentially contributing to your emails landing in the spam folder rather than the inbox.
My advice is to always include a clear, valid physical address in the footer of all your commercial emails, even if you are uncertain whether a particular message strictly falls under the commercial category. This proactive approach helps ensure you are compliant with all applicable laws and contributes positively to your sender reputation. For more details on this, see my article Is including a physical address in an email footer required.
Ensuring ongoing compliance and deliverability
Ensuring your commercial emails comply with the physical address requirement in the USA and Canada is fundamental to a successful email marketing strategy. Ignoring these regulations can lead to significant fines and damage to your sender reputation, which can impact your overall email deliverability. This also extends to other compliance aspects such as including a prominent unsubscribe link in all commercial messages. You can learn more about unsubscribe requirements in this article about the list-unsubscribe header.
Compliance is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. As email marketing laws and best practices evolve, staying informed and adapting your strategies is crucial. Regularly review your email templates and processes to ensure they align with current regulations.
Ultimately, a commitment to compliance safeguards your brand, fosters trust with your subscribers, and paves the way for better inbox placement. By diligently adhering to these requirements, you can build a more effective and sustainable email program that consistently reaches its intended audience.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always include a valid physical address in commercial email footers for both US and Canadian recipients.
Utilize a P.O. Box or commercial mail receiving agency address to protect personal privacy.
Clearly distinguish between commercial and transactional emails to understand applicable regulations.
Regularly review email content to ensure ongoing compliance with CAN-SPAM and CASL.
Common pitfalls
Assuming transactional emails are entirely exempt from all legal requirements, especially for unsubscribe.
Neglecting to include a physical address, leading to potential fines and deliverability issues.
Using an invalid or unmonitored address that doesn't allow for recipient contact.
Failing to adapt practices when sending to recipients in different countries, ignoring jurisdiction.
Expert tips
Even if you believe an email is purely transactional, adding a physical address and unsubscribe link is a safer default.
Be mindful of the recipient's location, as local laws (like CASL) can apply regardless of your sending origin.
If a client or platform advises against including a physical address, double-check the specific legal context.
Maintain an updated database of subscriber locations to apply region-specific compliance rules effectively.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they were questioning themselves on the physical address requirement because a client, who they thought knew what they were doing, wasn't including it in their email footer.
2022-08-15 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that both USA and Canada require a valid postal address in commercial emails.
Mailchimp often factor in the completeness of email content when assessing sender reputation. A missing physical address can be a red flag, potentially contributing to your emails landing in the spam folder rather than the inbox.
