Mailbox Guidelines
Is your mailbox a roadside hazard
Structure ornamental monument type mailboxes which do not meet the requirements listed below will not be allowed within Mesa County right of way.
- Mailbox is of light steel, aluminum or plastic construction that meets U.S. Postal Service requirements.
- Mailbox post is a single 4-inch by 4-inch wood post, a 4 1/2 inch diameter wood post or a 2-inch diameter schedule 40 steel pipe.
- Mailbox post is not set in concrete.
- Mailbox post is embedded no more than 2 feet into the ground.
- Mailbox is attached to the post well enough to prevent separation if struck by a vehicle.
Requirements for location of mailbox
- Mailbox is in the direction of the carrier's route of travel. Mailbox standard height is 41 to 45 inches above the road surface.
- Mailbox face shall be at least 8 feet from the edge of pavement on rural roads (exceptions may apply, please call 970-244-1817).
- Mailbox near an intersection is no closer than 100 feet from the intersecting road.
Enforcement of regulations
If your mailbox installation is not in compliance with regulations cited in the checklist, please make adjustments now. Don't let your mailbox installation be an accident waiting to happen.
If you have questions, call the Engineering Department or your local post office.
- Mesa County is authorized to remove mailboxes or posts that do not meet requirements and, therefore, are hazardous to the public.
- Please be advised that owners can be notified and given between 24 hours and 30 days to conform to standards, depending upon the degree of hazard.
- If unacceptable installations are not voluntarily removed within the specified time, Mesa County is authorized to remove them, at the owner's expense, as provided by Colorado Revised Statute 43-5-301.
It may be unique, but not always safe
There are an estimated 200 fatalities and 9,000 injuries each year in the United States caused by collisions with mailboxes and their supports.
- During the past two years, Mesa County has had an average of 16 accidents per year involving mailboxes.
- Unsafe mailbox installation may cause serious injury or death.
- Many individuals are not aware that the owner of an unsafe mailbox can be sued for damages resulting from a collision with a mailbox.
Mesa County is concerned about this problem and hopes that, by increasing awareness, we can avoid such death and injury in our County.
Please use this checklist to make sure your mailbox installation does not pose a hazard to the motoring public and a liability risk to you.