Is Opening Others’ Mail in Your Mailbox Illegal in Michigan?

How many times have you opened your mailbox only to find someone else's mail mixed in with yours? It's pretty safe to say that this has happened to pretty much everyone.

See Also: Michigan Postal Workers Cannot Accept These Items as Holiday Gifts

Under most circumstances, you simply take the mail to its owner without a second thought. But what if you didn't notice the mail was addressed to someone else and you opened it? Can you get into trouble for opening the item?

Is It Illegal to Open Someone Else's Mail That Was Placed in Your Mailbox?

The answer is yes; it is illegal to open someone else's mail, even if it was placed in your mailbox. However, there exists a loophole.

If you open someone else's mail by accident, you won't get into trouble. 

According to Rivers Law Firm, deliberately opening mail belonging to someone else can lead to charges. Fortunately, this rule does not apply to unintentional situations, such as mistakenly opening your neighbor's letter when it's mixed in with a pile of mail addressed to you.

The challenging part lies in proving that it was an accident; it often comes down to taking your word for it.

Remember, opening someone else's mail is a federal offense, so it's crucial to treat it seriously.

Get our free mobile app

What to Do With Mail That is Not Yours

You can simply write “Not at This Address: Return to Sender” on each and every letter and put it back in your mailbox. If the mail belongs to one of your neighbors, you can just give it to them.