Which search method should I use - Quick Search or Advanced
Search?
The Quick Search is designed for searches
where all of the search fields (Street Number, Street Name, Street Type, Municipality,
and Province) must be completed. This search method searches against street addresses.
For other address types (PO Boxes, Rural Routes, etc), the Advanced Search must
be used. Refer to the example below:
The Advanced Search offers greater search
capabilities. Users must enter at least 2 address fields; one of which must be the
province field. Refer to the example below:
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How do I complete the Search fields?
Information entered in the address fields must match the title of each field. For
example, trying to enter a street name in the field called "Street Number" will
not work. Please remember that not all of these fields have to be completed for
the Advanced Search. Only two fields must be completed, one of which must be the
province field.
Below are examples for both the Quick and Advanced Search:
- Street Number:
The street number can be entered in a numerical or alpha format (e.g. 416 or Four
hundred and sixteen). Also, when a number is entered in numerical format, there
should be no spaces between the number (e.g. 416 is valid, 4 1 6 is invalid).
- Number Suffix:
If applicable, please select the number suffix in this field from the drop down
menu (¼, ½, ¾, A, B, C, D, E, F, G). When a suffix is alphabetic, there is no space
between the street number and the suffix, e.g. 416B. When a suffix is a fraction,
a space is required between the street number and the suffix, e.g. 416 ½. This address
field is only available in the Advanced Search.
- Unit/Suite/Apt:
If the addressee lives/works in an apartment, flat or multi-unit building, you would
include the unit information in the address. For example, it may be apartment 5
on 13E CHURCH ST. In this example, you would enter 5 in the unit field. This address
field is only available in the Advanced Search.
- Street Name:
Enter the street name (e.g. Argyle).
If you are uncertain of the spelling of the street name you may substitute characters
(such as an "*") in your search parameters with symbols, such as an "*" or a "?"
(see example below). The Postal Code Look-up will attempt to find the nearest match
to your search query.
The search query will return the correct address:
- Street Type:
The street type defines the street. For example, the street type could be ST, AVE,
BLVD among many others.
- Street Direction:
In the street direction field, the appropriate direction symbol should be placed
if it is part of the address. For example, this may be North (N), West (W), East
(E), South (S), North West (NW), North East (NE), South East (SE), or South West
(SW). This field has a drop down menu to assist you in selecting the appropriate
street direction. Please note that many addresses do not have a street direction.
This address field is only available in the Advanced Search.
- Municipality:
This is the name of the city, town, municipality, village or community. In some
instances, some commonly used municipality names will not be officially recognized
by Canada Post, since they are not officially recognized by those municipalities.
If you enter one of these names, the program will attempt to locate the associated
postal code. There may be sufficient data to make the match, but the search results
screen will display only the official municipality.
- Province:
This is a mandatory field. You must select a province from the drop-down menu. You
may notice that on the menu, each province has an associated two character designator.
These designators are recognized nationally and internationally, and all search
result screens will only display the official designator, not the full province
name. We encourage you to use these designators when you address your mailing articles.
- Delivery Mode:
The delivery mode indicates the type of delivery service a customer receives: General
Delivery (GD), Post Office Box (PO BOX), Rural Route (RR) or Suburban Service (SS).
When there are addresses involving these types of delivery services, it is necessary
to select the delivery service from the drop-down menu that matches the addresses
you are searching. The alpha symbols (PO BOX, RR) that are attached to each delivery
type will be displayed in the search results screen. We encourage you to use these
symbols on your mail pieces. This address field is only available in the Advanced
Search.
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Search Results Screen
Once you have submitted a search, the program matches the criteria entered to the
information contained in Canada Post's database. If there are several addresses
that match your search query, the results will be displayed in a range format. This
means that you are most likely to see a range of addresses displayed. The address
and postal code that you are searching for will be displayed within this list. Select
the address from this list and the address will be formatted according to Canadian
addressing standards. For more information on addressing standards, download the
Canadian Addressing Guide.
Below are examples of sample input and Search Results in the Quick Search:
Below are examples of sample input and Search Results Screen in the Advanced Search:
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Reverse Search
Canadian Postal Codes are always formatted in the same sequence:
Letter/Number/Letter FULL SPACE Number/Letter/Number (eg. K1A 0B1)
For the Reverse Search, the system will attempt to retrieve the address information
even if the postal code is not in the proper format.
Once the postal code is entered, submit your search by clicking on the "Submit"
button.
Below are examples of sample Reverse Search input and result:
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New Municipal Names
If you are searching for addresses that may have new municipal/city names as a result
of municipal amalgamations that have occurred, it is possible that some of these
changes are still pending in the Postal Code Look-Up application. When municipalities
change their official names they must advise Canada Post. In due course, Canada
Post will make the necessary changes in its processing equipment. Customers should
not change their mailing address until notified by Canada Post.
If your search result is unsuccessful in retrieving a postal code for an address
where the municipality/city has changed (e.g. North York to Toronto), try the search
again using the former municipality/city name (in this case Toronto).
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Rural Addresses and Post Office Boxes Search
The best method to find a postal code for an address in a rural area is to use the
Rural Addresses and Post Office Boxes Search. This will allow a user to enter a
municipality and the province, and in return, receive a results screen containing
the rural routes for the municipality with the associated postal codes.
Below is the search results screen that would appear for this example, after the
postal code search is submitted:
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Hints on improving your Postal Code Search
- If you have not received a postal code from your search using the Quick Search,
try the Advanced Search. The Advanced Search offers greater capabilities. Users
must enter at least 2 address fields, one of which must be the province field.
- If you are attempting to locate a postal code for a municipality or city that has
recently been amalgamated/renamed, please conduct the search again using the former
municipality name.
- If you are unsure of the municipality name, please use the
Municipality List
to verify the official name. Once this is found, it will be necessary to try the
search again using the official municipality name.
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Spelling
Verify the spelling of your street and municipality names to ensure that they are
correct. Although the application does allow for minor spelling errors, there are
limitations to this capability.
Should a street name or municipality name be misspelled, the application will attempt
to search for the correct name. If possible, the application will return a message
indicating the input name cannot be found but will display a list of options for
the user to choose from. Once the correct name is selected, the name will be populated
back into the input screen for the user to continue with his search.
E.g. If a customer enters Kinston in the municipality name with a province indicator
of ON in the advanced search, the search engine will return Kingston as an option
for the user to choose from. Once Kingston is selected, the application will populate
Kingston back into the municipality field of the input screen and the user will
be required to submit his search.
Should you have difficulty with your search, you can use the
Municipality List to search for the official municipality name. Once you
have retrieved the official municipality name, you can try your search again.
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Language Considerations
Street and municipality names are the official names recognized by the municipalities.
These names cannot be translated. Street types will also be as designated by the
municipality and are not translatable unless they are one of the three street types
that have a unique equivalent in the other official language - ST/RUE; AVE/AV; BLVD/BOUL.
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Municipality List
This is a list of all recognized municipalities within Canada. It is accessible
by a link from the right hand menu of the screen of the Postal Code Look-Up. This
list is alphabetical and divided into sub-lists by province/territory within Canada.
This list acts as an information tool to assist customers in conducting their postal
code searches. If customers are unsure as to what the municipality name is or how
it is spelled, the list can be verified in two ways:
- A user can enter the province and select the first letter of the city for which
they are searching.
-
A user can enter the province and enter the complete municipality name and press
the Submit button. This can be useful when there is a possibility that the municipality
may have amalgamated or may be commonly referred to by another name that is not
valid.
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Are you moving to a new residence or business?
If you have not been able to find your postal code and have moved to a new residence
or business within the last 30 days, please contact your local post office to confirm
your new postal code. When new addresses are added to our system, there is a delay
in displaying this information in the application, as the Postal Code Look-up is
updated monthly.
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