Civic address

A civic address is delivery information made up of the following:

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Unit number

Civic number

Civic number suffix

Street name

English street type

Street type translation

French street type

Street direction

General Delivery indicator

Municipality name

Province or territory

Postal Box number

Postal code

Rural Route identifier

Station information

Unit number

You should place the unit number in one of the following locations:

An address with the unit number highlighted before the civic number

1. Before the civic number with a hyphen in between.

Please note: Don’t include a unit identifier (for example, APT) when using this format.

An address with the unit number highlighted after the street type

2. After the street type, using an acceptable unit identifier (see Unit designators for a complete list of unit designators).

An address with the unit number highlighted on the line above the street information

3. On the line above the street information.

Please note:

If a unit number is assigned, it’s an integral part of the address. You must include it.

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Civic number

You should place the civic number before the street name.

An address with the civic number highlighted before the street name
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Civic number suffix (if present)

You should place the civic number suffix after the civic number as follows:

An address with the civic number and suffix (a letter) highlighted

1. Without a space between the civic number and the civic number suffix, if the suffix is alpha (a letter).

An address with the civic number and suffix (a fraction) highlighted

2. With one space between the civic number and the civic number suffix, if the suffix is a fraction.

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Street name

The street name is the official name recognized by each municipality.  You shouldn’t translate it (for example, Main can’t be translated to Principale).

If the street name is numeric, print it as follows:

An address with the numeric street name highlighted

1. Without a space in an ordinal number.

An address with the alphanumeric street name highlighted

2. Without a space in an alphanumeric street name.

Please note:

When the street name is numeric, there’s only one space and no hyphen between the civic number and the street name.

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English street type

You should place the street type after the street name in abbreviated format (see Street types for a complete list of common abbreviations).

An address with the abbreviated street type highlighted

Please note:

Sometimes, the street type is also the street name (for example, THE PARKWAY).

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Street type translation

The only street types that may be translated are:

English abbreviation French translation
ST RUE
AVE AV
BLVD BOUL
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French street type

A French street type should be printed as follows:

An address showing the French street type printed before the non-ordinal street name

1. Before the street name, if the street name isn’t an ordinal number.

An address showing the French street type as an ordinal number

2. After the street name, if the street name is an ordinal number.

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Street direction

Street direction should be the last element in the civic address line and should be in abbreviated format (see Street directions for a complete list of common abbreviations).

An address with the street direction abbreviation highlighted
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General Delivery indicator

A General Delivery indicator should be the two-letter abbreviation “GD.” You shouldn’t use punctuation.

An address with the General Delivery indicator abbreviation (GD) highlighted
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Municipality name

The municipality name is the official name of the municipality.

You can use abbreviations and valid alternates, but you can’t translate them.

For example:

  • You can’t translate the official name TROIS-RIVIÈRES to THREE RIVERS
  • You can replace the official name Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue with the official abbreviation STE-ANNE-BELL

For a complete list of official abbreviations, visit our Municipality Abbreviations page.

An address with the municipality name highlighted
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Province or territory

The province or territory must appear after the municipality name on the same line. There should be one space between the municipality name and the province or territory.

You should print the province or territory in the official two-letter postal abbreviation (see Canadian provinces and territories names and abbreviations for a complete list of abbreviations). You may also write the province or territory in full.

For example:

An address with the official two-letter provincial postal abbreviation highlighted

1. Printed in the official two-letter postal abbreviation.

An address with the province name highlighted and printed in full

2. Printed in full.

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Postal Box number

You should always place the Postal Box number on the line just above the municipality, province, and postal code. You shouldn’t use the # symbol or the French equivalent. You shouldn’t use punctuation either.

An address with the Postal Box number highlighted
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Postal code

You should print the postal code in uppercase and place it two spaces to the right of the province or territory, with one space between the first three and the last three characters. You shouldn’t use a hyphen (for example, this would be unacceptable: T0L-1K0).

An address with the postal code highlighted

Please note:

You may place the postal code on the last line by itself if there’s not enough space to accommodate the municipality, province, and postal code all on one line.  But the province name must remain on the same line as the municipality name.

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Rural Route identifier

The Rural Route identifier should use the two-letter symbol RR followed by the route number placed one space to the right. You shouldn’t use the # symbol or the French equivalent. You shouldn’t use punctuation either.

An address with the Rural Route identifier highlighted
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Station information

The station information should be present to direct mail to the proper postal installation. This is especially important in larger areas where there’s more than one installation in the same municipality. Station information should appear:

  • In abbreviated format
  • After the:
    • Postal Box number
    • Rural Route identifier
    • General Delivery identifier

Station = STN

Retail Postal Outlet = RPO

An address with the station information highlighted
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