text: if you send a certified letter how do you know it was or wasn't received? i sent a certified letter this past friday to someone living in my town and i have not received confirmation that they got the letter--it is now tuesday.  i heard that i am supposed to receive a post card in the mail telling me that they received the letter but so far nothing.  i probably have this under the wrong category, just didn't know which one to pick. receiving a receipt back once the letter was delivered isn't "certified mail".  the service you should have purchased if you wanted that was "return receipt requested".  however, the stub which was given to you by the post office has a tracking number on it.  you can either call 1-(800)-ask-usps and check on it, or you can go to:  http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=home&page=0035trackandconfirm  from there, you can enter your tracking number and find out the current status of the letter you mailed.  =)