Recorded Delivery UK: How It Works, Cost and When to Use It

If someone tells you to send something by recorded delivery, they almost certainly mean Royal Mail Signed For. Royal Mail phased out the recorded delivery name in 2013, but the term has stuck in everyday use. This guide explains exactly what the service includes, what it does not include, and when it is the right choice.

What is recorded delivery?

Recorded Delivery was the Royal Mail name for a letter service that required the recipient to sign for the item on delivery. In 2013, Royal Mail renamed it Signed For. The service itself changed very little. You will still see the phrase "recorded delivery" used widely in legal documents, contracts and general conversation.

When people say recorded delivery today, they typically mean one of these two services:

• Royal Mail Signed For First Class: First Class delivery speed with a signature required on delivery.
• Royal Mail Signed For Second Class: Second Class delivery speed with a signature required on delivery.

What does Signed For actually include?

Royal Mail Signed For gives you three things beyond a standard letter service:

1. Signature on delivery: The recipient or someone at the address must sign when the item is delivered. If no one is available, a card is left and the item held at the delivery office for collection.
2. Online delivery confirmation: Once the item is delivered and signed for, Royal Mail updates their website to show a "delivered" status against the item reference number.
3. Compensation: Up to £50 compensation is included if the item is lost or damaged in the post.

What Signed For does not include

This is where many people are caught out. Signed For does not include:

• End-to-end tracking: You will not be able to follow the item's journey through the Royal Mail network. The only online update you will see is the final delivery confirmation.
• A guaranteed delivery date: The item travels at First Class or Second Class speed, which is a target not a guarantee. If time matters, this is not the right service.
• High-value compensation: The maximum is £50. For documents or items with significant monetary value, this is unlikely to be sufficient.

Signed For vs Special Delivery: which do you need?

The question of whether to use Signed For or Special Delivery comes down to what you actually need.

Use Signed For when:

• You want confirmation that the letter was received by a real person (not just delivered through a letterbox).
• You are sending something where a paper trail is useful but not critical, such as a formal complaint or a resignation letter.
• The item is not time-sensitive and does not require guaranteed next-day delivery.

Use Special Delivery Guaranteed when:

• You need the letter to arrive by a specific date with a guarantee.
• You want full end-to-end tracking showing every stage of transit.
• The item has significant value and you need more than £50 of compensation cover.
• You are sending a passport, original document, signed contract or anything irreplaceable.

When recorded delivery is specifically required

Some legal processes and formal procedures explicitly require recorded delivery or a signed-for service. Common examples include:

• Section 21 and Section 8 housing notices to tenants
• Formal contractual notices between businesses
• Legal correspondence between solicitors
• Notice periods in employment contracts

In these cases, Signed For satisfies the requirement because you have proof of the signature and the delivery date. However, if the document is particularly important, many solicitors recommend using Special Delivery instead, because the guarantee, full tracking and higher compensation provide a more robust paper trail.

See our formal complaint letter template and notice to quit template if you are preparing correspondence that requires a tracked or signed service.