Are Couriers Required to Deliver Packages to Your Doorstep?

Understanding Delivery Responsibilities for Couriers

When expecting an unusually heavy package or arranging delivery for an elderly parent, one often wonders whether couriers are obliged to deliver items to the designated floor.
Such a service would immensely benefit customers, eliminating the need for them to exert themselves or step outside.
However, this raises significant commitments for delivery personnel.

There are frequent discrepancies between deliveries, leading to confusion.
For instance, a courier might assist in bringing a package to the elevator, while in another case, they might leave it at the entrance of the building.
Which scenario is correct? Is delivery expected on the recipient’s floor? Here, we delve deeper into the legal frameworks governing household deliveries in relation to courier duties.

Are Couriers Required to Deliver to the Floor?

Legally, regulations exist concerning home delivery of goods, but they do not stipulate that couriers must bring packages to the recipient’s floor.
Their obligation is limited to the street level, within immediate proximity to the specified address on the shipment.

A generalized requirement for delivery to the floor could indeed be counterproductive, reducing couriers’ delivery time and increasing the potential for accidents (which would necessitate additional insurance coverage).

Therefore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is unreasonable to expect couriers to bring packages directly to the doorstep of a residence.
Nevertheless, many couriers take it upon themselves to assist those in need, whether by loading goods into an elevator or even delivering them to an upper floor.
In some instances, couriers might even meet recipients halfway to save time.

The law thus indicates that recipients must come down to retrieve their packages, delivered at street level.
However, couriers must ensure that packages are not left unattended.
While we’ve used couriers as a primary example, this principle extends to any home delivery scenario, including those involving food delivery personnel.

When Couriers Must Deliver to the Floor

Beyond the general legal stipulations regarding home delivery, there are instances where couriers must indeed deliver to the floor.
This requirement can only be determined by the employer, which may mandate specific actions from their employees, either consistently or in line with a special service requested and paid for by the customer.
In other cases, delivery is understood to occur at street level.

It is essential to review the guidelines of the service provider, as often, floor delivery for essential goods from pharmacies and supermarkets may be offered under advantageous conditions for seniors.

The Signature Requirement No Longer Applies

According to the Italian “Cura Italia” decree dated March 17, 2020, Article 108, the signature of the recipient is no longer required for registered mail, insured parcels, or package deliveries.

“Postal operators will deliver the aforementioned packages by prior verification of the recipient’s presence or an authorized person without collecting their signature, subsequently placing the package in the mailbox, at the residence, office, or company, on the floor or elsewhere at the same address provided concurrently by the recipient or the authorized person.”

The delivery personnel directly signs the documents they hand over (left at the entrance or in the mailbox).

An important exception applies to judicial documents, which still require the addressee’s signature upon receipt.

For further insight, read more on package delivery laws.