Tampering with someone else's mailbox in Virginia is a federal crime

Tampering with mailboxes in Virginia is a federal crimePhoto byYannik MikaonUnsplash

You can't bother other people's mailboxes without permission

About a week ago, my ring cam caught a young man walking onto my front porch and looking inside my mailbox only minutes after I had gone. He lifted the lid, ran off the porch, and casually walked down the street.

He kept his face from the camera, but he might be in big trouble if he could be identified. Opening someone's mailbox without their permission is a federal crime in Virginia.

Know Virginia law

If you are not a postal worker, placing mail inside someone's mailbox is a crime. This law was not widely known decades ago, and I recall receiving invitations that people dropped in my mailbox without being mailed through the postal service.

I used to do the same thing, but now I know better. However, if you permit someone to take your mail out of the box, this is legal. Placing mail inside without using the postal service or stealing mail is not.