- This checks the format only. It does not confirm that the code exists or what address it covers.
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How a postal code is built
Canada Post describes six characters in the pattern “ANA NAN”, where A is a letter and N is a digit, written in capitals with one space in the middle.
Forward sortation area (FSA)
The first three characters name a delivery area inside a province or territory. The first letter is the broad region; a 0 as the second character marks a rural area.
Local delivery unit (LDU)
The last three characters narrow it down to a specific delivery point, such as a block face, a building or a rural route.
K1A 0T6 is the example Canada Post uses in its reference guide.
First letter by province
Canada Post assigns each first letter to a province or territory. X is shared by the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, so the letter alone cannot tell them apart.
| First letter | Province or territory |
|---|---|
| A | Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) |
| B | Nova Scotia (NS) |
| C | Prince Edward Island (PE) |
| E | New Brunswick (NB) |
| G | Quebec (QC) |
| H | Quebec (QC) |
| J | Quebec (QC) |
| K | Ontario (ON) |
| L | Ontario (ON) |
| M | Ontario (ON) |
| N | Ontario (ON) |
| P | Ontario (ON) |
| R | Manitoba (MB) |
| S | Saskatchewan (SK) |
| T | Alberta (AB) |
| V | British Columbia (BC) |
| X | Northwest Territories (NT) / Nunavut (NU) |
| Y | Yukon (YT) |
The first letter gives the usual province. We have not tested for exceptions near provincial borders; for an address that matters, confirm with Canada Post.
Letters that are never used
Six letters are left out of every position so they are not mistaken for digits or each other: D, F, I, O, Q and U. W and Z are also never the first letter, though they appear later in a code.
If a code you were given has an O, it is almost certainly a zero. If it has an I, try the digit 1.
Frequently asked questions
Does a pass mean the postal code exists?
No. We only check the format and the first letter. We do not hold Canada Post’s list of assigned codes, so a code can pass here and still not be in use.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The check runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.
Why does the postal code never contain the letter O?
Canada Post leaves out D, F, I, O, Q and U, mostly to avoid confusion with digits and with each other. If you see an O, it is probably a zero.
Does the second character tell me anything?
Yes: a zero marks a rural forward sortation area, according to Canada Post’s reference guide.
Can I trust the province from the first letter?
It is the general rule published by Canada Post. We have not verified every code near a border, so for anything important check with Canada Post.
How should a postal code be written?
In capital letters, with one space between the third and fourth characters, and no hyphen or other punctuation, as in K1A 0T6.
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How we check it
The tests use the pattern, example (K1A 0T6), alphabet and rural rule from Canada Post’s reference guide: each of D, F, I, O, Q and U is rejected in every letter position, W and Z are rejected only first, and the allowed alphabet has 20 letters (18 in first position).
The first-letter table is tested against Canada Post’s province table: all 18 allowed first letters map to a province, with X shared by NT and NU.
Limits: we have no list of assigned postal codes, so a pass is a format check and not proof the code exists. First-letter exceptions near provincial borders are not tested.