Courier Authorization Letter: Copy a Template, Check Australia’s Rules

A courier authorisation letter lets another person collect or receive a parcel for you. At a minimum it must name you and sign it, name the person you are authorising, identify the parcel with a tracking number or sender details, and carry a date. The person collecting should expect to show photo ID when they pick the parcel up.

TL;DR:

• Identify the parcel with its tracking number, sender, and delivery address; specify whether permission covers one collection or a date range, plus any handling instructions.
• Ask the collector to carry current photo ID matching the letter; attach both parties’ ID copies when accepted, mark them for the parcel, and share them privately.
• Use agency forms such as Services Australia’s SS313 for ongoing representation; standard parcel pickups usually need a signed letter, while business requests belong on letterhead.
• An undated Queensland RTA form may remain valid for six months, so set a clear expiry and contact the courier if you revoke authorization.

Table of Contents

• What should a courier authorisation letter include?
• Copy-ready courier authorisation letter templates
• What ID and supporting documents should you attach?
• When is a simple letter enough, and when do you need a formal form?
• How do you sign, set an expiry and revoke the letter?
• Our view on smooth parcel collection
• Sort your booking and labels with us
• FAQ
• Sources

What should a courier authorisation letter include?

Couriers and collection points accept a letter faster when every field is easy to find. Keep it concise and use plain wording. Here is what to cover:

• Your details: your full name, a contact number, your signature and the date you signed.
• The authorised person: their full name and contact number. Adding your relationship (partner, neighbour, colleague) is optional, but it helps a counter worker feel confident.
• Parcel details: the tracking number, the sender’s name, the delivery address, a short item description and the weight if you know it.
• A clear statement of permission: say whether the person may collect once, or within a set date range, and add any special instructions such as “leave only with the named person”.
• Attachments: copies of ID for both of you if the courier or sender accepts them. For a business request, put the letter on company letterhead.

Skip anything vague. “Please let my friend take my parcel” gives a depot nothing to check. “I authorise Jordan Lee to collect the parcel identified by [tracking number] on [date]” gives them the details they need.

Copy-ready courier authorisation letter templates

Edit the brackets with your own details before you print or send. Delete any line that does not apply.

Short individual pickup

To whom it may concern,
I, [your full name], authorise [collector’s full name] to collect parcel [tracking number] from [sender or depot name] on my behalf on [date]. Their photo ID will be shown on collection. My contact number is [number].
Signed: [signature] Date: [date]

Passport pickup

The Australian Passport Office says written authorisation to collect a passport must include the customer’s name and signature, the passport holder’s full name, and the name of the person authorised to collect. The collector must bring the letter and their own photo identification.

I, [your full name], authorise [collector’s full name] to collect the passport of [passport holder’s full name] on my behalf. [Collector’s full name] will present photo identification on collection.
Signed: [signature] Date: [date]

Company or agency

Use your letterhead and add a representative block:

[Company name] authorises [employee or agent name], [position], to collect parcel(s) [tracking number(s)] on the company’s behalf. Authorised by: [manager’s name and title], [contact number]. Signature and company stamp if you have one: [signature] Date: [date]

Attach a copy of the representative’s ID and, for regular pickups, a list of the tracking numbers covered. Keep a copy of every letter you send so you can show it to the courier if questions come up later.

What ID and supporting documents should you attach?

The collector should carry current photo ID that matches the name on the letter. A driver licence or passport are the usual choices. A letter alone rarely works, because it supplements identity checks rather than replacing them. Official guidance goes a step further: a letter of authority is best accompanied by copy ID for both the authoriser and the authorised agent, which helps avoid processing conflicts.

The Queensland RTA’s Letter of Authority form takes the same approach, asking for proof of identity for both parties. A courier depot may be less formal, but the same logic applies: the more clearly you tie two named people to one parcel, the fewer questions arise.

A few practical habits help:

• Scan or photograph IDs as PDF or JPEG so they open on any device.
• Write “copy only, for parcel [tracking number]” across the image before you send it.
• Send ID copies only to the courier or sender, never to a public inbox or social media message.

Pro Tip: Email yourself the finished letter and the collector’s number before the day. If the printer fails, they can show the depot a digital copy.

When is a simple letter enough, and when do you need a formal form?

A one-off courier collection usually needs only a signed letter and the collector’s ID. Ongoing arrangements are different. Where someone will act for you over time, official forms apply:

• Services Australia: form SS313 authorises a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf, with identity verification built into the process.
• Queensland RTA: the Letter of Authority above is the formal route for transport and registration matters.
• Letterhead or witness: use company letterhead for business collections. A witness signature is worth adding when the parcel is high value or the courier asks for one.

These forms govern dealings with those agencies, not a standard parcel pickup. For a package from a depot, the simple letter is the right tool.

How do you sign, set an expiry and revoke the letter?

Sign and date the letter by hand or with a clear electronic signature. A company stamp or witness adds weight when the parcel matters.

Give the authority a clear end point. For a single parcel, write “valid for one collection only” or specify an end date. The RTA’s form may default to six months of validity where no date is specified, so never leave expiry open if you want tight control.

To revoke, write a short note: “I cancel my authorisation for [name] to collect parcel [tracking number]. Signed and dated.” Send it to the courier or sender, then phone to confirm they have flagged it, and tell the person you had authorised.

Our view on smooth parcel collection

Failed collections can result from a missing tracking number or ID that does not match the letter. To help avoid problems, read the letter next to the collector’s ID before they leave home, and check the names match letter for letter. Printable labels and active tracking help too, because the collector can quote the parcel’s details without hunting for them. Before you send someone, check that the letter has a tracking number and is signed and dated, and that the collector has ID.

— Aeros

Sort your booking and labels with us

If you are sending a parcel that someone else will receive or collect, we can take care of the booking end. We offer parcel booking, printable labels and active tracking, so the person collecting has the details they need.

You can compare options on our shipment rate page and book your parcel.

FAQ

How do I write an authorisation letter for collecting documents?

State who you are, who you are authorising and what they may collect. Add a reference number, your signature and the date. The collector should bring photo ID, and you may need to attach an ID copy if the issuer asks for one.

How do I get a letter of authorisation?

For a simple pickup, you write it yourself using a template like the ones above. For ongoing arrangements with an agency, use that agency’s official form, such as SS313 from Services Australia.

What is the authority letter for collecting a passport?

It is a signed letter naming the customer, the passport holder and the authorised collector. The Australian Passport Office says the collector must present it with their own photo identification, as set out in its collection guidance.

How long does a courier authorisation letter last?

It lasts as long as you say it does. Write “one collection only” or a specific end date. Formal forms can differ, and the RTA’s form may treat an undated authority as running for six months.

Sources

• Delivery or passport collection | Australian Passport Office
• Letter of Authority
• Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf form (SS313) – Services Australia

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• Australian Courier Services: A Complete Guide to Smarter Shipping