Standardize Address

The Standardize Address tool checks each address on a list for compliance with the USPS preferred format and converts address elements to this format. It corrects erroneous or missing address information in your list and can generate a CASS certification form (CASS report) showing the percentage of the list that conforms to the USPS standard. It can also append valuable information such as:

ZIP+4
Carrier route codes
Congressional district number
County name
FIPS, MSA and PMSA codes

To produce a CASS report, DPV (Delivery Point Validation), LACSLink (Locatable Address Conversion Service), and SuiteLink must be enabled. These require a license and installation of the CASS/DPV/LacsLink/Suitelink data bundle.

DPV (Delivery Point Validation) extends the checking performed by the Standardize Address tool to verify that the given address number exists and is deliverable by the USPS. However, USPS regulations require that addresses that fail DPV will not be corrected. To achieve maximum address standardization when you do not require CASS-certified addresses, we recommend performing a second pass on failing address records with DPV disabled.
LACSLink (Locatable Address Conversion Service) augments the address processing performed by the Standardize Address tool by mapping old-style Rural Route, Highway Contract, and rural PO Box addresses onto the equivalent street addresses.
SuiteLink augments the address processing performed by the Address Correction tool by looking up missing suite numbers when a Firm field is present on input. Because business suites change frequently, this can improve the quality of your addresses.

For detailed information from the USPS concerning CASS and CASS certification, see these USPS resources:

Some addresses may not standardize according to CASS rules. In those cases it may be helpful to apply the Parse Address tool to achieve basic component standardization.

Standardize Address tool configuration parameters

The Standardize Address tool has four sets of configuration parameters in addition to the standard execution options:

Input

Delivery address	Input field containing the postal address.
Second line address	Input field containing the second line of a postal address. Optional.
Firm	Input field containing the business name. Optional.
Urbanization	Input field containing the Puerto Rican street address designator. Optional.
Last line as	Select Single field if city, state, and ZIP Code are contained in a single field, or City, State and ZIP if they are separate fields. This is optional and defaults to Single field.
Last line address	If Last line as Single field, the input field containing the City, State, and ZIP Code.
City	If Last line as City, State and ZIP, the input field containing the City.
State	If Last line as City, State and ZIP, the input field containing the State.
ZIP	If Last line as City, State and ZIP, the input field containing the ZIP Code.
Delivery Point Validation LACSLink Extended Line of Travel Residential Delivery Indicator SuiteLink	If selected, the specified processing will be performed. All processing options require that you license the selected feature from Redpoint Global Inc., and download and install the associated data.

Options

Set CASS certified report options	Automatically configures settings correctly for generating a CASS Report.
Case	Controls the text case of all CASS output data. This is optional and defaults to `UPPERCASE`.
Directional	Controls the standardization of street directionals. This is optional and defaults to `Short`.
Suffix	Controls the standardization of street suffixes. This is optional and defaults to `Short`.
Unit abbreviation	Controls the standardization of unit designators. This is optional and defaults to `Short`.
Street alias	Controls the output street type when an "alias" street is input. This is optional and defaults to `Standardize`.
City alias	Controls the output city type when an "alias" or abbreviated city is input. This is optional and defaults to `Standardize`.
Multiple matches	Specifies the processing to be performed when two addresses are on the same line. This is optional and defaults to `Choose first`.
Preferred street alias exists	Controls whether so-called "non mailing" names should be retained. This is optional and defaults to `Use preferred`.
Address line size	If Abbr if > 30 chars is selected, limits the size of the output address line field to 30 characters. This is optional and defaults to `Full address`.
City name size	If Abbr if > 13 chars is selected, limits the size of the output city field to 13 characters. This is optional and defaults to `Full city name`.
Share CASS library among tools	If selected, Data Management uses a single shared CASS library even if there are multiple Standardize Address tools.

Output

See Output field names and sizes.

Reports

Use the Reports tab to define an optional CASS Report.

List processor	Name of the company that coded the address lists.
List name	Name of the list being coded.
Mailer name	Name of the person that will sign the report.
Mailer company	Name of company performing the mailing.
Mailer address	Address of company performing the mailing.
Mailer city	City of company performing the mailing.
Mailer state	State of company performing the mailing.
Mailer ZIP	ZIP Code of company performing the mailing.
Format	Type of report to generate. The default (HTML) Form PS3553 produces a printable report, while Stage II file header produces a USPS Stage 2 header for site certification.
File name	Path and name of the file to which the CASS report will be written. If this is missing or empty then no report file is written.

Configure the Standardize Address tool

Select the Standardize Address tool, and then go to the Input tab.
Specify the address input fields:
- Delivery address is the postal address.
- Second line address is the optional second line of a postal address.
- Firm is the field containing the business name. Optional.
- Urbanization is Puerto Rican street address designator. Optional.
- Select the Last line as box:

If	Do this
There is a single last line field	Select Single field, and then specify the Last line address field.
There is not a single last line field	Select City, State, and ZIP, and then select the City, State, and ZIP boxes to select the appropriate input fields.

If you have licensed Delivery Point Validation, LACSLink, SuiteLink, Extended Line of Travel, or Residential Delivery Indicator modules, select the appropriate box or boxes. (All Processing options require that you license the selected feature from Data Management, and download and install the associated data.)

Note that Delivery Point Validation, LACSLink, and SuiteLink options must be enabled in order to produce a CASS report. See About the Standardize Address tool for details.

Optionally, select the Options tab, and then configure Behavior and Performance settings. If you plan to generate a CASS Report, select Set CASS certified report options to configure the correct settings automatically.

Setting	Explanation
UPPERCASE lowercase TitleCase	Controls the text case of all CASS output data.
Long	Uses the long form of the address element instead of the standard abbreviated form.
Short	Uses the standard abbreviated form of the address element.
Keep input form	Keeps the long or short form of the address element, depending on what was input. However, if any change was needed to match the standard, it will be output in standard abbreviated form.
Standardize	Uses the standard city name or street name. For data quality and matching purposes, always choose Standardize.
Keep vanity name	If a vanity name was input for the street or city, keeps it. A vanity name is usually an alternate, non-standard form that some people prefer to use, such as "Hollywood" rather than "Los Angeles".
Keep abbreviation	If an abbreviated form of the address element was input, keeps it. Will also return the abbreviated form if it is a closer "fuzzy" match to the input city or street name than the standard form.
Keep vanity or abbr.	Both Keep Vanity Name and Keep Abbreviation Rules are applied.
Force standardization	Replaces preferred vanity aliases with the standard street name. This is not CASS-compliant, but is useful for matching addresses.
Keep non-mailing	When selected, keeps a non-mailing input city name. This is not CASS compliant, and not generally used. However, you may need this to match "legacy" mail-processing results.
Share CASS library among tools	When selected, Data Management uses a single shared CASS library even if there are multiple Standardize Address tools. Because the CASS library can be very resource-intensive, you should leave this set to the default setting unless you are explicitly replicating the Standardize Address tool for parallel execution with a Splitter/Merge technique. Note that Data Management cannot share the CASS library between tools if any option except Memory use is configured differently on the Options page of the Standardize Address tools, or if a CASS report is specified. In these cases, Data Management will issue a warning.

Go to the Output tab, and then Map output fields.
You can select the Select arrow and choose All, None, or Typical to generate default Output Field names.

Optionally, select fields in the Output Fields grid to specify new output field names or select existing fields from the drop-down lists.

If the specified output fields do not already exist in the input file, they will be created as new fields, using the default names and field sizes. If the output fields already exist in the input file, the fields must be large enough to handle the standard size of the components, or results may be truncated. See Output field names and sizes.

Optionally, you can generate a CASS report. Select the Report tab, and then specify the following details:
- List processor
- List name
- Mailer name
- Mailer company
- Mailer address
- Mailer city
- Mailer state
- Mailer zip
- Format (HTML form for mailing or USPS Stage 2 header for site certification)
- Save CASS report to
Optionally, go to the Execution tab, and then set Web service options.

Output field names and sizes

The following are the default output field names and sizes for the Standardize Address tool. All are of type TextVar except for ZIP4 centroid latitude and ZIP4 centroid longitude, which are Floats.

Description	Default output field name	Default output field length
Urbanization	`STD_URBANIZATION`	32
Company name	`STD_COMPANY`	64
First line with suite	`STD_ADDR_FIRST_LINE`	64
First line without suite	`STD_FIRST_LINE_WITHOUT_SUITE`	64
First line with suite and PMB	`STD_FIRST_LINE_WITH_SUITE_AND_PMB`	64
Second line	`STD_ADDRESS2`	48
Last line	`STD_ADDR_LAST_LINE`	64
City	`STD_CITY`	32
State abbreviation	`STD_STATE`	2
ZIP	`STD_ZIP`	5
Plus4	`STD_PLUS4`	4
Carrier route	`STD_CARRIER_ROUTE`	4
Delivery point code	`STD_DELIVERY_POINT_CODE`	2
Delivery point check digit	`DELIVERY_POINT_CHECK_DIGIT`	1
Address number	`STD_PARSED_ADDRESS_RANGE`	10
Street predirectional	`STD_PARSED_PREDIRECTION`	2
Street name	`STD_PARSED_STREET_NAME`	28
Street suffix	`STD_PARSED_STREET_SUFFIX`	4
Street postdirectional	`STD_PARSED_POSTDIRECTION`	2
Unassigned parts of the address	`PARSED_GARBAGE`	64
Suite	`STD_SUITE`	15
Suite abbreviation	`STD_PARSED_SUITE_NAME`	4
Suite number	`STD_PARSED_SUITE_NUMBER`	10
Suite odd/even	`STD_SUITE_ODD_EVEN`	1
City name (non-approved "vanity" names allowed)	`STD_CITY_NAME`	32
City abbreviation (USPS-acceptable city abbreviation, used when address line-length is limited)	`STD_CITY_ABBREVIATION`	13
Finance number	`STD_FINANCE_NUMBER`	6
ZIP class code	`STD_ZIP_CLASS_CODE`	1
Facility code	`STD_FACILITY_CODE`	1
Mailing name indicator	`STD_MAILING_NAME_INDICATOR`	1
City delivery indicator	`STD_CITY_DELIVERY_INDICATOR`	1
CR sort rate indicator	`STD_CARRIER_ROUTE_SORT_RATE_INDICATOR`	1
Unique ZIP name indicator	`STD_UNIQUE_ZIP_NAME`	1
Address odd/even	`STD_ADDRESS_RANGE_ODD_EVEN`	1
Private mailbox (PMB)	`STD_PRIVATE_MAILBOX`	12
PMB designator	`STD_PMB_DESIGNATOR`	4
PMB number	`STD_PMB_NUMBER`	8
Address type code	`ADDRESS_TYPE_CODE`	1
Non-deliverable address	`NON_DELIVERABLE`	1
LACS status	`LACS`	1
State code	`STATE_FIPS`	2
County code	`COUNTY_FIPS`	3
County name	`COUNTY_NAME`	25
Census tract	`CENSUS_TRACT`	6
Census block	`CENSUS_BLOCK`	4
Government building code	`GOVERNMENT_BUILDING_CODE`	1
Congressional district	`CONGRESSIONAL_DISTRICT`	2
Status code	`STATUS_CODE`	1
Component status	`STD_COMPONENT_STATUS`	13
DPV result code	`DPV_RESULT`	1
DPV CRMA code	`DPV_CRMA`	1
DPV vacant flag	`DPV_VACANT`	1
DPV no stats flag	`DPV_NOSTATS`	1
DPV false-positive code	`DPV_FALSE_POSITIVE`	1
DPV footnote codes	`DPV_FOOTNOTES`	17
LACS indicator	`STD_LACS_INDICATOR`	1
LACS result	`STD_LACS_RESULT`	2
ELOT flag	`ELOT_FLAG`	1
ELOT sequence number	`ELOT_SEQUENCE`	4
RDI	`RDI_FLAG`	1
SuiteLink code	`SUITELINK_CODE`	2
MSA code (obsolete)	`MSA`	4
PMSA code	`PMSA`	4
CMSA code	`CMSA`	4
ZIP4 centroid latitude	`LATITUDE`	4 (float)
ZIP4 centroid longitude	`LONGITUDE`	4 (float)
Coded ZIP4	`CODED_ZIP4`	1
Coded 5-digit ZIP	`CODED_5GIDIT`	1
Coded carrier route	`CODED_CRRT`	1
Coded delivery point	`CODED_DPBC`	1
Coded highrise default	`CODED_HIGHRISE_DEFAULT`	1
Coded highrise exact	`CODED_HIGHRISE_EXACT`	1
Coded rural route default	`CODED_RURALROUTE_DEFAULT`	1
Coded rural route exact	`CODED_RURALROUTE_EXACT`	1

Address standardization codes

The following tables interpret codes output by the Standardize Address tool. The Status code indicates the level of coding performed on the input address. The various DPV codes and LACS codes present information about aspects of the Delivery Point Validation and LACSLink matching. Note that if DPV or LACSLink are unavailable, these fields will not be populated.

Status codes

Status code	Meaning
E	Expired database.
X	Address was not coded.
S	The address was standardized but not coded. Standardization means that some conversion was done on the address (i.e., changing Post Office Box to PO Box or abbreviating street suffixes).
5	There were multiple matches for the address but they were all in the same ZIP Code. The returned ZIP Code will be correct but you will not get any carrier route or +4 information.
7	There were multiple matches for the address but they were all in the same ZIP Code and carrier route. The returned ZIP Code and carrier route will be correct but you will not get any +4 information.
9	The address was fully coded.
M	There were multiple matches for the address, but the correct match cannot be determined.

Address type codes

STD_ADDRESS_TYPE_CODE	Meaning
S	Street record. Usually a single-family dwelling unit or detached business building.
H	Highrise. Usually a multi-family dwelling unit or office building.
F	Firm. A company or department that has its own Zip+4 Code.
R	Rural. Rural Route or Highway Contract addresses.
P	PO Box. Post office box.
A	Alias. A vanity name or other kind of alias to the USPS-approved street name. It is similar to "S".
G	General Delivery. An old-fashioned small-town default delivery type.

ZIP class codes

STD_ZIP_CLASS_CODE	Meaning
M	APO/FPO Military ZIP Code.
P	Post office box ZIP Code.
U	Unique ZIP Code (includes businesses and government buildings that have their own unique ZIP Code)
Blank	Non-unique ZIP Code.

DPV result codes

STD_DPV_Result	Meaning
Y	Address was DPV confirmed for both primary and (if present) secondary numbers.
D	Address was DPV confirmed for the primary number only, and secondary number information was missing.
S	Secondary number information was present but unconfirmed.
N	Primary number information failed to DPV confirm.
Blank	Address not presented to DPV logic because it was not ZIP4 coded.

DPV CRMA codes

STD_DPV_CRMA	Meaning
Y	Address was DPV confirmed and matched to a CRMA record.
N	Address was DPV confirmed and did not match a CRMA record.
Blank	Address was not DPV confirmed

DPV false positive codes

STD_DPV_FALSE_POSITIVE	Meaning
Y	This address or a previous address has matched the false-positive table and detected an attempt to synthesize an address mailing list.
Blank	No false positive detected.

DPV footnotes codes

STD_DPV_FOOTNOTES	Meaning
AA	Input Address Matched to the ZIP+4 file.
A1	Input Address Not Matched to the ZIP+4 file.
BB	Input Address Matched to DPV (all components)
CC	Input Address Primary Number Matched to DPV but Secondary Number not Matched (present but invalid).
N1	Input Address Primary Number Matched to DPV but Highrise Address Missing Secondary Number.
F1	Input Address matched to Military (APO/FPO)
G1	Input Address matched to General Delivery
M1	Input Address Primary Number Missing.
M3	Input Address Primary Number Invalid.
P1	Input Address Missing PO, RR, or HC Box number.
P3	Input Address PO, RR, or HC Box number invalid.
RR	Input Address Matched to CMRA
R1	Input Address Matched to CMRA but PMB designator not Present.
U1	Input Address matched to Unique Zip code

LACS indicator codes

STD_LACS_Indicator	Meaning
Y	A match was made to LACSLink data and a new address was coded.
N	No match was made to LACSLink data.
F	A false-positive record was matched and processing was halted as a result.
S	A match was made after secondary address was stripped from the address.

LACS result codes

STD_LACS_Result	Meaning
A	LACS Record Match—The input record matched to a record in the master file. A new address could be furnished.
00	No Match—The input record COULD NOT be matched to a record in the master file. A new address could not be furnished.
09	LACSLink Record Match: Highrise Default—The input record matched to a record in the master file, but the old address is a highrise default.
14	Found LACS Record: New Address Would Not Convert at Run Time—The input record matched to a record in the master file. The new address could not be converted to a deliverable address.
92	LACS Record: Secondary Number Dropped from Input Address—The input record matched to a master file record, but the input address had a secondary number and the master file record did not. The record is a ZIP+4 street level or highrise match.

Residential delivery indicator

STD_RDI_FLAG	Meaning
Y	Address is residential.
N	Address is non-residential.

SuiteLink codes

STD_SUITELINK_CODE	Meaning
A	Business address improved. The input record matched to a record in the master file.
00	Business address not improved. The input record could not be matched to a record in the master file.

Address component status codes

The CASS output field STD_COMPONENT_STATUS is a 13-digit string of numbers in which each digit represents the status of a single address element. The positions in the string correspond to the following elements:

Position	Address element
1	Address number
2	Predirectional
3	Street Name
4	Suffix
5	Postdirectional
6	Unit designator
7	Unit number
8	City Name
9	State
10	ZIP code
11	Plus4
12	Carrier Route
13	Delivery Point Code

Each address element is classified using one of the following digits:

Digit	Meaning
0	Unchanged (output is equal to input).
1	Standardized (element existed on input but was changed to a standard form).
2	Changed (element existed on input but was incorrect).
3	Assigned Missing (element was missing on input but assigned by the standardization).
4	Retained Vanity (input street or city name that is not the standard form but is acceptable alias. Only returned if Keep Vanity Name option is selected.)
5	Retained Abbreviation (input street or city name that is not the standard form but is acceptable abbreviation. Only returned if Keep Abbreviation option is selected.)
6	Retained Long Form (input directional, suffix, or unit designator that is not the standard form but is an acceptable alternate, for example NORTHWEST instead of NW or APARTMENT instead of APT. Only returned if Long option is selected.)
7	Recombined with other element.