How to send a fax to the United States

Why fax to the United States?

Fax remains deeply embedded in American healthcare, legal, and government systems. Hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmacies use fax daily. Largely because HIPAA regulations treat fax as a compliant method for transmitting protected health information. Courts, the IRS, state agencies, and law firms also rely heavily on fax for filing documents, serving notices, and exchanging signed paperwork.

If a US organisation asks you to fax a document, it is usually because their internal processes are built around it. Sending by fax is often the fastest way to get your document into their system.

What you need

To send a fax to the United States with unofax you need four things:

• Your document: PDF, Word, image, or any supported file. PDF gives the best results.
• The US fax number: the country code is +1, followed by a 10-digit number (3-digit area code + 7-digit local number). A typical number looks like +1 212 555 1234 (New York) or +1 310 555 1234 (Los Angeles).
• A payment method: credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• Your email address: for delivery confirmation and proof of receipt

No account, no subscription, no fax machine required.

Step by step

Sending a fax to the United States with unofax takes about two minutes:

• Upload your document: drag and drop or tap to select your file.
• Select United States and enter the fax number: choose United States from the country list. Type the 10-digit number (e.g. 212 555 1234). unofax adds the +1 country code automatically.
• Enter your email: provide your email address for delivery confirmation and proof of receipt.
• Preview: check each page in the preview. Add a free cover sheet if the recipient requires one.
• Pay: the per-page price is shown upfront. Pay with card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• Done: your fax is sent immediately. You receive a delivery confirmation once the receiving machine acknowledges receipt.

Tips for faxing to the United States

A few things to keep in mind when faxing to the US:

• Time zones: the US spans six time zones, from Eastern (UTC−5) to Hawaii (UTC−10). Check the recipient's local time if you want your fax to arrive during business hours. Daylight saving time shifts most zones by one hour between March and November.
• Include a cover sheet for healthcare and legal: US healthcare providers and law firms often require a cover sheet identifying the sender, recipient, and the number of pages. This helps with HIPAA compliance and ensures your fax is routed to the right department.
• Area codes identify the region: the first three digits of a US number are the area code. Common examples: 212 (New York), 310 (Los Angeles), 312 (Chicago), 202 (Washington DC), 415 (San Francisco). The area code is part of the number. Always include it.
• Use PDF for best quality: US offices frequently print and file incoming faxes. A clean, high-contrast PDF ensures your document is legible after printing.
• Toll-free numbers supported: unofax can send to US toll-free fax numbers. Supported prefixes:
  • 1800
  • 1888
  • 1877
  • 1866
  • 1855
  • 1844
  • 1833
  Enter the full 10-digit number (e.g. 1800 555 1234).

Common questions

Quick answers about faxing to the United States:

• Can I fax to any US number? — Yes. unofax can deliver to any active fax line in the United States, including landline-connected fax machines, internet fax services, and toll-free numbers.
• How long does delivery take? — Most faxes are delivered within one to three minutes. Delivery time depends on the number of pages and the speed of the receiving machine.
• Is the country code the same as Canada? — Yes, both the US and Canada use +1. Select the correct country in unofax and enter the 10-digit number. The system handles routing automatically.
• How much does it cost to fax to the United States? — Faxing to the United States with unofax costs $0.29 AUD per page (≈$0.19 USD). The price in your local currency is displayed before you pay. There are no subscriptions, setup fees, or hidden charges. You only pay for the pages you send.