Supported TLS versions for email receiving?

The link you gave talks about https if you are using any API to read emails received on SES. How are you checking incoming messages on AWS? if with API then use https, it is over tls 1.2 by default with AWS
If you are doing something else like raw messaging, then ensure you use TLS 1.2 or SSL

Hope this helps. Do share more info on how you are getting the incoming messages if the above answer doesn't help you

How are you checking incoming messages on AWS?

Thanks for the response! Let me clarify, I'm specifically wondering about TLS between an email client and AWS SES, where SES is receiving the email.

What versions of TLS will AWS SES be able to negotiate with the email client?

How the email message is retrieved from SES after the fact doesn't matter for the scope of this question.

Thanks in advance!

Does this help?

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/receiving-email.html

Also, from the other docs at Amazon, they support SSL and TLS 1.2 for all communications with SES

Hi @Ben789,

When you select the TLS checkbox in a receipt rule, SES accepts TLS 1.2, TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.0.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.

Regards.

@Ben789 I have a related follow up. I have the situation where I am receiving email on my AWS SES endpoint. I have a receipt rule configured with required TLS. However, when I attempt sending an email using telnet without TLS, the email is still accepted by SES. Am I doing something wrong

telnet inbound-smtp.us-west-2.amazonaws.com 25

# Wait for 220 Welcome...

EHLO test.com

# Wait for 250 OK...

MAIL FROM:<my email>

# Wait for 250 OK...

RCPT TO:<receiving email that is routed to AWS SES>

# Wait for 250 OK...

DATA

# Wait for 354 End data...

# --- Provide all headers below, followed by a blank line ---
From: "Derek Chang" <my email>
To: "Test Recipient" <receiving email >
Subject: Final Test With All Headers
Message-ID: <someuniqueid>
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:45:00 -0700

This is the email body.
With all the required headers, the Lambda function should now run successfully.
.

# Wait for 250 OK...

quit