To fill out USPS Form 1583 for a business, you gather two valid IDs and proof your company is registered, complete the June 2024 edition section by section using your legal business name and a physical (non-PMB) address, then sign in front of your Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) agent or a notary before handing everything back to the agency. The form is short, but the fields were renumbered in the current edition, and a mismatch between your paperwork and what you write on the form is the most common reason applications get bounced.
Gather Your Documents First
Do not open the form until you have every supporting document in hand. You need two forms of identification for the signer plus documents that prove your business legally exists.
The signer’s primary ID must be a current photo ID. Acceptable options include a state driver’s license or non-driver ID card, U.S. passport, permanent resident card, certificate of naturalization, uniformed service ID, NEXUS card, or Matricula Consular card.1Federal Register. Forms of Identification The form also lists a U.S. university ID card and a U.S. access card as acceptable photo IDs.2USPS. PS Form 1583
The secondary ID has to show your home address and be traceable to you: a current lease, mortgage or deed of trust, home or vehicle insurance policy, voter registration card, or vehicle registration card all work. A second primary photo ID counts as secondary if it shows your address.1Federal Register. Forms of Identification
Social Security cards, birth certificates, and credit cards are explicitly prohibited as either primary or secondary identification.1Federal Register. Forms of Identification Every ID has to be current. If your driver’s license expires next week, renew it first.
For business verification, you need articles of incorporation, a formal business license, or a state certificate of registration. The company name on that document must match, exactly, what you enter on the form.
Use the June 2024 Edition
Download the form from the USPS website or take it from your chosen CMRA. Check the edition date in the lower-left corner: it should read “June 2024.” Older versions will be rejected, and many online walkthroughs still reference the previous item numbering.2USPS. PS Form 1583
Applicant and Authorized Individual (Items 3–6)
Your CMRA fills in Items 1 and 2, which record the PMB opening date and the agency’s street address. You leave those alone.
In Item 3, check the box for “Business/Organization Use.”
Item 4 is you, the person signing. Enter your legal name, phone number, email, and home street address. That has to be a physical residence, not a P.O. Box and not another CMRA address. Court-ordered protected individuals check the box in this section and attach a copy of the court order.2USPS. PS Form 1583
Item 5 is for one additional person you want authorized to pick up mail. Their name, home address, and contact information go here. If USPS asks, they will need to present their own two valid IDs. Leave Item 5 blank if no one else needs access.
Item 6 covers mail being transferred from your PMB to another address. If you are setting up a new mailbox, skip it.
Business Information (Item 7)
Item 7a takes the full legal name of your company as it appears on your registration documents. Item 7b asks for the type of business. A short, plain description like “Retail Consulting” or “Software Development” is fine.2USPS. PS Form 1583
Items 7c through 7g take your business street address, city, state, ZIP+4, and country. Physical location only, no P.O. Box, no other CMRA address. If you operate from home, that home address goes here. Item 7h is your business phone number. Item 7i is your place of registration, typically the state where you incorporated or filed your business entity.2USPS. PS Form 1583
ID Details and Extra Recipients (Items 8–12)
Item 8 records your photo ID: name as printed on the ID, ID number, issuing entity, expiration date, and the box matching the ID type. Item 9 records your address-confirming secondary ID. The address in Item 9 must match the home address you gave in Item 4.2USPS. PS Form 1583
If you named an authorized individual in Item 5, Items 10 and 11 capture that person’s photo ID and address ID in the same format. Their IDs must also be current.
Item 12 is for additional recipients beyond you and the one authorized individual. List other employees or officers who need to receive mail at the PMB here. Each of them must be prepared to present two valid IDs to USPS on request.2USPS. PS Form 1583 Businesses with many officers or partners can attach a separate sheet.
Signing: You Do Not Necessarily Need a Notary
This is where most people get stuck. You have two options.
You can sign, or confirm your signature, in the physical or virtual presence of the CMRA agent or the agent’s authorized employee. Or you can acknowledge your signature before a notary public commissioned in any U.S. state, territory, or possession.3Federal Register. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies Clarification
Virtual signing is allowed under either option, but only through real-time audio and video. A pre-recorded video or a plain phone call does not qualify.2USPS. PS Form 1583 Many virtual mailbox providers now handle the agent-witness route through their own video verification platform, which means you may never need a notary.
If you use a notary, they complete the dedicated section on page 2, including seal, signature, commission details, and date. If the CMRA agent is your witness instead, they also complete Items 14a and 14b.
Do not sign the form before you are in front of your witness. A pre-signed form is invalid, and you will have to start over.
Authorize Restricted Delivery While You Are There
A standard, completed Form 1583 lets your CMRA accept regular mail and most accountable mail (certified, insured, and similar) on your behalf. Restricted delivery is separate. Your agent cannot sign for restricted delivery items unless you specifically authorized it on the form, through the designated fields and delivery-exception instructions on the current edition.2USPS. PS Form 1583
For any accountable mail (registered, certified, insured above $50, or collect-on-delivery), someone at the CMRA has to sign and legibly print their name on the delivery receipt before the item can be opened or handed over. If you expect legal notices, government correspondence, or other restricted delivery items, get the right boxes checked the first time. Going back to add this authorization later means completing an entirely new Form 1583.
Submitting the Form
The signed form goes to your CMRA along with copies of your two IDs and your business verification paperwork. Most agencies accept digital uploads of the notarized or agent-witnessed form and scanned IDs. Some still require physical originals in person or by certified mail.
Your CMRA is required to enter the information from your Form 1583 into the USPS CMRA Customer Registration Database and upload legible copies of your identification documents.4Federal Register. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies That database lets the Postal Inspection Service trace mail recipients, which is the reason Form 1583 exists in the first place. Once the agency finishes review and data entry, your mailbox typically goes active within one to two business days.
If the agency finds errors (mismatched names, missing fields, expired IDs), they will tell you what to fix. Correcting one field is usually quick. A form altered or modified after signing becomes invalid entirely and you will need a fresh copy.5USPS. Recipient Services
Format Your New PMB Address Correctly
Once your mailbox is active, mail sent to you at the CMRA must include either “PMB” or “#” followed by your private mailbox number. Any other designator is prohibited.6USPS. 285 Private Mailbox Addresses Two acceptable formats:
- Three-line: Your Business Name / 123 Main St PMB 456 / City, State ZIP
- Four-line: Your Business Name / 123 Main St / PMB 456 / City, State ZIP
If the CMRA’s own street address already has a secondary element such as a suite number, use “PMB” in a three-line format rather than the “#” shorthand.6USPS. 285 Private Mailbox Addresses Print it correctly on business cards, invoices, and your website from day one; the wrong format can send mail back to the sender.
When You Have to File a New Form
Your Form 1583 stays valid until something on it changes. When your business address, your name, your authorized individual, or your company’s registration changes, you complete a brand new Form 1583 with current IDs and go through the signing process again.7USPS. DMM Revision: Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies There is no amendment process. It is a full replacement every time.
What Happens Without a Valid Form on File
The consequences of a missing or defective Form 1583 are immediate. If your CMRA has no valid form on file for your business, they must return all your mail to the delivering post office with the endorsement “Undeliverable, Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, No Authorization to Receive Mail for this Addressee.”5USPS. Recipient Services That mail goes back to the sender. No holding period, no grace window.
If the problem is on the agency’s side, for instance an altered form or repeated noncompliance, the postmaster can suspend delivery to the entire CMRA after written notice and a reasonable compliance window. When delivery is suspended, every customer at that location loses mail service, not just the one with the problem form.5USPS. Recipient Services Worth weighing when you pick a CMRA: a sloppy operator can disrupt your business even when your own paperwork is perfect.