To get a virtual address, you sign up with a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, complete USPS Form 1583, present two forms of valid ID, and have your signature verified either by the agency on a live video call or by a notary public. Once the agency activates your account, mail sent to their street address with your assigned private mailbox number reaches you as scanned envelope images in an online dashboard, and you decide whether each piece gets opened and scanned, forwarded, or shredded.
What You’re Actually Signing Up For
A Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, or CMRA, is a private business that rents private mailboxes and accepts USPS mail for its customers. The agency holds mail for pickup, scans it for digital viewing, or re-mails it to another address with new postage. This is a for-profit service run by the agency, not by the Postal Service.1USPS. Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) – FAQ
Virtual mailbox services are the modern version of this arrangement. They operate as CMRAs and add a digital layer: scanned envelope images, on-demand content scans, package forwarding, and secure shredding. Monthly pricing generally runs from about $10 at the low end to $60 or more for premium tiers with multiple recipients or high-volume scanning. Before an agency can legally accept any mail on your behalf, you must file a completed PS Form 1583 with them.2Federal Register. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies Clarification
The Two IDs You Need Before You Start
Every adult listed on Form 1583 must present two valid, current forms of identification: one primary and one secondary. This comes from USPS Domestic Mail Manual Section 608.10.0 and applies to individuals and businesses alike.3USPS Domestic Mail Manual. 508 Recipient Services Have both ready before you sit down with the form, because verification is a single session in most cases.
Primary Identification
Your primary ID must include a clear photograph. Form 1583 lists the accepted types:4United States Postal Service. PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent
- State driver’s license or non-driver ID card (tribal-issued cards included)
- U.S. passport
- Uniformed Service ID
- U.S. Permanent Resident Card
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Matricula Consular
- NEXUS Card
- U.S. university ID card
Secondary Identification
The secondary ID must be traceable to you and verify your address. It does not need a photograph. Accepted documents include a current lease or mortgage, a voter or vehicle registration card, a home or vehicle insurance policy, a utility bill, or a Form I-94 Arrival and Departure Record for international applicants.5Federal Register. Forms of Identification A second primary photo ID also satisfies the requirement in place of the secondary document.
If you live outside the United States, the same two-ID structure applies. A foreign passport works as primary ID, and a Form I-94 or a second primary photo ID (such as a foreign driver’s license) covers the secondary slot.
Filling Out USPS Form 1583
PS Form 1583, “Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent,” is free and available from your provider or directly from USPS. The June 2024 version is the current edition. Here is what goes where:4United States Postal Service. PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent
- Box 2: the CMRA’s physical street address, city, state, ZIP, and your assigned PMB number. This is the address that will appear on your mail.
- Box 4: your full legal name (last, first, middle, suffix).
- Box 6: a forwarding address, if you want the CMRA to re-mail items to another location. Leave blank if you plan to use scanning or pickup only.
- Box 7: business or organization information, including legal name, type of business, and business street address. Individual applicants skip this section.
- Box 8: your photo ID details, including the name as shown on the ID, ID number, issuing entity, expiration date, and type of photo ID.
- Box 13: your signature as the applicant, with the date.
- Box 14: the CMRA’s or authorized employee’s signature, with the date.
If You’re Applying for a Business
An LLC, corporation, or partnership application must be signed by an officer, who lists their title. You also list every member who will receive mail at the private mailbox, and each of those people must be prepared to present two forms of valid ID to the Postal Service on request.
If Family Members Will Use the Same Address
For personal use, each adult receiving mail at the PMB needs their own Form 1583. You cannot add a spouse as a secondary user on your application. A parent or guardian can receive mail for a minor child by listing the minor’s name on the form, and the minor does not need to provide identification.
Keeping the Form Current
Form 1583 has no fixed expiration or annual renewal. When anything on the form changes, such as your name, ID, forwarding address, or the people authorized to receive mail, you file an updated application with the CMRA.
Getting Your Signature Verified
This is the step most guides get wrong. Form 1583 gives you two options, and notarization is only one of them.
The form states that an applicant must either sign or confirm their signature in the physical or virtual presence (real-time audio and video) of the CMRA agent or the agent’s authorized employee, or acknowledge their signature before a notary public commissioned in a U.S. state, territory, or possession.4United States Postal Service. PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent
Verification by the Agent
Most virtual mailbox providers handle verification themselves. You join a live video call with an employee, show your two IDs on camera, and sign the form while they watch. The agent countersigns in Box 14. This is typically the fastest and cheapest route, and many providers include it at no extra charge as part of onboarding.
Notarization
If your provider does not offer live verification, or you prefer a notary, you can have the form notarized instead. Remote Online Notarization lets you complete this through a video session with a licensed notary who witnesses your signature electronically. Notary fees vary by state, with maximum allowable charges typically running from $5 to $30 per notarial act, and the platforms facilitating the session often add their own service fees. In-person notarization at a local office also works; you then mail the stamped documents to your provider.
How to Address Mail to Your New Virtual Address
Once your account is active, mail sent to you at the CMRA must use “PMB” or “#” followed by your private mailbox number. You cannot use “PO Box,” because only the Postal Service can deliver to PO Boxes. Two formats work:6USPS. 285 Private Mailbox Addresses
- Three-line: Your Name / 123 Main Street PMB 456 / City, State ZIP
- Four-line: Your Name / PMB 456 / 123 Main Street / City, State ZIP
When the CMRA’s own address already contains a secondary element like a suite number, and you’re using the three-line format, use “PMB” rather than “#” to avoid confusion. Providers often market the address with a suite number, but the underlying USPS requirement still applies.
What Happens After Activation
After your provider verifies your IDs and signed form, activation usually takes one to three business days. You get access to a digital dashboard where incoming mail appears as scanned envelope images. From there you can request content scans, forward physical items to another address, or have documents securely shredded.
Under a 2023 USPS rule change, signing Form 1583 now authorizes your CMRA to receive all classes of mail on your behalf, including restricted delivery items. That authorization used to require a separate signature on the form, but the Postal Service removed the extra step because letter carriers delivering to a CMRA had no practical way to check individual Form 1583s for each mailbox holder.7Federal Register. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies COD mail is the one exception; it was not affected by the change.
Most providers cap how long they’ll hold physical mail before charging storage fees. Thirty days of free storage is common, with weekly or monthly charges after that. Read your plan’s terms.
A Virtual Address Is Not a Registered Agent
If you’re setting this up for an LLC or corporation, know the limit. Every state requires an LLC or corporation to designate a registered agent, a person or entity with a physical address in the state of formation who is available during business hours to accept legal documents such as lawsuits and compliance notices. A virtual mailbox address does not satisfy that requirement on its own.
A registered agent serves a legal function (accepting service of process). A virtual address serves a practical one (everyday business mail, privacy, a professional street address). Failing to maintain a registered agent can bring fines, loss of good standing, or a default judgment if a lawsuit arrives and no one is there to accept it. Some virtual address providers offer registered agent service as a separate add-on, but the two products have separate requirements. If your provider only offers mailbox service, their address cannot legally fill both roles.
Closing the Account Later
When you close a private mailbox, the CMRA is required to forward your mail for six months after termination.1USPS. Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) – FAQ That is a USPS rule, not something the provider can waive. The CMRA also reports terminated customers to the Postal Service quarterly.
One thing that catches people out: USPS cannot process a standard change-of-address request from a CMRA to another address. You’ll need to notify senders directly, including banks, government agencies, and subscription services, and update your address with each one. If you’re switching to a new CMRA, set up the new account first and leave yourself overlap time so nothing falls through the gap.