How to Register a Mailbox: Form 1583, IDs, and PMB Address

To register a mailbox with Form 1583, you complete PS Form 1583 (Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent), present two forms of identification to your Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, and sign the form either in the presence of the CMRA agent or before a notary public. The CMRA cannot accept a single piece of your mail until that form is on file and verified.¹ The whole process takes one visit or a single remote session if the pieces line up.

The Two IDs You Need

You need two separate documents. One is a primary photo ID. The other is a secondary document that shows your current residential address. A single document cannot fill both slots, even if it happens to have your photo and your address on it.¹

Primary Photo ID

Your primary ID must be current, unexpired, and carry a clear photograph. Any of the following works:

State-issued driver’s license or non-driver identification card
U.S. passport or passport card
Foreign passport
U.S. permanent resident card or other identification issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Uniformed service or U.S. Armed Forces card
Identification card issued by a federally or state-recognized tribal nation
Matricula Consular card (issued by Mexico through its consulates)
NEXUS card (Canada)

Secondary Address Document

The second document proves where you actually live. The address on it must match the residential address you write on the form. A P.O. Box will not qualify, and neither will another CMRA address.¹ Common acceptable documents include a current lease or rental agreement, a mortgage or deed of trust, a voter registration card, a vehicle registration, and a home or vehicle insurance policy.

Filling Out Form 1583

You can download PS Form 1583 from the USPS website or get a copy directly from your CMRA. It runs two pages.

Your part of the form covers your full legal name exactly as it appears on your photo ID, your residential address, phone number, and email.³ The CMRA fills in its own business name, address, and phone number, along with the specific mailbox number assigned to you, and it records the details of both ID documents you present, including document type and identifying numbers.

Consistency matters. If any information on the application does not match what your ID shows, the CMRA is required to deny the application.¹ Check your name and address against both documents before you hand anything over.

Near the bottom of the form is an optional authorization for restricted delivery mail. Signing there lets the CMRA accept items that normally require your personal signature, such as certified or registered mail. Skip that box and the CMRA can only accept your ordinary mail and packages.¹

The certification language on the form is not decorative. Providing false or misleading information, or omitting requested details, can lead to criminal or civil penalties including fines and imprisonment.³

Signing In Person or Before a Notary

Your signature must be witnessed. USPS gives you two paths.

The first is signing (or confirming your signature) in the physical or virtual presence of the CMRA agent or one of the agent’s authorized employees. Virtual sessions have to use real-time audio and video.³

The second is acknowledging your signature before a notary public commissioned in any U.S. state, territory, or possession, either in person or through a live audio-video session. Remote online notarization satisfies the requirement as long as the session runs on live video. This is the usual path if you signed up with a virtual mailbox provider online and are never going to visit the physical location. Notary fees for a single signature vary by state but typically run between $5 and $10, and remote online notarization sometimes costs slightly more. A handful of states set no maximum fee, so ask about the cost upfront.

Spouses, Minors, and Businesses

Two spouses can share a single Form 1583 instead of filing separately. Each spouse still has to present their own primary photo ID and their own secondary address document. A parent or guardian who wants a minor child’s mail delivered to the same mailbox lists the child’s name on the form; the child does not need to show identification.⁴

If the mailbox will receive mail addressed to a business or organization, provide the business name, street address, and the county and state (or country) where the business is registered. That information goes directly on Form 1583 alongside your personal details.¹

After the Form Clears

Once the CMRA verifies your identification and processes your form, the mailbox is active and the agency can start accepting mail on your behalf. Registration does not trigger a change of address with USPS. Telling senders, billers, and anyone else about your new address is on you.¹

One quirk worth knowing: USPS can forward mail to a CMRA address, but it cannot process a change of address from a CMRA to somewhere else.⁵

Form 1583 does not carry a printed expiration date. It generally stays valid as long as the information on it is still accurate. If you change your name, your residential address, or the people authorized to receive mail, file a new form. Your CMRA may also ask you to present updated identification when an ID expires, since the documents on file have to be current.

How to Format Your PMB Address

Using the wrong format on your address can delay or return your mail. USPS requires that mail sent to a CMRA include either “PMB” or the “#” symbol followed by your private mailbox number. No other identifier is allowed, and you can never use “P.O. Box” on the delivery line for a private mailbox.⁶

You can write the address in a three-line or four-line format. Three-line looks like this:

Jane Smith
123 Main St PMB 456
Anytown, ST 00000

Four-line puts the PMB number on its own line above the street address:

Jane Smith
PMB 456
123 Main St
Anytown, ST 00000

One exception matters. When the CMRA’s own street address already includes a secondary element like a suite number, you have to use “PMB” rather than “#” if you go with the three-line format. You also cannot combine the CMRA’s suite number and your mailbox number on the same line. Keep them separate or use the four-line version.⁶

Closing the Account Later

When you close your private mailbox account, the CMRA is required to forward your mail for six months after termination. After that six-month window, mail addressed to your old PMB number will be returned to the sender.⁵ Because USPS itself cannot process a change of address from a CMRA, the forwarding during those six months is handled by the CMRA, not the postal service. Some CMRAs charge an extra fee for it, so ask about the cost before you cancel. The safer move is to update your address with every sender well before you close the account, rather than relying on the forwarding window to catch everything.

1
Federal Register. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies
2
Federal Register. Forms of Identification
3
USPS. Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent
4
USPS Home. Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates (DMM Revision: Required Forms of Identification)
5
USPS. Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA)
6
Postal Explorer. 285 Private Mailbox Addresses