To rent a PO Box, USPS secondary identification for a PO Box must be one of five specific documents that show your current physical address: a lease, mortgage, or deed of trust; a voter registration card; a vehicle registration card; a home or vehicle insurance policy; or, for non-citizens, Form I-94. Nothing else on the counter will substitute, and this is a shorter list than the one USPS accepts for its other services.
The Five Accepted Documents
Each of these works as secondary ID for a PO Box application:
- A lease, mortgage, or deed of trust reflecting your current address.
- A voter registration card issued by your local election authority.
- A vehicle registration card for a vehicle titled in your name.
- An active home or vehicle insurance policy tied to your address or a vehicle registered to you.
- Form I-94, the Arrival and Departure Record, for non-citizens.
Every one of these must be current. Expired documents get rejected at the counter, and there is no grace period.1United States Postal Service. Acceptable Forms of Identification
Names and Addresses Have to Match
The name and address on your secondary document must match your primary photo ID and your application exactly. Small discrepancies between the three can delay or block the application, so it is worth checking all three side by side before you leave the house.1United States Postal Service. Acceptable Forms of Identification
What Does Not Qualify
Several documents that look official for other purposes will not work here. Social Security cards and birth certificates carry no address and are rejected. Credit cards do not verify residency. And the one that catches most applicants off guard: utility bills are not accepted as secondary ID for a PO Box, even though USPS accepts them for some other services.1United States Postal Service. Acceptable Forms of Identification
There is also a shortcut that applies elsewhere at USPS but not to PO Boxes. For most postal services you can bring a second photo ID in place of a residency document. That option is closed for PO Box applications. A second driver’s license or passport will not substitute for one of the five documents above; you must bring an actual non-photo residency document from the list.1United States Postal Service. Acceptable Forms of Identification
Digital and electronic versions are not accepted either. Bring the physical original or a printed copy to the counter.
Pair It With a Valid Primary Photo ID
Your secondary document only gets you halfway. The primary ID must be a valid, government-issued photo ID. Common options are a state-issued driver’s license, a state non-driver identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card, and a U.S. military identification card. Tribal-issued IDs and certain federal government employee credentials, including Common Access Cards and PIV cards, also qualify.2United States Postal Service. Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates
How Verification Works at the Counter
The check happens face to face. A postal clerk examines your completed PS Form 1093, your primary photo ID, and your secondary residency document, confirming that the names and addresses line up across all three. This step cannot be skipped, even if you started the application online.3United States Postal Service. PO Boxes
If you reserved and paid for the box online, you have 30 days to bring your printed application and both IDs to the post office. Miss that window and the reservation is gone.3United States Postal Service. PO Boxes Once the clerk approves your documents, you get your box assignment and either keys or a combination, and the box is ready for use.