How to Complete USPS Form 1583

Anyone who wants to rent a PO box, postal mailbox or virtual mailbox in the United States must fill out the USPS Form 1583. The form often looks confusing the first time you see it. This article will help you understand what USPS Form 1583 is for and how to fill it out properly for your mail forwarding service or PO box rental.

What is USPS Form 1583?

In the United States, the U.S. Postal Service regulates how mail can be received and handled. USPS also dictates required procedures for commercial mail receiving agents (CMRAs) like us to follow. The USPS Form 1583 is used to authorize a CMRA to receive mail on the customer’s behalf.  It also ensures that a responsible party is linked to the mailbox.

Download a Clean Copy of Form 1583

If you do not have a pre-generated copy of the Form 1583 from us or have made mistakes during the sign-up process or have decided to use IDs different from those you first selected, you will have to manually fill in the correct information with a new form. Here is how:

• Download a clean new copy of the USPS Form 1583 and print it out.  Download the one where your mailbox is located.
  • USPS Form 1583 for Henderson, NV
  • USPS Form 1583 for Covina, CA
  • USPS Form 1583 for Claymont, DE
  • USPS Form 1583 for Brandon, FL  
• Copy the information from the form we automatically generated for you.
• Make necessary corrections to the wrong information.
• Follow instructions in the auto-generated form and submit it to us.

Filling Out Form 1583

In general, the form is broken down into three sections: the CMRA information, the mailbox and owner information, and optionally the business information.

The CMRA Information (Box 4)

This information is generally filled out by the CMRA, so you do not need to concern yourself with most of this. It simply shows to whom you are authorizing mail delivery.

Mailbox Owner and Optional Business Information

This is the information that you need to fill out. Most items are self-explanatory.

• Box 2: Write the full name that this mailbox will be receiving mail for. For example, if the mailbox will be receiving mail for a business, you will want to write the business name in this box. If the mailbox is for an individual, please indicate the individual's personal name.
• Box 3: Write your mailbox address, including the mailbox number that you chose when you signed up with us.
• Box 5: Sign here to authorize us to receive restricted-delivery mail on your behalf.
• Boxes 6 & 7: Indicate the person who is applying for this mailbox. This will be the mailbox owner, which is required to be an individual (even if the mailbox is for a company). 
  • Normally, this is the same as the person who is receiving mail for this mailbox (see box 2). Be sure to include a phone number where you can be reached as well as your current mailing address (before signing up for VPM).
• Box 8: Write down the two IDs that you will use to prove your identity and the ID numbers. One must be a photo ID. You can find a list of acceptable IDs at the end of this article.
• Box 16: Sign the form in the presence of a notary. Digital signatures are acceptable. 

Optional Business Information

If you are linking a business to your mailbox, fill out boxes 9–14. Most boxes are self-explanatory except for a few that are clarified below:

• Boxes 10a - 10e: Add your business contact information. You may use your business mailing address or registered agent address as well. Use your home address if it is a home-based business. This information is only for VPM and USPS and is not available to others.
• Box 11: Indicate what product(s) or service(s) your business provides, such as “market research,” “consumer products,” “clothing,” etc.
• Box 12: Enter each member or employee who will receive mail here. Although names must have verifiable identification, we do not require you to provide a separate Form 1583 for each employee unless requested by us.

Notarize Form 1583

Normally, if you sign this form in person in front of us, you do not need to have the form notarized. However, as you most likely won't be able to do so, we need you to provide proof of identity through a notary. The notary should sign box 15 and place a notary seal on the Form 1583 itself. Alternatively, a separate notary certificate of acknowledgement can be attached. 

Notaries can be found almost everywhere. Courthouses and banks normally have an in-house notary who will serve you. You can also search for " notary directory" on any search engine to find a local notary. The cost is usually less than $20.

We also accept online notarized documents from notary services.  We recommend using  Notarycam.  Fees are a little higher than in-person notaries, but you can notarize the document from anywhere as long as you have a webcam for video chat.

Free notary tip: 

• Some banks offer free notary services to their existing customers. You may want to check with your bank first.
• In place of the notary, you can take a selfie photo of yourself holding your photo ID and submit that along with your signed Form 1583 and IDs.  The ID in the selfie photo must be clear and legible for verification.  If you do this, the notary can be waived.

International/Non-U.S. Residents

If you live overseas, you may have difficulty finding a notary. Banks and embassies normally provide notary services. Both U.S. and non-U.S. notary seals are accepted. If finding a notary proves impossible, you can go through a lawyer or bank official who can sign or stamp an official seal on the form. Government seals (ie. police) are also acceptable.

Notarycam will also notarize documents with international IDs.  You can notarize the documents as long as you have a webcam.

Send the Form 1583 Documents to VPM

There are a few different ways to send us your Form 1583 and IDs:

1. By mail:  Send the original copy (NOT a photocopy) of the form along with the photocopied IDs to the mailing address listed on our contact page. We will submit the original to USPS and keep a copy for our records.  If you go this route, we recommend that you either keep a second original copy or take a photo of the notarized form.  This way, in case your mail gets lost in transit, you will not have to get another copy notarized again.
2. By email:  Scan the original copy of the form and your two IDs. Email the images to [email protected]. Be sure the form is signed by you and the notary.  You can also upload your application and IDs to an online storage location (ie. Dropbox) and then send us the download link.
3. By Fax: Fax the signed form and your two IDs to our secure fax line at +1-909-753-0355. This is our least preferred method because frequently the IDs and form information do not come through clearly. The text must be legible, and photo IDs must be identifiable. Otherwise, you will be asked to provide your documents through one of the other two methods.

Acceptable IDs

Following is a list of acceptable IDs as listed on the form.  They can be either domestic or foreign IDs.  They must be current (non-expired).  The first ID must be a photo ID.

• U.S. Government I.D.: U.S. Government I.D. may be federal-, state-, or tribal-issued.  These include:
  
  • Valid driver’s license, state non-driver’s identification card, U.S. Armed Forces card, Uniformed Service ID card
  • U.S. permanent resident or other identification card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
  • U.S. certificate of citizenship or naturalization.
  • Identification card issued by a federally or state-recognized tribal nation (tribal identification card).
• University Student ID
• Passport (U.S. or foreign)
• Matricula Consular (Mexico): A Matricula Consular card is an identification card issued by the Government of Mexico through its consulate offices to Mexican nationals residing outside Mexico.
• NEXUS (Canada): NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection operated trusted traveler and expedited border control program. Customers may provide a NEXUS card as a form of identification for money orders. To be accepted, the NEXUS card must contain an identification number.
• Lease, mortgage, or deed of trust
• Voter or vehicle registration card
• Home or vehicle insurance policy
• Form I-94, Arrival and Departure

Social security cards, credit cards, corporate IDs, and birth certificates are  NOT acceptable forms of identification.

Process of Filling Out USPS Form 1583

Learn how you can fill out this form, with all the information listed above condensed into this quick visual guide below: