To fill out Form 1583, download the June 2024 version from USPS, enter your name and street home address, add anyone allowed to collect your mail, record one photo ID and one address ID, then sign in front of your mail center or a US notary. The mail center completes its own boxes and files the form with USPS.
Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent, is what the United States Postal Service (USPS) requires before a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) can accept mail in your name. If you are new to the form, start with what PS Form 1583 is and why mail centers ask for it. This guide covers the practical part: what goes in each box.
YogoMailbox is a virtual mailbox platform that gives you a real street address at a local mail center in Canada or the United States, with mail scanning and forwarding.
What do you need before you start?
Have these ready before you open the PDF:
- The current form, PS Form 1583 (June 2024), from the USPS website.
- The street address of your mail center and your box number. Your mail center gives you both.
- One government-issued photo ID and one document that shows your home address.
- The same two documents for each person you want to authorize to pick up your mail.
- Your business details, if the box is for a company.
Each adult needs a separate form for a personal box. A couple sharing one box files two forms.
How do you fill out each box?
The form has 14 numbered boxes on page 1 and a notary block on page 2. Per the USPS instructions, the mail center (the agent) fills in box 2 and box 14. You fill in the rest.
| Box | What to enter | Who fills it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date the box opens (1a) and, later, the date it closes (1b) | You |
| 2 | Street address of the mail center, your box number, city, state, ZIP+4 | Mail center |
| 3 | Type of use: business/organization or residential/personal | You |
| 4 | Your name, phone, email, street home address, country, and whether you are a court-ordered protected individual | You |
| 5 | The authorized individual who may collect your mail, with their home address | You, if needed |
| 6 | The address your mail is transferred to, if it is mailed, shipped or emailed elsewhere | You, if needed |
| 7 | Business name, type, address, phone and place of registration | You, for business use |
| 8 | Your photo ID: name, ID number, issuing entity, expiration date, ID type | You |
| 9 | Your address ID: name, street home address, ID type | You |
| 10 and 11 | Photo ID and address ID of the authorized individual | You, if box 5 is used |
| 12 | Other people who receive mail at the box | You, if needed |
| 13 | Your signature and the date | You |
| 14 | Signature of the mail center owner or authorized employee | Mail center |
Three details matter most:
- Box 4 must match box 9. The home address you write in box 4 must be the address shown on your address ID.
- Box 6 covers scanning and forwarding. The form asks you to complete it when mail is transferred, mailed, shipped or emailed to another place.
- Box 7, place of registration. Write the county and state for a US business, or the country for a foreign business.
Your box number then becomes part of your address. See how to write your PMB address so your mail is not returned.
Which IDs does USPS accept?
You need two IDs: one photo ID (box 8) and one address ID (box 9). The June 2024 form lists the accepted types.
| Photo ID (box 8) | Address ID (box 9) |
|---|---|
| US state, territory or tribal driver's or nondriver's ID card | US state, territory or tribal driver's or nondriver's ID card |
| Passport | Current lease |
| Uniformed service ID | Mortgage or deed of trust |
| Certificate of naturalization | Home or vehicle insurance policy |
| US access card | Vehicle registration card |
| Matricula consular | Voter card |
| US permanent resident card | |
| US university ID card | |
| NEXUS card |
A driver's or nondriver's ID card can be used as your photo ID or as your address ID, not both. A utility bill is not on the form's list of address IDs. Attach copies of both documents to the form.
Who can witness your signature?
You do not sign alone. Under the USPS rule in force since 1/5/2024, you sign or confirm your signature:
- in front of the mail center owner, manager or an authorized employee, in person or by real-time audio and video; or
- before a notary public commissioned in a US state, territory, possession or the District of Columbia.
A notary from Canada or another country does not meet that rule. If you live outside the United States, a remote session with a US-commissioned notary is a common route: see how to notarize Form 1583 online. If a notary acknowledges your signature, they complete the block on page 2.
What happens after you sign?
The mail center checks the form against your IDs, signs box 14 if it witnessed your signature, uploads the form to the USPS CMRA Customer Registration Database and keeps a signed copy on site. USPS may verify that you live or do business at the address you gave and that your IDs are valid. To understand the mail center's side of these rules, read what a CMRA is and what USPS requires from it.
On YogoMailbox, if your mailbox is in the United States, you download Form 1583, complete it, sign it, have it notarized and upload it in your account. You also upload a photo ID, a proof of address and a selfie holding your ID.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using an old version of the form instead of the June 2024 version.
- A home address in box 4 that differs from the address on your address ID.
- The same driver's license used as both photo ID and address ID.
- An expired ID, or an expiration date left blank in box 8.
- One form for two adults.
- A signature witnessed by a notary commissioned outside the United States.
- Forgetting box 6 when your mail will be scanned or forwarded.
FAQ
Can I fill out Form 1583 on my computer?
Yes, you can type your answers in the PDF. The signature still needs a witness: the mail center (in person or by live video) or a US-commissioned notary.
Do I need a new form if I move?
Yes. The form's agreement says you must file an updated application with your mail center whenever information on the form changes or becomes obsolete, such as a new home address or a new ID.
Can I list my children on my form?
Yes, for a personal box. A parent or guardian can list a minor's name in box 12 to receive the minor's mail. The minor's ID is not required.
Can a Canadian use a passport or a NEXUS card?
Yes, as the photo ID. Both are on the form's list of accepted photo IDs. You still need a second document from the address ID list that shows your home address.
Get your US mailbox
Pick a mail center and a plan on the YogoMailbox pricing page. Need the full overview of the process first? Read our USPS Form 1583 guide.
Sources
- USPS, PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent (June 2024)
- Federal Register, 2/5/2024: Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies Clarification
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 508, section 1.8: Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies
Last updated: 9/11/2026