18 Aug - How to rent a po box (private mailbox)

Reasons for opening a po box vary from different people and circumstances. Po boxes create a convenience for people that travel a lot, move frequently, or just not home for a number of reasons.

First lets explain whats the difference of a “po box” and a “PMB”(private mail box).Po boxes are great and all, but the only problem is that they accept only mail and USPS products from the USPS postal service. A private mailboxes on the other hand is a private establishment that is open for business as a certified mail receiving agent (CMRA). CMRA’s unlike a po box has a physical address and accepts all forms of parcels for a fee. For a business to be registered and approved by the USPS Post Master to be a CMRA they must meet or exceed guidelines to operate as a CMRA.

The process of opening a po box and a PMB are similar, with both you’ll need to fill out a United States Postal Service form called a PS Form 1583. This form is a little tricky and will look like you’ll need a lawyer to fill out, governmental forms are never easy…Here we have attached a sample for you to compare when filling it out.

How to fill out a ps 1583 form

The ID’s needed are pretty specific:
Valid drivers license or state non-driver’s identification card
Armed forces Identification card
Government ID
University ID
Recognized corporate ID
Passport
Alien registration card
Certificate of naturalization
Current lease for your apartment
Mortgage
Deed of trust
Voter registration card
Vehicle registration
Home insurance policy
Vehicle insurance policy

The last thing that you’ll need to do after filling out all necessary fields is to find a notary so that you can sign and have the form notarized. People usually have a hard time finding a notary and most of the time when going to a CMRA they would have a notary on premises but if not, a local bank or law firm should have a notary as well.