USPS Form 1583: What It Is and Why You Need One

If you've ever looked at a virtual mailbox service and seen the phrase "Form 1583 required," you probably wondered what that meant and whether it would be a hassle. The short answer: it's a one-page USPS form that authorizes a CMRA (like OhvrFlow) to receive your mail. It needs your signature, a notary's stamp, and two forms of ID. We make every step of that easy.

The basics

Form 1583 is officially titled the Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent. USPS uses it to keep track of who is authorized to receive mail at every commercial mail address in the country. It's a federal compliance requirement — every CMRA in the US has to collect and retain this form for each customer.

You only need to submit it once, when you sign up. We keep it on file. If you ever cancel, we destroy it.

What you'll need

Three things:

1. The completed form, which lists your name, the addresses you want forwarded, and (if you're a business) your business details.
2. Two forms of ID. One has to be a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, state ID). The second can be a utility bill, lease, or another government document with your name and address.
3. A notary's signature confirming you signed the form in their presence.

That third step is handled in person at your CMRA location, which provides notary services on site. No separate notary appointment to schedule.

How OhvrFlow handles it

When you complete onboarding:

1. The signup wizard pre-fills the form with the address you'll be using at OhvrFlow.
2. You upload your two IDs through the dashboard.
3. You bring the completed form to your CMRA location and have it notarized in person.
4. The notarized form is uploaded to your dashboard and we file it.

Your mailbox activates the moment we approve the submission — usually same business day.

Renewals

Form 1583 doesn't strictly expire, but USPS recommends CMRAs reverify customers periodically. We'll send a reminder roughly a year out so you don't lose service.

Common questions

Can I submit the form by mail? Yes. If you can't visit the CMRA location in person, you can have the form notarized at a notary public near you and mail it in.

What happens if my ID changes? Update it in your dashboard whenever you renew a license or get a new one. We'll re-verify and update our file.

Why do you need two IDs? USPS requires it. One verifies who you are, the other verifies where you live. The pair makes it much harder for someone to impersonate you.

If you're ready to start, sign up here. The whole onboarding takes 20 minutes, and most of that is waiting for the notary to be available.