If every person who gets mail at the box is properly listed with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), several people can share one virtual mailbox. The USPS texts we read set no maximum number of people. The rules ask for paperwork for each person. Your practical limit is the number of names on your plan.
We read the private mailbox rules in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), sections 508.1.8.1 to 508.1.8.4. We also read the June 2024 edition of PS Form 1583, the form every mailbox customer signs. In those texts, a private mailbox is called a PMB, and the business that runs it is a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA). Our post on what a CMRA is explains that role.
Federal regulations adopt the manual. Under 39 CFR 111.1, the DMM "is incorporated by reference into this part" of the postal regulations. In our reading, the manual's rules on who needs a form apply to every CMRA, including us.
What USPS requires for each person on a personal mailbox
The manual starts with a per-person rule. DMM 508.1.8.3 says:
"A separate PS Form 1583 must be completed for each addressee of a Private Mail Box (PMB) for residential or personal use."
An addressee is a person whose name appears on the mail. The form repeats the rule in footnote 3, which is attached to the "Residential/Personal Use" box in item 3: "For Residential/Personal Use, complete a separate PS Form 1583 for each adult using this PMB."
Spouses each sign their own form
The manual names spouses directly. DMM 508.1.8.3 says "Spouses must each complete and sign a separate PS Form 1583 to both receive mail at the same PMB." The next sentence covers identity: "Each spouse must provide acceptable primary and secondary forms of identification as specified under 608.10.0."
We counted words across both pages of PS Form 1583. The word "spouse" appears zero times. The word "separate" appears once, in footnote 3. So the spouse rule sits in the manual, and the form states only the general rule for each adult.
A post office box works differently. DMM 508.4.2 says "Spouses may complete and sign one Form 1093," which is the PO Box application. A private mailbox at a CMRA asks each spouse for a form of their own. Our comparison of a virtual mailbox and a PO Box covers other differences between the two.
Children are listed by a parent
A child doesn't sign a form. On the June 2024 form, item 12 is labeled "Exceptions for Additional Recipients of Mail." Footnote 13 explains how item 12 works for a household. A parent or guardian "may receive the mail of a minor by listing the minor's name." The same footnote adds that "the minor's ID is not required."
Other adults in the household
Roommates, adult children and parents are adults. Footnote 3 asks for a separate form "for each adult using this PMB." The form doesn't make an exception for relatives.
The CMRA also has to keep each form current. DMM 508.1.8.3 says "The CMRA must ensure that all its addressees (customers) have a current PS Form 1583 on file …" The manual also says "When any information required on PS Form 1583 changes, the addressee must complete a new application with the CMRA." If a family moves its mail to a new box together, each adult goes through the form. Our post on changing your address to a virtual mailbox walks through that move.
Adding co-founders or employees for business mail
A company uses the same form with a different setup. Footnote 2 says "For Business/Organization Use, complete item 7." Item 7 holds the business details, and item 7a is the name of the business. Footnote 14 adds that "for Business/Organization Use, an officer must sign the application and provide his or her title."
Other people who get company mail go in item 12. Footnote 13 gives the business-use rule:
"For Business/Organization Use: List members who will be receiving mail at this PMB. Each person listed must, upon request, present two forms of valid ID to the Postal Service."
A co-founder or employee listed in item 12 must show two forms of valid ID if the Postal Service asks. The footnote asks the company to list members. In our word count, "separate" appears only in the footnote for adults on a personal box. A provider may still set its own process for listed people. Ask your provider how it handles each name.
Our fair use policy repeats this postal rule for both plans. Each adult receiving personal mail at the box completes their own free USPS Form 1583, and we walk them through it. The most common mistakes on business-use forms are covered in why USPS Form 1583 gets rejected.
If your team already shares a desk somewhere, read our comparison of a coworking space mailing address and a virtual mailbox first.
Can one virtual mailbox receive mail for more than one LLC?
Answers online disagree. One forum reply says USPS allows only one business name per mailbox account. At least one mailbox provider says yes, if every business is properly listed. We checked both claims against the texts.
In DMM 508.1.8.1 to 508.1.8.4 and both pages of PS Form 1583, we found no sentence that sets a number of businesses per box. In those DMM sections, searches for "multiple," "limit," "maximum" and "more than one" each returned zero matches. The manual refers to "each individual addressee or firm" on the form. Its address example for line 1 reads "JOE DOE or ABC CO."
What the form does show is structure. Each form has one business block, item 7. So one form describes one business. The texts we read don't say how many business forms a single box can hold, and we don't answer that question in this post.
Our plan rule is simpler. On a Virtual Business Address, a second company gets its own plan. A separate plan keeps each company's mail, allowance and records apart. Which address your LLC can give the IRS is a different question, covered in which address you can use for your EIN.
Who needs which plan: common situations
The table matches each household or team to the USPS text and to our plans. The middle column quotes or summarizes DMM 508.1.8.3 and PS Form 1583.
| Situation | What the USPS texts ask | Auteur plan |
|---|---|---|
| Married couple, personal mail | Each spouse completes and signs a separate form and shows a primary and a secondary ID | Virtual Mailing Address, up to 2 individual names |
| Parent receiving a child's mail | Parent lists the child's name in item 12, and "the minor's ID is not required" | Virtual Mailing Address, for individual names only |
| Two adult roommates or relatives | A separate form "for each adult using this PMB" | Virtual Mailing Address, up to 2 individual names |
| Three or more adults, personal mail | A separate form for each adult | Virtual Mailing Address stops at 2 names. Virtual Business Address, which is for personal and business mail, includes up to 6 individual names, counting you, plus one business name |
| Co-founders receiving company mail | The company lists members in item 12, and each shows two IDs if asked | Virtual Business Address, one business name plus up to 6 individual names, counting you |
| Employee receiving mail at the company | Same item 12 listing as co-founders | Virtual Business Address |
| A second LLC | No business count in the texts we read, and each form has one business block | A separate Virtual Business Address plan for the second company |
Our plans have no per-person charge. Names count against the plan's limit instead. Our UPS Store mailbox vs virtual mailbox comparison has a table row on the same question.
What happens to mail for someone not on your plan
USPS sets the first rule. Under DMM 508.1.8.4, if a CMRA "has no Form 1583 on file for the intended addressee," the CMRA "must return that mail to the Post Office responsible for delivery." The returned piece carries an endorsement that the CMRA has no authorization to receive mail for that addressee.
Our fair use policy sets the second rule. Virtual Mailing Address "accepts mail addressed to the individual names on your plan only, up to 2 names." If a business or trade name appears in the recipient lines, the piece counts as business mail. On a Virtual Mailing Address, we don't accept business mail, and the piece goes back to the sender.
If someone joins later, add them before their mail starts arriving. On a personal box, the new adult completes their own form. On a business box, adding a name to item 12 changes the form, and DMM 508.1.8.3 says that when required information changes, "the addressee must complete a new application with the CMRA." Parcels raise their own handling questions, which we cover in can a virtual mailbox receive packages.
This post explains USPS manual sections, a USPS form and a federal regulation. The post isn't legal advice. Confirm how the rules apply to your household or company with your provider.
How an Auteur address fits a shared mailbox
We sell virtual mailboxes, so this is the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens. We don't say any bank, agency or platform will accept our address. Each one may apply its own rules.
The Virtual Mailing Address is for personal mail, in individual names only, up to 2 names. Choose it for a couple or a small household. The Virtual Business Address receives mail in one business or trade name, such as an LLC, a corporation or a DBA (doing business as) name. The plan also includes up to 6 individual names, counting you. Choose it if co-founders or employees will get mail at the company address.
Both plans photograph the envelope of every piece as it arrives, and we open and scan only when you ask, for one flat fee per piece. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. USPS Form 1583 is required before any provider can receive mail for you. Pricing comes by email with the next steps, and our fees and limits are in our fair use policy.
If your mailbox will get company mail, get your Virtual Business Address. Ordering is free, there's no card, and nothing is charged today. For personal mail in up to 2 names, the Virtual Mailing Address is the plan to choose.
FAQ
Does my spouse need a separate Form 1583?
For a personal mailbox at a CMRA, yes. DMM 508.1.8.3 says "Spouses must each complete and sign a separate PS Form 1583 to both receive mail at the same PMB." Each spouse also shows a primary and a secondary ID.
Can my children receive mail at my virtual mailbox?
On a personal-use form, a parent or guardian can list a child's name in item 12. Footnote 13 of PS Form 1583 says "the minor's ID is not required." The child doesn't sign a form.
Do I pay extra for each person on an Auteur plan?
Our plans have no per-person charge. Each plan has a name limit instead. Virtual Mailing Address takes up to 2 individual names. Virtual Business Address takes one business name plus up to 6 individual names, counting you. Cost items across providers are compared in how much a virtual address costs.
Can I use one Auteur virtual mailbox for two LLCs?
On our plans, a second company gets its own Virtual Business Address plan. The USPS texts we read don't set a number of businesses per box, and each PS Form 1583 has one business block.
Bottom line
The USPS texts we read set no cap on how many people share one private mailbox. The texts ask for paperwork for each person. Each adult on a personal box completes a separate PS Form 1583, and spouses each sign their own. A parent lists a child in item 12 with no ID for the child. On a business box, the company lists members in item 12, and each must show two IDs if asked. The working limit is your plan: up to 2 individual names on a Virtual Mailing Address, and one business name plus up to 6 individual names on a Virtual Business Address.
