You've opened a US virtual mailbox, or you're about to, and mail is still going to an old US address. You want it to start arriving at the mailbox. The filing itself is ordinary: an online form or a counter visit, a start date, and a $1.25 identity verification fee if you do it online.
What's different when the destination is a mailbox is the set of decisions around that form. A mailbox address belongs to a business that receives mail for you under a federal form, and the type of change-of-address order you pick decides who else learns about the new address. This guide takes those decisions in the order you'll meet them, quoting the USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) and the other sources listed at the end as they read on October 5, 2026.
The general forwarding rules, including why USPS won't forward mail out of a mailbox, are already in mail forwarding vs a virtual mailbox. We link there instead of repeating them.
Yes, a change of address can point to a virtual mailbox
Inbound forwarding to a mailbox works through the same change-of-address order anyone uses when they move. USPS describes the result plainly: "Mail will be forwarded to your new address as it comes, piece by piece." A virtual mailbox is an address at a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA), and you can name it as the new address on that order.
The direction matters. Mail can be forwarded into a mailbox. Leaving one later is a different matter, because the postal standards say mail addressed to you at a CMRA "is not forwarded through the USPS." That outbound rule is covered in the forwarding comparison linked above, and it comes back in the last decision below.
Forwarding also treats classes of mail differently, and USPS says "USPS Marketing Mail is not forwarded." The class-by-class rules are in the same forwarding comparison.
Set up the mailbox and the PS Form 1583 before the start date
The first decision is timing. The postal standards for mail receiving agencies put a standing duty on the operator: "The CMRA must ensure that all its addressees (customers) have a current PS Form 1583 on file and that information for each addressee is up to date in the USPS CMRA Customer Registration Database."
So the mailbox is set up to receive mail for the people it has a current 1583 for. A change of address doesn't wait for that paperwork. USPS says "mail forwarding may begin within 3 business days of your submitted request," though it suggests allowing up to two weeks. If your start date comes before your 1583 is complete, forwarded mail can reach a business that doesn't yet have your form on file. What an operator does with that mail is its own policy, and we haven't seen a USPS rule that settles it, so ask your provider before you pick a date.
Two letters make the timing more concrete. USPS sends "a Move Validation letter to the address you're moving from," and then, "About 5 business days before your change of address start date, you'll get a Customer Notification Letter (with your confirmation code) to your 'new' address." When the new address is a mailbox, that confirmation letter is one of the first pieces the operator handles for you. You'll want the box active and your name on file by then, and you'll want someone checking the old address for the validation letter.
The practical order is to open the mailbox, get the provider's confirmation that your 1583 is accepted, and only then file the change of address with a start date after that confirmation. If your 1583 has come back with problems, the usual causes are in why USPS Form 1583 gets rejected.
Match the order type to the names on the mailbox
USPS asks you to "Choose an option for either an 'Individual,' 'Family' (where everyone has the same last name), or 'Business' move." Each of those covers a different set of names, and the mailbox side has its own list of names on PS Form 1583. The two lists should line up.
Your box number at a mailbox is a private mailbox (PMB). On a personal mailbox, the form's instructions say: "For Residential/Personal Use, complete a separate PS Form 1583 for each adult using this PMB." The postal standards say the same about couples: "Spouses must each complete and sign a separate PS Form 1583 to both receive mail at the same PMB." A Family order sends mail for everyone at the old address who shares the last name, so each adult whose mail will now land in the box needs their own 1583.
On a business mailbox, the form says "For Business/Organization Use, complete item 7," and its note for item 12 (Exceptions for Additional Recipients of Mail) asks you to "List members who will be receiving mail at this PMB," adding that "Each person listed must, upon request, present two forms of valid ID to the Postal Service." A Business order fits a box held in the company's name. An Individual order for yourself fits a personal box, or a business box that lists you as a member.
Whether a provider will accept mail for a name that isn't on any 1583 for your box is operator policy. If the order and the mailbox don't match, ask your provider before filing.
Two USPS rules limit who can file. The DMM says individuals may not file "for someone other than themselves, or for a business, without authorization (i.e., notarized letter or letter on company letterhead)." For a business order filed at a counter, USPS asks for documentation "like a notarized letter, power of attorney, or letter on company letterhead (signed by someone in a leadership role)" showing you're an authorized agent. The DMM also says an addressee "may not file a change-of-address order for mail originally addressed to the addressee at an organization, business, place of employment, or other affiliation." So a change of address won't move mail that reaches you through your employer.
If you file online, USPS adds a requirement that touches the mailbox directly: "The billing address on your credit card must match either your old or new address." USPS also requires you to file in person in some cases, including when you're filing for someone else or can't verify your identity online.
When you write the new address, use it exactly as your provider gives it. The postal standards require a CMRA to show your box with "PMB" (private mailbox) or the "#" sign, and how that line reads on forms is explained in is your mailing address a PO Box.
Temporary or permanent when the destination is a mailbox
USPS frames the choice around moving. "If you're moving, submit a permanent change of address request," and if you're "only relocating for 15 days up to 1 year," submit a temporary one. When the destination is a mailbox, the choice also decides which records pick up the mailbox address.
| Permanent order to the mailbox | Temporary order to the mailbox | |
|---|---|---|
| What USPS says it's for | Moving | Relocating "for 15 days up to 1 year" |
| How long mail is forwarded | "Generally, forwarding is available for the first 12 months," and you can buy up to 18 more months of Extended Mail Forwarding | "not to exceed 12 months (364 total consecutive days)," with both start and end dates required |
| Senders who request address correction | Can get your new (forwarding) address | "Address corrections and notices are not provided" |
| NCOALink dataset | USPS describes it as about 160 million permanent change-of-address records | USPS's description names permanent records |
| IRS last known address | Can become the mailbox address under 26 CFR 301.6212-2(b)(2) | The regulation text we quote doesn't separate temporary orders, so tell the IRS directly |
| Fits when | The mailbox is your address going forward | You're trying the mailbox, or you're returning to the old address |
A permanent order reaches more records than most people expect. USPS says address correction service lets a sender "obtain the addressee's new (forwarding) address (if the addressee filed a change-of-address order with the USPS)." USPS keeps change-of-address requests in its National Change of Address (NCOA) records, and it describes NCOALink, the product mailers use to update their lists from those records, as "a secure dataset of approximately 160 million permanent change-of-address (COA) records." A permanent order to your mailbox can therefore reach senders who never hear about the move from you.
The IRS is one of them. Under 26 CFR 301.6212-2(b)(2), "The IRS will update taxpayer addresses maintained in IRS records by referring to data accumulated and maintained in the United States Postal Service (USPS) National Change of Address database." The rule continues: if your name and last known address in IRS records "match the taxpayer's name and old mailing address contained in the NCOA database, the new address in the NCOA database is the taxpayer's last known address, unless the IRS is given clear and concise notification of a different address." A permanent order to a mailbox can make that mailbox the address where the IRS sends notices. That's often what you want, and it's worth doing on purpose. The same mechanism for PO boxes is covered in can you use a PO box as a business address.
A temporary order changes less. The DMM states that "Address corrections and notices are not provided for customers who file a temporary change of address," so senders keep your old address and mail keeps coming through the forwarding order until its end date. That makes temporary a reasonable way to try a mailbox first. It also means the order itself hasn't changed any sender's records when it ends.
Forwarding ends, so update the senders that matter
Neither order lasts. A permanent order generally forwards for 12 months, with paid extensions available, and a temporary order ends on its end date, no later than 364 days. After that, mail sent to the old address generally stops reaching the mailbox through forwarding.
USPS is direct about what the order does and doesn't cover: "Your change of address order only changes your mailing address with the Post Office. You must still update government agencies (like for your benefits, driver's license, and voter registration) and companies (like banks, insurance, online stores, etc.)." The forwarding period is the time you have to do that.
Start with the senders whose mail has deadlines attached, and ask each one how it takes an address change. For a company, the IRS change goes through its own filing, which is laid out in how to change your LLC address with the IRS. Doing that directly also gives the IRS the "clear and concise notification" the regulation mentions, so you aren't relying on a database match.
A useful habit during the forwarding months is to look at the envelopes your mailbox photographs. Anything still addressed to the old address came through forwarding, and its sender hasn't been updated yet. Each one of those is a sender to contact.
You won't file a change of address out of the mailbox later
The last decision looks furthest ahead. When you eventually leave a mailbox, the change-of-address route you're using now isn't available in reverse. The CMRA standards say: "When the agency relationship between the CMRA and the addressee terminates, neither the addressee nor the CMRA will file a change-of-address order with the Post Office." PS Form 1583 makes you agree to it, saying "the applicant or the agent must not file a change of address order with the Postal Service upon termination of the agency relationship," and that "the transfer of mail to another address is the responsibility of the applicant and the agent."
So moving on from a mailbox means updating senders yourself and arranging with the provider for whatever still arrives, since the form makes that transfer a shared responsibility. What the rules require of the provider after you close the account is explained in mail forwarding vs a virtual mailbox.
That's why the address you choose now deserves some thought. Pick the city and the kind of box (personal or business) you expect to keep, because the automatic way of moving mail is the one you're using today.
Put the steps in this order
- Open the mailbox in the name that will receive the mail, as yourself or as the business.
- Complete PS Form 1583 for each person or for the business, and wait until the provider confirms it's accepted.
- Choose Individual, Family, or Business so the order covers the same names as the 1583s.
- Choose permanent if the mailbox is your address from now on, and temporary if you're trying it out or going back.
- Set the start date after the 1583 confirmation, and watch the old address for the Move Validation letter.
- Update the senders that matter, including the IRS, directly during the forwarding months.
Where Auteur fits
We sell US virtual mailbox addresses, so read this section as the seller's view. There are two products: a Virtual Mailing Address for personal mail and a Virtual Business Address that also receives mail in your business or trade name. That choice lines up with the Individual or Business decision above. Every piece that arrives gets an envelope photo, which is how you'll spot forwarded mail from senders you still need to update.
Orders are open now for our Silicon Valley and Los Angeles addresses. Every city is pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day the city opens, so file the change of address with USPS after you have that address and your PS Form 1583 is accepted. If you want to get your address with us, ordering is free, nothing is charged on that page, and we email you the next steps.
FAQ
Can you forward mail to a virtual mailbox?
Yes, in that direction. A USPS change-of-address order can name a virtual mailbox as the new address, and USPS forwards mail there "piece by piece." The other direction is different: mail addressed to you at a mailbox "is not forwarded through the USPS," and how mail leaves a mailbox is explained in mail forwarding vs a virtual mailbox.
Should I use a temporary or permanent change of address for a virtual mailbox?
Use permanent if the mailbox is going to be your address. It lets senders who request address correction learn the new address, and it can update your last known address with the IRS. Use temporary if you're testing the mailbox or returning to the old address, keeping in mind that "Address corrections and notices are not provided" for temporary orders.
Do I need PS Form 1583 done before I file the change of address?
We haven't found a USPS rule that makes the change of address wait for it. The rule we can quote is on the mailbox side: the operator "must ensure that all its addressees (customers) have a current PS Form 1583 on file." Finishing the 1583 first means the mailbox has your form when forwarded mail starts arriving.
Can I file a business change of address to a virtual mailbox?
Yes, if you're authorized to act for the business. Choose "Business" as the move type, and if you file at a counter, bring documentation such as "a notarized letter, power of attorney, or letter on company letterhead." The mailbox should be held in the business's name on a business PS Form 1583.
Will the IRS update my address if I forward mail to a mailbox?
It can. Under 26 CFR 301.6212-2(b)(2), the IRS updates addresses from the USPS National Change of Address database when your name and old address match its records. To control the outcome, notify the IRS directly as well.
What should I do before forwarding to my mailbox ends?
Check which senders are still writing to the old address. Every envelope that reached the mailbox through forwarding still shows the old address, so each one points to a sender to update. The forwarding clocks themselves are in mail forwarding vs a virtual mailbox.
Bottom line
A change of address into a virtual mailbox is a normal USPS filing, and the mailbox makes three things matter more than usual. The box and its PS Form 1583 should be ready before the start date. The order type should cover the same names as the 1583. A permanent order also gives senders who ask for address correction your new address and can update your address with the IRS, while a temporary order gives senders no address corrections.
Treat the forwarding months as the time you have to update everyone directly. You won't get a second change of address out of the mailbox, so choose the one you mean to keep.
