A CMRA, or commercial mail receiving agency, is a private business that receives US mail for its customers as a service. Under United States Postal Service (USPS) rules, the business registers with its Post Office and collects a signed PS Form 1583 and two current IDs from each customer.
For this post, we read the CMRA rules in section 508.1.8 of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), the rulebook USPS publishes for mail services. We also read the USPS FAQ on CMRAs and the current PS Form 1583. Most of those rules are duties on the business, so this post walks through them in the DMM's own order. The last part covers what a CMRA can sign for, including certified mail.
What does CMRA stand for?
CMRA stands for commercial mail receiving agency. The DMM gives the definition in section 508.1.8.1a:
"A Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) is defined as a business that, in whole or in part, accepts the delivery of U.S. Mail on behalf of another person or entity as a business service. U.S. Mail is inclusive of all classes of mail."
The words "in whole or in part" matter. In our reading, a business with another main line of work still counts once it receives mail for customers as a service.
The USPS FAQ describes the day-to-day picture. A CMRA "accepts mail from the Postal Service™ on behalf of their customers and delivers it to a private mailbox (PMB), or re-mails it to another location of the customer's choosing with new postage." The FAQ also sets a limit on the Postal Service's role. USPS "is not responsible for putting the mail in the individual boxes," and customers should "Contact the CMRA directly (not the Postal Service™) to resolve any delivery issues."
A CMRA address carries "PMB" or "#" with a box number, and address software can flag it through a USPS data table. We covered the exact formats and the flag in Is your mailing address a P.O. Box?
Which businesses count as a CMRA?
The definition covers more than mailbox stores. Two more paragraphs in section 508.1.8.1 name other kinds of business.
Section 508.1.8.1b covers an office business center (OBC), which the DMM describes as a business that "operates primarily to provide private office facilities and other business support services." The rule then says "OBCs are considered CMRAs for Postal Service purposes and must comply with the requirements in 1.8."
Section 508.1.8.1c covers reshipping. A business "that operates primarily to provide reshipping or redelivery services to individuals or firms (customers) is considered a CMRA for Postal Service purposes" and must follow the same rules.
| Kind of business | CMRA under USPS rules? | Where the text says so |
|---|---|---|
| Company that rents private mailboxes | Yes | Publication 28 section 285: "Private companies offering mailbox rental services to individuals and businesses are considered commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRA)." |
| Office business center with private offices and business support | Yes | DMM 508.1.8.1b |
| Reshipping or redelivery service | Yes | DMM 508.1.8.1c |
| Virtual mailbox company that receives mail at a street address | Fits the definition | DMM 508.1.8.1a covers any business that accepts mail for others as a business service |
| USPS PO Box | No | Publication 28 section 285: "Only the Postal Service is entitled to provide delivery to a PO Box." |
A PO Box sits outside the definition because the Postal Service runs the box itself. The USPS FAQ calls a CMRA "a private business," and Publication 28 speaks of "Private companies." We compared what each one receives in virtual mailbox vs PO Box. A mailbox at a shipping store and a virtual mailbox differ in other ways, which we covered in UPS Store mailbox vs virtual mailbox.
What a CMRA has to do for the Postal Service
A customer of a CMRA signs one form. The business behind the address carries a longer list of duties, set out in sections 508.1.8.2 and 508.1.8.3 of the DMM.
| Duty | DMM section | What the text says |
|---|---|---|
| Register with the Post Office | 508.1.8.2b | The owner or manager files PS Form 1583-A, "Application to Act as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency," and shows primary and secondary ID that is "current (not expired)." |
| Pass the postmaster's check | 508.1.8.2c | The postmaster confirms the owner's home address, witnesses the signature and gives the owner a copy of the CMRA rules. |
| Collect PS Form 1583 from customers | 508.1.8.3a | "A separate PS Form 1583 must be completed for each addressee of a Private Mail Box (PMB) for residential or personal use." |
| Witness the customer's signature | 508.1.8.3a(3) | The customer signs in the "physical or virtual (in real-time audio and video) presence" of the CMRA owner, manager or authorized employee, or of a US notary public. |
| Check ID and deny a mismatch | 508.1.8.3a(4) and (5) | "If information on the application does not match the identification, the CMRA must deny the application." |
| Leave the forms as printed | 508.1.8.3b | "A CMRA must not modify or alter Form 1583 or Form 1583-A." |
| Enter each form in a USPS database | 508.1.8.3c | The CMRA enters each Form 1583 and uploads each ID into the USPS CMRA Customer Registration Database (CRD). |
| Use PMB or # in the address | 508.1.8.3d | The CMRA marks each customer's address with "PMB" or the "#" sign. |
| Keep records current | 508.1.8.3h | Updates "must include termination dates for any PMBs closed in the previous quarter." |
| Certify every quarter | 508.1.8.3i | Certification is "due on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15." |
The quarterly step is easy to miss. Under section 508.1.8.3i, the CMRA certifies in the database "that every PS Form 1583 it submitted is current, all termination dates have been updated, and no identification documents are expired."
The rules also say what happens when a CMRA falls short. Section 508.1.8.2e says such a CMRA "will be suspended from authorization to act as a CMRA until the CMRA complies with regulations." Under section 508.1.8.3j, a postmaster gives written notice of the violation first, with "a 30-day period to comply." Under section 508.1.8.3k, if the CMRA still has not complied by the effective date, mail goes back to the sender marked "Delivery Suspended to Commercial Mail Receiving Agency."
Where the database rules came from
The customer database came from a final rule published May 19, 2023, in the Federal Register at 88 FR 32112, and effective July 1, 2023. Before that rule, Form 1583 information was kept "as paper records." The rule also allowed CMRAs "to dispose of copies of identification documents after they upload them into the CMRA CRD." The rule's response to public comments said an earlier update, published in Postal Bulletin 22613, had already changed the ID list: "Corporate identification cards and utility bills are no longer acceptable forms of identification for completing PS Form 1583A ... and PS Form 1583 ..."
A second final rule took effect May 1, 2024. That rule confirmed that applicants may "sign or confirm their signature in the physical or virtual (in real-time audio and video) presence of the CMRA owner/manager." If a provider turned your Form 1583 away, we listed the documents USPS accepts in USPS Form 1583 rejected.
What a CMRA owes you when the service ends
Section 508.1.8.4 covers the end of the arrangement. The rules protect mail that keeps arriving after you leave.
No change-of-address order. Section 508.1.8.4a says "neither the addressee nor the CMRA will file a change-of-address order with the Post Office." The USPS FAQ puts the same point another way: "USPS cannot process a change of address request from a CMRA to another address."
Six months of remailing. Section 508.1.8.4b says "The CMRA must remail mail intended for the addressee (customer) for at least 6 months after the termination date" of the relationship. Remailed pieces need new postage. The duty has one exception. The remailing "need not be fulfilled if the CMRA customer provides written instructions to the CMRA that the mail (or specific types of mail) not be remailed" once the relationship ends.
No refusing your mail. Section 508.1.8.4d says "A CMRA may not refuse delivery of mail if the mail is for an addressee who is a customer or former customer (within the past 6 months)." The FAQ adds that "only addressees can refuse mail" and "PS Form 1583 obligates the CMRA to accept its customer's mail."
Mail without a form goes back. Under section 508.1.8.4e, a CMRA with no Form 1583 on file for the addressee returns the mail to the Post Office. The endorsement reads "Undeliverable, Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, No Authorization to Receive Mail for this Addressee."
The CMRA also keeps the endorsed copies of your Form 1583 "for a minimum of 6 months after the termination date." Forwarding works differently at a CMRA than at a home address, and we explained the difference in mail forwarding vs virtual mailbox.
What a CMRA can and cannot sign for
Some mail needs a signature before the carrier hands it over. The USPS FAQ gives one clear rule for CMRAs:
"You must go to the local Post Office to accept Registered Mail. A CMRA may accept other Accountable Mail."
Under the FAQ, a CMRA customer goes to the local Post Office to collect Registered Mail. Other accountable mail, which includes Certified Mail, may be accepted by the CMRA. We found this rule in the FAQ, and we didn't find the same sentence in DMM section 508.
The general signature rule is in DMM section 508.1.1.7. That section covers Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Priority Mail Express and several other services. Unless an electronic signature is used, a mailpiece "may not be opened or given to the recipient before the recipient signs" for it. The same section refers to "The addressee (or representative)." In our reading, a CMRA that accepts accountable mail for a customer acts in that representative role.
Restricted Delivery has tighter rules. Section 508.1.1.8 says postal employees "must deliver mail marked "Restricted Delivery" only to the addressee or person authorized in writing as the addressee's agent," under conditions the section lists. For an addressee who regularly receives Restricted Delivery mail, section 508.1.1.8f names three ways to authorize an agent: Form 3801, a letter to the Postmaster, or Form 3849. PS Form 1583 isn't on that list.
The USPS FAQ gives a different instruction: "To receive Restricted Delivery at your CMRA, make sure to authorize the Postal Service by signing in box #5 on PS Form 1583." The current June 2024 form doesn't use that wording. The form never uses the word "Restricted." The form defines an authorized individual as "A person who is authorized to pick up mail for the PMB holder." Ask your provider how it handles Restricted Delivery before you rely on the address for it.
| Kind of mail | Can a CMRA accept it? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Mail | No. The customer goes to the local Post Office. | USPS FAQ |
| Certified Mail and other accountable mail | The CMRA may accept it. | USPS FAQ |
| Restricted Delivery | Only the addressee or an agent authorized in writing receives it. | DMM 508.1.1.8 and USPS FAQ |
| Mail for someone with no Form 1583 on file | No. The CMRA returns it to the Post Office. | DMM 508.1.8.4e |
One more DMM rule is easy to misread. Section 508.1.8.2d lets a CMRA take Certified Mail and other accountable mail "from their customers for mailing at the Post Office." That rule covers mail you send. The rule doesn't say whether a CMRA signs for mail you receive.
The question matters because government notices sometimes travel by certified mail. Texas, for example, lets the Secretary of State write to an entity "by regular or certified mail" at the registered office (the registered agent's address the state has on file) or principal place of business on file. We read that rule in Texas LLC forfeited status.
Questions to ask a CMRA before you sign up
The USPS rules above apply to every CMRA. Signed mail and closed accounts still depend on each provider's own policy. Ask these questions in writing before you rely on an address:
- Do your staff sign for Certified Mail and other USPS mail that needs a signature?
- How will you tell me about Registered Mail that I have to collect at the Post Office?
- What written authorization do you need from me for Restricted Delivery mail?
- Do you accept signature-required packages from private carriers? The USPS rules in this post don't cover private carriers.
- Is my Form 1583 entered in the USPS CMRA Customer Registration Database?
- After I close my box, how do I give written instructions about the 6-month remailing?
A bank or platform may also look at whether your address is a CMRA. We traced the federal rule banks apply in Can You Open a US Business Bank Account Without a Physical Address?
How an Auteur address fits
We sell virtual mailboxes, so read this section as the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens. Every address we offer goes through USPS Form 1583 before mail can arrive in your name. We don't promise in this post that we'll sign for Certified Mail or any other piece. Ask us the questions above, the same way you would ask any provider.
The Virtual Business Address receives mail in a business or trade name, for a company that needs a mailing address. The Virtual Mailing Address is for personal mail, in individual names only. Our guide to a virtual business address explains how Form 1583 works for each person on an account.
Both plans include a photo of every envelope as it arrives. Opening and scanning a piece is one flat fee, only when you ask. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. Pricing comes by email with the next steps, and our fair use policy lists our fees and limits.
For a company, get your Virtual Business Address. For personal mail only, choose the Virtual Mailing Address. Ordering is free, and nothing is charged today.
FAQ
Can a virtual mailbox receive certified mail?
If the virtual mailbox company is a CMRA, the USPS FAQ says the company "may accept other Accountable Mail," and Certified Mail is accountable mail. Whether the company signs for it is the company's own policy, so ask first. Registered Mail is the exception, because the FAQ says you collect it at the local Post Office.
How can I check if an address is a CMRA?
Look for "PMB" or "#" with a box number at a private company's street address. Address software can also match the address against a USPS table of CMRA addresses. We explained both checks in Is your mailing address a P.O. Box?
Is a USPS PO Box a CMRA?
No. The Postal Service runs PO Boxes itself, and Publication 28 says "Only the Postal Service is entitled to provide delivery to a PO Box." The CMRA rules describe private businesses that receive mail for customers.
What happens to my mail after I close a CMRA mailbox?
DMM section 508.1.8.4b says the CMRA remails your mail for at least 6 months after the service ends, with new postage. You can stop that remailing by giving the CMRA written instructions. Nobody files a change-of-address order with the Post Office for a CMRA box.
Bottom line
A CMRA is a private business that receives mail for customers, and USPS treats office business centers and reshipping services the same way. The business registers on PS Form 1583-A, collects a Form 1583 and two IDs from each customer, and certifies its records every quarter. After you leave, the business remails your mail for at least 6 months unless you tell it in writing not to. A CMRA may accept Certified Mail, but the USPS FAQ says Registered Mail goes to the Post Office, and each provider sets its own signature policy.
