General information, not legal advice. State rules differ and change. Where we couldn't confirm a rule on an official page, we say "confirm with" and link the right office.
Three different addresses1. Registered agent address
Every state requires an LLC to name a registered agent with a physical address in the state where legal papers can be delivered during business hours. State filing offices generally don't accept a P.O. box here. Check your state's instructions, for example Florida's LLC filing instructions or Texas Business Organizations Code section 5.201.
A plain virtual mailbox isn't a registered agent. Some providers sell registered agent service separately: iPostal1 lists it as a $99/year add-on with business plans, and VirtualPostMail says its mailbox plans include a free registered agent (both from their own sites, checked Nov 7, 2026).
2. Business mailing address
This is where the state, the IRS and customers send mail. A virtual mailbox is commonly used for this. If you list it on state filings, confirm with your Secretary of State whether a CMRA address is acceptable for the principal office field, which in some states must be a street address.
3. The address your bank has on file
Federal customer identification rules ask banks to collect, for a business, "a principal place of business, local office, or other physical location" (31 CFR 1020.220). Banks then apply their own policies, and some don't accept CMRA addresses. Ask your bank before opening an account or changing the address.
USPS rulesWhat a CMRA is
USPS describes a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency as "a private business that accepts mail from the Postal Service on behalf of their customers" (USPS FAQ). Most virtual mailbox locations are CMRAs.
Your address must show the box as "PMB" or "#" (DMM 508.1.8.3). For example:
Your LLC Name
123 Example St PMB 456
Anytown, ST 00000
PS Form 1583, step by step
Fill in the form
PS Form 1583 authorizes the CMRA to receive your mail. For a business, the form covers the business and the person applying for it.
Show two IDs
USPS says two forms of ID are required, one with a photo (USPS FAQ). IDs must be current, not expired (DMM 508.1.8).
Get it witnessed or notarized
Sign in the physical or real-time audio-video presence of the CMRA, or acknowledge it before a notary commissioned in a U.S. state or territory, also in person or by audio-video (DMM 508.1.8.3). Many providers offer an online option; ask which.
Keep it current
When you close the box, USPS says the CMRA forwards your mail for 6 months, and mail can be forwarded to a CMRA but not from one (USPS FAQ).
Mail scanning, explained
There are two kinds of scan. An envelope scan is a photo of the outside, so you can see the sender; most plans include it for every item. A content scan means staff open the envelope and scan the pages into a PDF.
Content scan prices we saw, checked Nov 7, 2026: iPostal1 $2.25 for up to 10 pages; PostScanMail $2.00 per extra envelope up to 10 pages; LegalZoom Virtual Mail free up to 20 pages per document; Anytime Mailbox varies by location ($0.18 per scan on one Wyoming pay-per-item plan).
If your LLC gets mostly bank and tax letters, a plan with included content scans can cost less than a cheaper plan that charges per scan.