Yes, you can notarize a USPS Form 1583 online, and it generally needs to be notarized, especially if you’re not applying in person at your mail provider’s own location. Officially called “Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent,” PS Form 1583 authorizes a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) or virtual mailbox provider to accept mail on your behalf, and most providers require the applicant’s signature to be notarized as part of the identity-verification process required by USPS regulations.
Does USPS Form 1583 Need to Be Notarized?
In most cases, yes. Officially known as PS Form 1583, “Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent,” this form is required by anyone using a CMRA – a private mailbox rental service or virtual mailbox provider – to receive mail on their behalf. Most providers require the form to be notarized as part of USPS’s identity-verification requirements, since the form itself is what makes the arrangement legally traceable.
There’s a genuine exception worth knowing: some CMRAs will verify your identity directly if you apply in person at their physical location, skipping the separate notarization step. If you’re applying remotely – by mail, online, or because you can’t visit the provider’s location – notarization is almost always required instead, since there’s no other way for the provider to independently verify who you are. Always confirm your specific provider’s policy before assuming either way, since requirements vary between CMRAs even though the underlying USPS regulation is the same.
This requirement exists specifically to prevent mail fraud and identity theft: by requiring notarized identification, USPS creates what amounts to a verified paper trail linking a real person to a specific mailing address, making it much harder for someone to set up a mailbox under a false identity. Package forwarding companies and virtual mailbox services in particular rely on this requirement heavily, since their entire business model depends on customers trusting that other users of the same address have been properly verified.
How Do You Notarize PS Form 1583 Online?
To notarize USPS Form 1583 through electronic notarization, you complete the form, upload it unsigned, verify your identity, and sign it during a live video session with a commissioned notary – the same core process as any other document, with a few form-specific details to watch for along the way.
1. Download the current USPS Form 1583 PDF from your mail provider or the USPS website, and confirm it’s the up-to-date fillable version, since outdated editions can be rejected.
2. Complete the form’s personal information fields – name, address, and contact details – but leave the signature and notary section blank until your session.
3. Upload the unsigned form to your online notarization platform.
4. Verify your identity with a government ID scan and a knowledge-based or biometric check.
5. Join a live video session with a commissioned notary, who will review your two forms of ID before witnessing your signature.
6. Sign the form on camera, completing the notary section with the notary’s digital seal and certificate.
7. Receive your notarized Form 1583, ready to submit to your CMRA or mail provider along with copies of your identification documents.
What Identification Do You Need for Form 1583?
Form 1583 has more specific identification requirements than many notarized documents, since its entire purpose is verifying your identity and address for USPS compliance purposes, rather than simply confirming you signed something willingly.
• One government-issued photo ID – a driver’s license, passport, or similar document showing your photo and signature, which must be current and unexpired.
• A second form of ID showing your address – this can’t be the same document as your photo ID, and a driver’s license generally can’t serve as both even if it happens to show your current address.
• An address on your ID matches what you enter on the form, since the whole point of the second ID is confirming the address you’re claiming is genuinely yours, not just a plausible-looking one.
• Acceptable ID types are specifically listed in USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual, Section 10.4 – acceptable documents include a lease, utility bill, vehicle registration, or another government-issued document showing your address.
Why Does USPS Require Notarization for This Form?
Form 1583 exists because a mailbox at a CMRA looks, to the outside world, like a normal street address – without verification, that makes it an attractive tool for identity theft, mail fraud, and other schemes that rely on an untraceable mailing address.
• Identity theft prevention: notarization confirms the person applying for the mailbox is actually who they claim to be, using verified government identification rather than an unverified signature.
• Fraud deterrence: a documented paper trail linking a real identity to a mailbox makes it significantly harder to use a CMRA address for fraudulent schemes, from fake business fronts to scams targeting online shoppers who never see the physical location behind the address.
• USPS compliance: CMRAs themselves are regulated by USPS and required to collect and retain properly verified Form 1583s for every customer, or risk losing their own authorization to operate as a mail-receiving agent under their existing USPS agreement.
This is also why the form can’t simply be signed and mailed in without verification – the notarization (or in-person ID check) is the actual mechanism that makes the whole system work as an anti-fraud measure rather than an easily forged formality. A self-reported name and address with no independent verification would defeat the entire purpose of the requirement, leaving the system no more secure than an honor system.
How Much Does It Cost, and Where Do You Submit It?
BlueNotary charges a flat $25 to notarize a USPS Form 1583, with sessions typically taking about 10 minutes, regardless of which CMRA or mail provider you’re submitting it to. This is the same flat rate BlueNotary applies to any standard document, so there’s no special surcharge for this specific federal form.
Once notarized, the completed form typically goes directly to your CMRA or virtual mailbox provider, not to USPS itself – the provider retains it on file to demonstrate compliance if USPS ever requests documentation during an audit or inspection of the CMRA’s operations, which can happen at any point during the provider’s ongoing relationship with USPS.
BlueNotary’s PS Form 1583 template provides a properly formatted, current version of the form if you don’t already have one from your provider.
See the full notarization process walkthrough, or start remote online notarization directly.
Not sure whether your specific CMRA requires notarization or accepts in-person ID verification instead? Email BlueNotary directly at [email protected] and the team will help you out.
FAQ Section
Does USPS Form 1583 need to be notarized?
In most cases, yes, especially if you’re applying remotely rather than in person at your mail provider’s location, which some allow to skip notarization.
Can I notarize USPS Form 1583 online?
Yes. Remote online notarization is accepted for this form by most mail providers, following the same process as any other notarized document.
What identification do I need for Form 1583?
Two separate forms of ID: one with your photo, and a second showing your address, using ID types listed in USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual Section 10.4.
Can a driver’s license count as both required IDs?
No. A driver’s license generally can’t serve as both the photo ID and the address ID; you need two genuinely separate documents.
Where does the notarized Form 1583 get submitted?
Typically to your CMRA or virtual mailbox provider directly, who retains it on file to demonstrate USPS compliance.
How much does it cost to notarize Form 1583 online?
BlueNotary charges a flat $25 per document, with sessions typically taking about 10 minutes.
Ready to notarize your Form 1583? Notarize This Document Online Now at bluenotary.us – sessions run about 10 minutes for $25, with more than 20,000 certified notaries available to connect live.
