Can You Use a Passport for USPS Form 1583? ID Requirements

Yes. A passport can serve as the government-issued photo ID for USPS Form 1583. But it does not replace the second required ID: you must also provide an acceptable address document that contains the home address entered on the form. The current USPS form lists "Passport" among the photo ID choices and gives a separate list for address ID.

What Form 1583 requires

USPS Form 1583 is the application used to authorize a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA), such as a virtual mailbox provider, to receive mail for you. The current form instructions require two types of identification for the applicant: one government-issued photo ID and one document that confirms the address listed on the form.

The form's photo ID list includes a passport. Its address ID list is different, so do not assume that a second photo ID or a passport address page will meet the address requirement. Follow the listed options and the instructions from the CMRA that will receive your application.

Which address IDs are listed on the form?

For the applicant, Form 1583 lists these address ID options in item 9g:

• U.S. state, territory, or tribal driver's or nondriver's ID card
• Current lease
• Mortgage or deed of trust
• Home or vehicle insurance policy
• Vehicle registration card
• Voter card

The selected address document must contain the address you enter in items 9b-9f. The form also says a driver's or nondriver's ID may be used for only one of the two ID roles-not both. Check the current form and your mailbox provider's directions before you submit, since the provider may give you additional procedural instructions.

How to enter your passport information

1. In item 8, enter the applicant's name and the passport details requested, including the ID number, issuing entity, and expiration date.
2. Check "Passport" in item 8e for the applicant's photo ID type.
3. Complete item 9 with your residential address and check the type of separate address ID you are submitting in item 9g.
4. Attach the requested copy of the photo ID and address ID. Make sure the information is clear and consistent with the form.

If an authorized individual is also listed, the form has separate photo ID and address ID sections for that person (items 10 and 11).

Can I use a foreign passport?

The form's photo ID choices identify "Passport" without limiting that checkbox to a U.S. passport. However, the CMRA handling your mailbox registration may have its own submission instructions, and it is the party reviewing your completed application. Ask the provider whether it accepts your specific passport and what it requires for the separate address ID-especially if you live outside the United States.

Does a passport mean Form 1583 is notarized?

No. The passport is identification; it does not complete the signature-witnessing step. The USPS form says the applicant must sign or confirm the signature before the CMRA or its authorized employee, or acknowledge the signature in the physical or virtual presence of a notary. The form describes virtual presence as real-time audio and video. Confirm with your CMRA which route it accepts and how it wants the completed form submitted.

Before you submit Form 1583

• Use a passport as the photo ID, not as both required IDs.
• Choose a separate address document from the current form's item 9g list.
• Ensure the address on that document matches the address entered in items 9b-9f.
• Follow your CMRA's instructions for signature witnessing, notarization, and document delivery.
• Use the current USPS Form 1583 and its instructions as your reference.

Online notarization for eligible Form 1583 applications

If your CMRA accepts remote online notarization for your application, Notary20 offers online notarization for eligible documents for a flat $20 per document. Check with the mailbox provider first about its signature and acceptance requirements. You can also review our online notary cost guide.