How To Rent A Post Office Box

If you feel uncomfortable giving out your home address, a post office box might be the solution for you. You can have your mail delivered to a private box at your local post office for a monthly fee. The safety and anonymity provided by a P.O box might be exactly what you need.

Method 1. Renting In The USA

(i) Fill out the application forms. You can apply online at usps.com, or print out a form and take it into your local post office. Before you start, consider these questions:

• Where do you want your post office box to be? Are there two branches near your house? Would you prefer one over the other? Or is there only one post office where it's feasible for you to rent a box?
• What size do you want? Post office boxes come in five sizes. The smallest is 3 inches (7.6 cm) by 5.5 inches (14.0 cm); the largest is 22.5 inches (57.2 cm) by 12 inches (30.5 cm). Fees are based on size, so try to get the smallest one for your needs.
• Note who is authorized to receive mail at your post office box. You'll be able to list names on the application.

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(ii) Prepare two forms of ID. Whether you apply online or in-person, you'll need to provide the U.S. Postal Service with two forms of identification. Here's what you need:

• Photo ID. For your first form of ID, you could use a driver's license, state identification card, passport, alien registration card, or any form of photo ID issued by a government, the armed forces, a recognized educational entity, or a corporate ID card.
• Non-photo ID. Your second form of ID must be somehow tied to your physical address. Acceptable forms include your current lease or mortgage, your voter or vehicle registration card, or your home or vehicle insurance policy.
• Be aware that your birth certificate, Social Security card, and credit cards are notvalid forms of ID.

(iii) Pay your fees in advance. You can reserve it for 3, 6 or 12 months.

• Note that the fees for a post office box will vary by location. Not every branch will price them equally.

Method 2. Renting In The United Kingdom

(i) Consider a Royal Mail post office box. If you are over 16 and have a permanent address in the United Kingdom, you can apply for a variety of Royal Mail post office boxes.

• Note that you must have a permanent address. If your address is in "care of (c/o)" of someone else, you cannot apply for a post office box.
• Be aware that you cannot choose which post office you would like to use. The one that usually distributes your mail is where you're allowed to have a post office box.

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(ii) Choose what kind of post office box you want. Royal Mail provides three options:

• PO Box Collect: This is a traditional post office box. You'll travel to your local post office branch and physically collect your mail.
• PO Box Delivery: Items addressed to your post office box will be delivered to your home or business address.
• PO Box® with Transfer of Normal Address Mail: This places all the mail sent to your name in your post office box, where you will physically collect it.

(iii) Choose a term. Royal Mail post office boxes may be leased for 6 or 12 months. Payments must be made in advance.

(iv) Download an application and fill it out. See Sources and Citations (below) for a link to an application. Your application should include:

• Proof of address. You can submit one of the following items as proof of address. The item you include must be the original, and less than 3 months old.
  • Bank or building society statement (dated within the last 3 months)
  • Phone bill for a landline only
  • Utility bill (gas, electricity or water dated within the last 3 months)
  • Council tax bill
  • Royal Mail Account number for an existing service
• Payment for your post office box; you can pay via direct debit/check or postal order.

(v) Mail in your application and wait for a response. Your post office box should be ready for use in two weeks or less. Royal Mail will notify you when your address has been verified and your box is prepared. Post your application to: PO Box Application Team, PO Box 740, Barnsley, S73 0ZJ