Your Guide to Using a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency in Oregon
Hire Oregon Registered Agent as your CMRA—we’ll take care of notarizing and filing Form 1583 for free.
All you need to do is fill out the required information in your online portal, and we’ll handle the rest.
Using a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) rather than having the US Postal Service (USPS) deliver mail directly to your place of business is an increasingly popular practice. A CMRA can provide your company with secure and convenient mail management solutions.
Before you can start receiving mail from a CMRA, the agency is required to submit Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent to the USPS. Form 1583 authorizes the CMRA to accept and handle mail on your behalf, increasing your privacy and the legitimacy of your mailing address while reducing the chances of mail fraud.
What is a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA?)
A Commercial Mail Receiving Agency is a private company that receives mail from the US Postal Service on behalf of third parties. CMRAs can accept mail for businesses and individuals.
How CMRA customers get their mail from the agency varies according to the type of service the CMRA offers.
CMRAs can offer:
- Digital mail forwarding or mail scanning: Mail items are scanned and the scans are uploaded into an online portal or virtual mailbox where clients can log in and view their mail online or using an app.
- Physical mail forwarding: Mail items are collected and then sent through the mail to clients at regular intervals.
- Physical mail pickup: The CMRA holds the clients’ mail in a locker or other secure location, and clients can retrieve their mail by visiting the CMRA’s office.
How do Oregon Registered Agent CMRA clients receive their mail?
At Oregon Registered Agent, we provide mail scanning service, also known as digital mail forwarding.
Mail scanning is incredibly convenient because you never need to visit our offices—your mail is scanned, and those scanned images are uploaded to your online portal.
You can log in to your portal anytime and anywhere you have internet access to view all of your mail in one place. Plus, we automatically shred junk mail, so your virtual mailbox doesn’t get clogged up with garbage.
Why Use a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency?
There are many reasons to use a CMRA as a business, including:
- Privacy: If you work from a home office, using your home address as your business mail address makes you vulnerable to scammers and unwanted guests. Using a CMRA mail address helps keep your address confidential. This also applies to businesses where having clients show up at your door can compromise your work.
- Security: Receiving business mail at your home, where it could get mixed in with your personal mail, or in a busy office, where multiple people could have access to your mail, could lead to your business mail getting lost or falling into the wrong hands. A CMRA helps ensure that your mail is safe.
- Professional appearance: Freelancers, entrepreneurs, and start-ups may be working out of a home office, coffee shop, or even a garage. Getting a commercial business mailing address from a CMRA rather than using a residential address or a PO BOX boosts your credibility.
- Stability: For business owners who travel frequently or run a remote office, using a CMRA provides a permanent address and prevents you from having to change your address frequently (and lose mail) or use an unprofessional or private address (like your home).
- Convenience: Using a CMRA gathers all of your mail in one place (great if you have separate locations), keeps your business mail separate from your personal mail, and reduces the amount of junk mail you receive.
How Does Using Oregon Registered Agent as Your CMRA Work?
Wondering about the exact process for making Oregon Registered Agent your CMRA? Here’s an overview of how it works:
1 – Sign up for Mail Scanning or Virtual Office Service
We offer three options as your CMRA: two Mail Scanning Service packages and Virtual Office Service. All of these options give you a business mailing address with a unique suite number (so the address is specific to your business) in a commercial building.
Mail Scanning
Scans per year: 10
Cost: $49/year
Premium Mail Scanning
Scans per year: 10
Cost: $49/year
Virtual Office
Scans per year: unlimited
Cost: $19/month
With Virtual Office service, you also get a month-to-month office lease for address verification and phone service so you can answer business calls from a dedicated line (and avoid giving out your personal number to customers).
2 – Log in to your online portal and fill out Form 1583
After you’ve signed up, you can immediately log in to your online account, where you will find Form 1583 (if you need help, give us a call and one of our agents can assist you).
Fill in the required information. Once you’ve completed the form, we’ll handle the notarization and filing.
The process is quick and completely paperless.
3 – Receive your mail
After the Form 1583 requirement has been met, we’re authorized to accept your mail. Use the address you receive from us as your business mailing address, and all of your business mail will come to us.
Enjoy easy and secure viewing in your online portal anywhere you have internet access.
Filling Out USPS Form 1583: What Information Is Required?
What information does Form 1583 ask for?
Form 1583 requires you to provide:
- Your name
- Your residential street address
- A copy of your photo ID
- Proof of your address
- Digital signature
What forms of photo ID are accepted on Form 1583?
The following forms of photo ID can be used to complete Form 1583:
- U.S. State/Territory/Tribal Driver’s or Nondriver’s ID Card
- Matricula Consular
- Uniformed service ID
- U.S. University ID
- U.S. Permanent Resident Card
- U.S. Access Card
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Passports
- NEXUS Card
You cannot use your:
- Social Security Card
- Credit Card
- Birth Certificate
- Concealed Carry Permit
What is accepted as proof of address on Form 1583?
You can use any of the following documents as proof of address on Form 1583:
- U.S. State/Territory/Tribal Driver’s or Nondriver’s ID Card (if not already used for your photo ID)
- Deed of Trust
- Current lease document
- Mortgage documentation
- Home or vehicle insurance policy
- Vehicle registration card
- Voter registration card
Why do I need to fill out Form 1583?
The Form 1583 requirement ensures only authorized CMRAs are operating within the state of Oregon and protects you from dealing with disreputable mail service companies.
Who has access to the information I provide on Form 1583?
The information provided on Form 1583 does not go on the public record and is not shared outside the USPS.
Commercial Mail Receiving Agency FAQ
What does “CMRA” mean?
CMRA stands for “Commercial Mail Receiving Agency.” A CMRA is a private business that receives mail on behalf of third parties, including businesses and individuals.
Do I need to get Form 1583 notarized?
Notarization is required for Form 1583. However, if you hire us, we handle the notarization so that the process is as quick and easy as possible.
Can a CMRA be used by a non-US resident with a non-US address?
As a Non-US resident, you can use a CMRA as long as you meet the ID and proof of address requirements (see above). Non-US addresses are acceptable.
As the owner of a business, do I need to use my own ID on Form 1583?
Form 1583 does not require that the person submitting the form be the owner of the business. Any individual that you authorize to fill out the form on behalf of your business can use their ID on Form 1583.
If I own more than one business, do I need to fill out more than one Form 1583?
USPS requires that every business and individual using a CMRA submit a Form 1583. So, if you have two businesses using the same CMRA address, you need to file a Form 1583 for each business. Likewise, if you have two businesses using different CMRA addresses, you also need to file a Form 1583 for each one.
Can I use the same document for both photo ID and proof of address?
You cannot use any of the same documents for both your photo ID and proof of address.
Order Mail Scanning or Virtual Office Today!
Secure, convenient mail service—plus, we handle notarizing and filing Form 1583.