Virtual Address for LLC: US Business Address and Mail

Quick answer

A virtual address for an LLC is a US street address, run by a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA), where your company's mail is received and scanned or forwarded. You can use it as the LLC's mailing and business contact address. It cannot be your registered agent address, you must sign USPS Form 1583 to use it, and some banks and payment platforms do not accept virtual addresses.

What a virtual business address for an LLC is

A virtual business address is a real US street address where a mail company receives post for your LLC, logs it and lets you see scans online. You do not rent desk space, and nobody works from that address. For a founder abroad, it gives the company a stable US address for letters from the IRS, customers and suppliers.

Most virtual addresses are operated by a commercial mail receiving agency, which the US Postal Service regulates. The address includes a private mailbox number, and USPS rules require every customer to complete a form before mail is delivered there.

What you can and cannot use it for

Suitable uses

The LLC's mailing address for IRS and state letters
The address on your invoices, website and contracts
The address for suppliers, marketplaces and customers who need a US contact point
Keeping your home address, in or outside the US, off business paperwork

Not suitable

Your registered agent address. The registered office must be a physical place where the agent accepts legal papers. Wyoming says it cannot be a PO box, drop box, mail forwarding service or UPS store, and Florida requires a physical street address with no PO box.
Proof of a physical office. Some banks and payment providers ask for a physical address and reject virtual ones (see below).
A substitute for where the business is actually run. A US mail address does not move your management to the US. When a form asks for a principal place of business, answer with where the business is really run.

Registered agent address vs business address

These are two different addresses with two different jobs, and most LLCs have both.

	Registered agent address	Virtual business address
Purpose	Receiving lawsuit papers and state notices	Everyday company mail
Required by law	Yes, in the state of formation	No
Location	Must be in the company's state	Any US state
Can be a mail service	No	Yes, that is what it is
Accepted by Mercury as the principal place of business	No	Depends on the provider's review

If you need the legal address, see our registered agent service. Many clients take both, and our pricing page shows the combined options.

USPS Form 1583 and the CMRA rules

Before a commercial mail receiving agency can accept mail for you, USPS rules require a signed PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent. The rules are in section 508.1.8 of the USPS Domestic Mail Manual:

One form per addressee: a separate Form 1583 is required for each addressee of a private mailbox. Your LLC and any person receiving mail there each count.
Witnessed signature: you sign in the physical or real-time audio and video presence of the CMRA owner or manager, or acknowledge your signature before a notary public.
Two forms of ID: an acceptable primary and secondary ID, both current. The acceptable ID list includes a foreign passport as primary ID. Secondary ID examples include a lease, mortgage or deed of trust, a voter or vehicle registration card, or a home or vehicle insurance policy.
Address format: the address must show "PMB" (private mailbox) and a number, or the "#" sign and a number, for example "10 Main St Ste 11 PMB 234".
Records: the CMRA must keep a copy of the completed form and upload the identification to the USPS CMRA customer registration database.

Because the PMB or # designation is part of the address, banks and platforms can tell it is a mailbox. Plan for that rather than hope it goes unnoticed.

Using a virtual address with banks and payment platforms

Check each provider's rules before you apply. Several state them publicly:

Mercury accepts a US or international principal place of business, including residential addresses, but not registered agent addresses, PO boxes or UPS Store addresses.
Wise asks US businesses for proof of a physical address and says PO boxes and virtual addresses are not accepted.
Stripe needs a physical business address and does not accept PO boxes for a US account.

For many non-resident founders, the answer is to give the provider your real business address abroad as the principal place of business and keep the US address for mail. No provider approval is guaranteed, with or without a US address. Our payment account setup help covers each provider's rules in depth.

What our US business address service includes

Included

A US street address with a PMB number for your LLC
Preparation of your USPS Form 1583 and guidance on the witnessed signature
Mail logged on arrival, with envelope scans in your client portal
Open-and-scan or forwarding on request, within the allowances of your plan
Email alerts when mail arrives

Not included

Registered agent service, which is separate
A physical office, desk space or phone line
Postage and courier charges for forwarding, shown before you confirm a shipment
Approval by any bank or payment platform

Scan and forwarding allowances depend on the plan shown at checkout.

Government fees

There is no government fee for a virtual business address, and USPS does not charge you for Form 1583. If you choose to notarize the form, the notary's fee is yours to pay. If you later add the address to a state record, the state's normal fee for that filing applies.

How it works

Order: add the US business address to your LLC order or order it on its own.
Intake: tell us the LLC name and the people who will receive mail there.
Secure upload: upload your primary and secondary ID through your portal.
Form 1583: we prepare the form, and you sign it with the witness or notary step the USPS rules require.
Activation: once the mail agency accepts the form, your full address appears in your portal.
Mail handling: mail is scanned into your portal, and you choose to open, scan, forward or hold each item.

What we need from you

Your LLC's exact name and formation document
Full name of every person who will receive mail at the address
A current passport (primary ID) for each of them
A current secondary ID for each of them, such as a lease or insurance policy
Your forwarding address, if you want physical mail sent on

Timelines

Our team starts once your intake and ID are complete. The address can be used once the Form 1583 is signed, witnessed and accepted by the mail agency. USPS does not publish a processing time for this step.

Limits you should know about

A virtual address is not a registered office and cannot replace a registered agent.
It does not create a US office for tax purposes and does not change how the IRS treats your LLC. If you are unsure whether you have a US trade or business, ask a licensed tax professional.
Some banks, platforms and marketplaces reject virtual addresses.
If you stop the service, update the address with the IRS, your state and your providers, or letters will go missing.

Doing it yourself vs using our service

You can rent a mailbox from any commercial mail receiving agency and complete Form 1583 yourself. That works well if you are in the US and can visit in person or use a local notary. From abroad, the harder parts are the witnessed signature and keeping one place for all company mail. Our service keeps the address, the scans and your other filings in one portal, alongside your LLC formation and compliance reminders.

Sources

Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a virtual address for my LLC?

Yes, as the LLC’s mailing and business contact address. You cannot use it as the registered agent address, and you should not present it as a physical office where a provider asks for one.

Can my virtual address and registered agent address be the same?

Usually not. The registered office must be a physical place in the state where the agent accepts legal papers, and states such as Wyoming exclude mail forwarding services. Keep the two roles separate.

What is USPS Form 1583 and why do I have to sign it?

PS Form 1583 authorizes a commercial mail receiving agency to accept mail for you. USPS requires one per addressee, signed before the agency or a notary, with two current IDs. Without it the agency cannot receive your mail.

Can I open a US bank account with a virtual address?

Sometimes, but do not rely on it. Mercury rejects UPS Store and registered agent addresses, and Wise does not accept virtual addresses as proof of a physical address. Many founders give their real address abroad instead. See payment account setup.

Does a US address make my LLC a US-based business for tax purposes?

No. Tax treatment depends on where and how the business is actually carried on, not where its mail arrives. If you are unsure whether your LLC has a US trade or business, ask a licensed tax professional.

Can I use my home address outside the US instead?

Yes. There is no rule that an LLC’s mailing address must be in the US, and Mercury accepts international and residential addresses as a principal place of business. A US address is a convenience for US mail, not a legal requirement.