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Business address

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A US mailing address for everyday business mail

Founders without a US office still need somewhere for letters from customers, vendors and tax agencies to land. Firmlane's business address service, provided with a mail-handling partner, gives your company a US street address for business correspondence, with incoming mail scanned to your dashboard and forwarding on request. It works alongside your registered agent, not instead of it.

  • A US street address for business correspondence
  • Mail scanned to your Firmlane dashboard
  • Forwarding on request, with postage charged separately
  • Separate from your registered agent address
Get started Registered agent vs address

What you get

How the business address service works

The address and mail handling are provided with a mail-handling partner. You see everything in your Firmlane account.

  • A US street address

    A street address for your company's day-to-day correspondence, used exactly in the format the provider gives you.

  • Mail scanned to your dashboard

    Incoming business mail is scanned so you can read it from anywhere, next to your other company documents.

  • Forwarding on request

    Need the physical letter? Ask for it to be forwarded. Postage is charged separately.

  • Proper USPS setup

    Because the address is provided through a mail receiving agency, USPS requires PS Form 1583 and an identity check before mail can be received for you.

  • Clear pricing

    The price, billing period and cancellation terms are shown before you pay. It is optional and never pre-selected.

  • Works with your registered agent

    Legal papers and state notices still go to your registered agent. The business address is for everything else.

    Registered agent

Two different addresses

Registered agent address vs business mailing address

Founders often assume one address does everything. In practice, US companies usually have at least two, and they do different jobs.

  • Main purpose

    Registered agent address
    Receiving lawsuits, legal papers and official state notices
    Business mailing address
    Receiving everyday mail from banks, customers, vendors and tax agencies

  • Required by law?

    Registered agent address
    Yes. Every LLC and corporation must keep one in its formation state
    Business mailing address
    Not as a separate legal role, but your company needs a reliable place to receive mail

  • Where it appears

    Registered agent address
    Formation documents and the state's public business record
    Business mailing address
    Bank and tax records, invoices, contracts and your website

  • Type of address

    Registered agent address
    A physical street address in the state. A P.O. box is generally not accepted
    Business mailing address
    An office, a commercial mail receiving agency address, or another address you control

  • Who sends to it

    Registered agent address
    Courts, process servers and state agencies
    Business mailing address
    Anyone who needs to reach your company by mail

  • With Firmlane

    Registered agent address
    Registered agent service, first year included on eligible formation orders
    Business mailing address
    The business address service on this page

Firmlane's business address can't be used as your registered agent address, and your registered agent address isn't a general mailing address.

Registered office rules

Why a P.O. box usually isn't enough

States want the registered office to be a place where a person can hand over legal papers during business hours. That is why a post office box is generally not acceptable as a registered office.

Texas is a clear example. Its Secretary of State says a post office box alone is not sufficient, though one may be listed in addition to a street address, and that the registered office may not be solely a mailbox service or a telephone answering service. Delaware requires agents to maintain a street address and office in Delaware that is open during normal business hours.

A business mailing address is more flexible. It can be a staffed office, a coworking space, or an address at a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA) that receives mail on your behalf. What matters is that mail reliably reaches you and that the address is set up the way USPS requires.

  • Registered office: physical, in-state, staffed during business hours
  • Business address: where day-to-day mail and correspondence go
  • Keep both current with the state, the IRS and your bank

Getting set up

From order to your first scanned letter

The address is provided through a commercial mail receiving agency, so USPS rules apply. This is how setup generally works under USPS standards.
  1. 01

    Add the service

    Order the business address with your formation or on its own. The price and terms are shown before you pay.

    You

  2. 02

    Complete PS Form 1583

    USPS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent, authorizes the mail receiving agency to receive mail for you. A separate form is completed for each addressee.

    USPS form

  3. 03

    Verify your identity

    USPS requires two forms of identification, one with a photo. The IDs must be current, and the name and address on the form must match the documents you provide.

    Two IDs

  4. 04

    Signature is witnessed

    Under the USPS standards effective July 1, 2023, the CMRA owner or manager, an authorized employee, or a notary public must witness your signature, and the CMRA must verify your documents.

    Witness

  5. 05

    Start using the address

    Once the form is accepted, use the address exactly as given, update the IRS, your bank and other records, and read incoming mail in your dashboard.

    Go live

Banks and payment providers set their own address rules

Some banks, fintech platforms and payment processors do not accept virtual or mail-forwarding addresses for some purposes, for example as a principal place of business, a trading address or an owner's residential address. Wise, for example, says it does not accept mail forwarding services or virtual addresses as a trading address, and Mercury does not accept registered agent addresses as a principal place of business.

Each provider decides for itself, and policies change. Firmlane cannot guarantee that any bank, payment processor or marketplace will accept a particular address. Our free banking assistance helps you work out which address to use where.

Scope

What the business address is, and isn't

Included

  • A US street address for business correspondence
  • Incoming mail scanned to your Firmlane dashboard
  • Forwarding of physical mail on request, with postage charged separately
  • USPS Form 1583 setup and identity verification with the mail-handling partner

Not what it is for

  • Replacing your registered agent. Your registered office stays with your registered agent
  • Serving as a personal residential address for identity checks
  • Guaranteed acceptance by banks, payment processors or marketplaces

Changing your business address later

If your company's mailing address or business location changes, update it everywhere it is on file:

  • IRS. Use Form 8822-B to tell the IRS about a change in your business mailing address, business location or responsible party. Changes in responsible party must be reported within 60 days.
  • Your state. Some states let you update your principal or mailing address in the next annual report; others need a separate filing. See amendments.
  • Banks and payment providers. Update your profile and keep proof of the new address ready in case they ask.
  • Your website, invoices and contracts. Customers and vendors should be able to reach you at the new address.

Remember that changing your business address does not change your registered agent or registered office. That requires its own filing with the state.

General information only

This page is general information about business addresses and US mail rules. It is not legal or tax advice. The business address service is provided with a mail-handling partner and is subject to USPS requirements, including PS Form 1583 and identity verification. USPS, state and bank requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the organization involved. Firmlane is not affiliated with USPS or any government agency.

Official sources

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Related

Give your company a US mailing address

A US street address for business mail, scanned to your dashboard, with forwarding on request. Price and terms shown before you pay.

Get started See all services

$0 Firmlane service fee on eligible formations. You pay the state filing fee, shown before you pay.