Virtual Mailbox & Form 1583 Rules in Tennessee
A commercial mailbox rental (CMRA) or private mailbox (PMB) service in Tennessee cannot serve as your LLC's registered agent, though it may generally be used as a business address (verification with the Secretary of State is recommended). When opening a virtual mailbox account, the USPS Form 1583 must typically be completed and notarized. Tennessee permits remote online notarization (RON) under its permanent RON framework effective since 2019, meaning you can have the 1583 notarized by an in-state online notary rather than appearing in person.
However, notarization requirements can vary by mailbox provider and USPS context—some accept a CMRA owner's witnessing instead of notarization. Because regulations and practices change, verify current requirements directly on the official Tennessee Secretary of State website and with your mailbox provider before proceeding. This overview is informational only and does not constitute legal advice.
How a virtual mailbox works
A virtual mailbox is a real street address at a commercial mail-receiving agency (CMRA) that scans your mail; opening one means filing USPS PS Form 1583, witnessed by a notary or the provider, with two IDs.
| Detail | As the rule stands |
|---|---|
| Can a virtual mailbox be your registered agent? | No (a PMB cannot be your registered agent) |
| Can it be your LLC business address? | Generally yes — verify |
| Online notarization (RON) for Form 1583 | Online notarization (RON) available |
| Form 1583 witnessing | Notary or CMRA-owner witness (in person or by A/V) |
| PMB designator (address line) | 'PMB <number>' or '# <number>' (USPS DMM 508.1.4) |
| Governing citation | Tenn. Code §8-16-301 et seq.; USPS DMM 508.1.8 |
Opening any virtual mailbox means filing USPS PS Form 1583. The form must be witnessed — by a notary or by the mailbox provider (the CMRA owner/manager), in person or by real-time audio-video under the 2024 CMRA Clarification rule — and you supply two acceptable IDs. It is usually notarized, and the notarization can be done online via remote online notarization (RON) wherever the state allows it.
Confirm before you file. This is informational only, not legal advice. The official state Secretary of State / notary page and USPS are the authoritative sources.
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Compiled from the USPS federal baseline (DMM 508 / 39 CFR) and the state notary/RON statute, and verified June 2026. Always confirm the current rule on the official state Secretary of State / notary page before you rely on it — RON law is still moving. This state's RON status is currently medium-confidence (the exact statute section is not yet pinned), so treat the online-notarization detail as a starting point and confirm it on the official page. How we compile this. Informational only, not legal advice.