Applying to be a CMRA in 2024
The U.S. Postal Service regulates how mail can be received and handled. USPS also dictates required procedures for commercial mail-receiving agents to follow.
- By Stephanie from PilotoMail
- January 13, 2024
What is a CMRA?
A CMRA, or Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, as defined by the United States Postal Service, is a private business that accepts mail from the Postal Service™ on behalf of their customers and delivers it to a private mailbox (PMB), or re-mails it to another location of the customer’s choosing with new postage. In other words:
- A business that accepts mail from the Postal Service on behalf of a person or entity as a business service.
- A business or individual that provides re-shipping or re-delivery services.
- An Office Business Center (OBC) receiving single-point delivery of US mail. OBCs offer private offices and support services for businesses.
Even if you don’t offer virtual offices, you will be considered a CMRA for postal purposes.
Do I need to register as a CMRA?
If you run a business that receives mail from any organization apart from yours, you must register to be a CMRA. The new adjustments to CMRA’s regulations now require coworking spaces to comply with CMRA guidelines, even if you don’t provide virtual mailbox services.
If you’re not a CMRA, keep reading to learn how to start and set up a compliance process for your space. Any company with a physical location can apply for a CMRA designation.
How do I apply to become a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA)?
- Fill out the application to act as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agent (Download “Application to Act as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency“ PS Form 1583-A).
- Locate your nearby Postmaster here.
- After filling out the form, you must present it along with two forms of identification to your Postmaster. Execute the form in the presence of the Postmaster and retain one of the signed duplicate copies. This step might require effort and follow-up to the post office, as the procedure is relatively new to postal workers.
- Wait for approval. Check in every week or every other week for updates.
- You’ll receive a letter from the USPS office containing instructions for your initial steps to set up and access your USPS Database called Customer Registration Database (CRD). This dashboard serves as a central platform for tasks such as uploading new customer information, deactivating inactive customers, and accessing quarterly reports. You must submit the CMRA forms (PS Form 1583) every quarter (January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15). Check out our instruction guide to fill out PS Form 1583.
- Once approved by your Postmaster, you must display the CMRA certificate in a visible area at the location.
What if I have already registered as a CMRA?
As the CMRA rules and regulations were recently updated, you will need to submit a new application to your Postmaster under the new PS 1583 Form-A. The USPS is requiring an application and a new PS 1583 Form for all Commercial Mail Receiving Agents.
To become a new CMRA and keep your current customers, follow the same steps for both. You need to fill out new PS 1583 forms for each and update any outdated information such as new home addresses, expired passports, or driver’s licenses.
PilotoMail has automated the compliance process in our platform to make it easy for all CMRAs. Book a call or demo with our mail experts.
What is the CMRA Customer Registration Database (CRD? )
The USPS launched a new online database on October 25, 2023, called the Customer Registration Database (CRD). The dashboard, which is still in beta testing, serves as the primary platform for uploading your PS 1583 Forms, adding and ending services for customers, and receiving notifications about expiring customer documents. It also provides real-time reports, such as alerts when customer documents are close to expiring, to hopefully help you as an operator manage data and make sure you stay compliant with new rules.
- All CMRAs must provide their customer account details on this database: In the CRD, a CMRA must input information from each PS Form 1583. They also need to upload clear copies of the corresponding ID documents.
- The CMRA must be certified in the USPS’s database every three months. The certification dates are January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
- This certification confirms that all PS Form 1583s are up to date. It also confirms that the termination dates are updated in the database and that none of the ID documents have expired.