Every Form 1583 stands on two IDs: one primary photo ID and one secondary ID traceable to the applicant. Get the pairing wrong, or let one expire unnoticed, and the form on file stops protecting you. Here is the acceptable list, the rejected list, and the rules between them.
DMM 608.10.0 requires two forms of identification from every mailbox applicant: one primary photo ID and one secondary ID that is traceable to the bearer. Both must be current. The witness or notary executing the Form 1583 reviews the documents, and the ID types and numbers are recorded on the form itself.
A single document fills a single slot. A driver's license is a primary photo ID; it cannot also serve as the secondary document, even though it shows an address. This one-slot rule is the most common way an otherwise careful intake fails.
These lists reflect the current form and DMM text but are not exhaustive; when in doubt, check the current PS Form 1583 instructions linked in the sources below.
The IDs do double duty: they identify the applicant and they anchor the home or business address on the form. The CMRA must confirm the address the applicant wrote matches the address on the documents. Two rules worth memorizing:
Both IDs must be current, and not just on signing day. An expired or illegible document sitting in the CRD is a live deficiency, and your quarterly certification specifically attests that no ID on file has expired. A store with a few hundred customers has IDs expiring every month; without systematic monitoring, the certification you sign in January can be false by February.
The operational fix is to capture expiration dates at onboarding and chase renewals before the lapse, not after an inspector finds it.
A deeper walkthrough of the June 2024 form's ID checklists, with the edge cases spelled out.
Read the guide →Including the myth that any two IDs work. They do not, and the differences matter in an audit.
Read the guide →Validate Form 1583 completeness with a structured checklist, risk scoring, and audit-ready notes.
Run compliance check →Score your operational readiness across identity verification, audit logs, chain-of-custody, and staff controls.
Get readiness score →USPS updates its requirements periodically. These official references are the source of truth; this page was last verified against them on July 10, 2026.
Customers upload IDs during guided onboarding, expiration dates are captured up front, and reminders go out at 30 days and 1 day before an ID lapses.
Innbocks provides software that supports USPS CMRA compliance workflows, including Form 1583 collection, e-notarization, and CRD task tracking. Innbocks is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service and does not provide legal advice. The operator of each CMRA remains responsible for satisfying USPS requirements, including those in Domestic Mail Manual 508.1.8. Always verify current rules against official USPS sources.