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Yes: you can rent a PO Box without owning or renting a home, but you still need two forms of ID and a street address on the application. The address can be a shelter, a friend's place, or even a written description of where you sleep, depending on the post office. General Delivery at a local post office is a free alternative worth knowing about.
The application asks for two forms of identification: one photo ID (driver's licence, passport, state ID) and one secondary ID that shows your address. It also asks for a street address. The key misunderstanding is that this address doesn't have to be a home you own or lease: it just has to be an address where you can be reached or that describes where you are. Postal staff have discretion here, and the published guidance explicitly contemplates people without conventional housing.
If you have no street address at all, most post offices will accept a shelter address, a friend's or relative's address with their knowledge, or a written description of your location (an intersection, a park, a regular spot). The staff's job is to verify you are who you say you are, not to check a lease. Lying on the application is a federal offense, so use a real, honest description even if it's unconventional.
| Your situation | What to put on the application |
|---|---|
| Staying with a friend or relative | Their street address, with their permission |
| Staying at a shelter | The shelter's address; many shelters help residents with exactly this |
| No shelter, no fixed spot | A written description of where you regularly are; talk to the postmaster |
| Newly arrived, address pending | General Delivery (see below) as a stopgap while you sort out ID |
General Delivery (called poste restante in some countries) is a free service where the post office holds mail addressed to you under your name at the counter. The address format is your name, "General Delivery," the post office's city/state/ZIP. There is no box to rent and no fee: you show ID and collect your mail during window hours. It is the oldest address-free mail service the post office offers, and it still works. The catch is that the holding post office gets to choose, and some small offices limit the service, so call ahead. Mail is typically held for a limited period (often around 30 days) before being returned.
Sometimes, but not everywhere. A PO Box works fine as a mailing address for benefits, bank statements, and most correspondence. It does not work as a residential address for a driver's licence or voter registration in most states: those require a physical address where you actually reside or regularly are, which is a separate field from your mailing address. This is exactly why the distinction matters on forms that ask for both. If a form asks only for a mailing address, the PO Box is perfect; if it asks where you live, give the honest physical answer.
Canada Post's rules are similar in spirit: renting a PO Box requires identification, and you can use a non-traditional address as your contact address. Canada Post also offers poste restante at designated post offices. The practical advice is the same on both sides of the border: bring the best ID you have, be honest about your situation, and talk to the staff, because they deal with this more often than you'd expect. If you need letters sent to a Canadian PO Box, LetterAgent can mail to any Canadian address, including PO Boxes, with registered service available as an add-on.
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