Mail Safety

How to Find Out Who Owns a PO Box

Free and paid ways to identify who mails from a PO Box, the USPS Boxholder Request explained, and what to do when a search comes up empty.

Why Companies Use PO Boxes Instead of an Address
Renting a PO Box requires two forms of ID at a US post office. Why volume mailers use boxes, and why the box itself is weak evidence either way.
Presort Marks and Permit Numbers on an Envelope
PRSRT STD, permit numbers and indicia are printed sender intelligence. What the markings near the stamp reveal about who mailed you and from where.
PO Box Street Addressing: Two Addresses, One Box
Why a company lists a street address and mails from a PO Box, how USPS street addressing works, and how to check whether both point to one box.
Reverse Address Lookup for a PO Box: What You Get
What paid reverse-lookup services actually return for a PO Box, why the data often fails, and the free official records that answer it better.
How to Find Out What Company a PO Box Belongs To
The exact search queries that identify a business PO Box, why the box number alone returns junk, and how to tell a confirmation from a guess.