Post box rental question: does your app form and information get sent to or filed with the USPS or just stay in the store?

Whenever you rent a mailbox in the US (regardless of whether it's at the actual post office, with a mom and pop shop, at a UPS or Fed Ex store, etc) there is an application form (form 1093) that you/they must fill out with copies of your two forms of ID and name, address, etc..

I'm curious if anyone knows what happens to this information after that? Does it get automatically sent to the USPS and filed with them, or is it just kept on file at the place renting you the box?

For example if it got filed with the USPS then theoretically if the police were investigating you for mail trafficking they could look up your name with them and see if you have multiple boxes in different places. The only solution for this would be opening one with a fake ID, but others have discussed the liabilities of that.

On the other hand if the info just stays with the mailbox rental place, then theoretically you could open indefinitely boxes even if you got one busted, as long as you had enough rental places in your area. The only way the cops could know would be if they called each rental place in the area and asked directly if you had an account there...and if you were doing just a few big shipments a year, you could conceivably be safe from having a case built against you just by opening a new mailbox rental for each. As long as the shipment made it through and you didn't get a CD, you'd be home free.

Anyone with USPS or mailbox experience know the answer?


Comments


[2 Points] heyfreshhhhh:

It is highly unlikely that there is some kind of federal USPS database for something like this.


[2 Points] kojedx:

I always just assumed it was forwarded to them, but you bring up an interesting point. I did some searching and some say it's just rental agreement.


[2 Points] None:

No the info is shared with the entire usps system! Duh this is 2015. Technically once you open a po box in whatever name they create you an account. So you can get online and renew your box or forward mail and all that good shit. Use a fake ID


[1 Points] None:

Would also like to share. I opened a PO box under my name a week or 2 ago, got some eBay and amazon stuff shipped there, but I had typeo my PO box number 1 off on a package. Package got delivered to that PO Box not mine, I assumed they would've sorted it out for me, I kinda thought maybe there would be the owners name of the PO box back there where employees can see the name, like above the box or something, but I guess not. I guess that's a good thing because they really don't care what names are on the pack they'll just shove it in to its destined PO box number. So in a case where u have some dnm stuff shipped to a PO box with a fake name and worse case you get a CD or something. Just deny deny deny. Just my 2 cents.


[1 Points] ciphersexual:

I have little to add, this is a good question.

When I rented a box at a mom n' pop there was an issue with my paperwork - I didn't sign one of the forms or maybe I signed the wrong line, something silly. Pop (of the Mom n Pop establishment) called me to have me come back and fix the paperwork asap.

I don't know why Pop insisted on this. I assumed it was because one copy of the forms was going to someone who actually gave a shit, like the local post office. But other than Pop's attitude toward the paperwork I have no other evidence to support this.


[1 Points] throwareviewawayy:

Fawwwwkk


[1 Points] TORonionPGP:

LE (in larger cities, I can't speak for smalltown USA) have access to a database where information such as past and present PO boxes are listed. I know this for a fact.


[1 Points] NYJDcomplains:

I wish people who keep saying that this info goes to a central database would substantiate their opinion with a link or some proof or something.