When registering your business, you are required by the state to have a physical mailing address to be considered business compliant, rather than a P.O. box. Your home may be considered your physical business address. If you prefer to keep your work address separate from your home, and since a P.O. box does not qualify for the registration, you may want to consider a registered agent service, which is approved in some states, or a virtual office. It is also worth knowing that some banks may not extend credit to businesses with a P.O. box address.

P.O. Box with a Physical Address

For your registration, you can use a P.O. box as a mailing address if you also have a physical address. If you do not have a physical address, your application will be rejected, as well as all federal and state paperwork. If you are applying for federal or state contracts and your home address and business registration address are the same, keep in mind that you may be precluded.

Choosing a Physical Address

For your registration, since you will need to use a physical address, the address that you indicate should be where you are able to receive acknowledgements of your federal and state filed corporation and business documents. Licenses which you have applied for will also be mailed to the physical address you have provided. Therefore, carefully consider a location that is convenient to you in selecting your physical address.

Virtual Office Alternative

If you are not quite ready to have an office, you may want to consider a virtual office for the use of a mailing address as an alternative. In addition to having a physical address, the convenience of a virtual office is that a receptionist signs and notifies you of packages you receive. As your business grows you can also use a virtual office for more than a physical address such as holding a meeting or have a temporary office to create a professional impression.

Registered Agent Services Alternative

In the state of New Jersey, for example, every business is required to have a New Jersey physical address, not a P.O. box. Businesses without an office in New Jersey can use a registered agent service which provides a legal address to receive official documents such as tax notices. Registered-agent-listings.com provides a list of agents to help you choose from.