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After You Rent a Mailbox at The Mail Station Monroe
After You Rent a Mailbox at The Mail Station Monroe
The box is yours. The number is on your welcome note. The next hour of updates is what actually starts the mail moving.
After you rent a mailbox at The Mail Station Monroe, do five things in order: write the address as 19916 Old Owen Road, # [your number], Monroe, WA 98272; update banks and Amazon first; tell extra recipients they need ID on their first pickup; use 24/7 lobby access for letters and come to the counter for packages; call us at (360) 805-9250 if a sender bounces a piece. This is not a sign-up guide. Form 1583 and payment are already done. This is what happens after staff assign your number.
A new renter from Sultan got the welcome email, updated three shopping accounts the same night, and still had a bank card come back stamped undeliverable. They had typed “Apt” in the extra address field because every form they had ever filled used that word. The box was real. The street was real. The word was wrong. We fixed it in two minutes at the counter. You can skip that trip if you set the address once, the Mail Station way.
You Already Have the Box. Now Make It Work.
Your number does not automatically rewrite every account you own. Amazon, the bank, the DOL, and your insurance company still have the old line until you change it. Until you do, carriers keep sending to wherever they had before.
The Mail Station is a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) at a standalone street address: 19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272. We are not the Monroe Post Office. We are not a P.O. Box. USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and DHL can all deliver here when the secondary line is written as # or PMB plus your number (USPS Publication 28, §285). We use # on the welcome note.
Staff hours are Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM. Sunday the store is closed. Mailbox customers still have 24/7 lobby access for the box itself. Packages that will not fit the box are held at the counter during staffed hours.
If you are still choosing a plan, use the setup guide and get started. If you already have a number, stay on this page.
Write Your Mail Station Address Exactly This Way
This is the format we print on the welcome note. Copy it. Do not invent a suite.
On an envelope or label
Your Name
19916 Old Owen Road, # [your number]
Monroe, WA 98272
On a website form (the extra field is often labeled “Apt”)
Street: 19916 Old Owen Road
Apt / Suite / Unit: # [your number]
City, State ZIP: Monroe, WA 98272
PMB [your number] is also valid. Do not substitute anything else on that line:
| Write this | Not this |
|---|---|
| # 12 or PMB 12 | Apt, Suite, Unit, or Box |
| 19916 Old Owen Road, # 12 | 19916 Old Owen Road, Apt 12 |
| Monroe, WA 98272 | P.O. Box 12, Monroe, WA 98272 |
Our building has no suite number of its own, so you never stack “Suite 200 # 45.” Put # and your number next to the street and stop. The longer “why the machine kicks it back” version is in How to Write a PMB Address.
Online checkouts are where most Mail Station renters slip. The extra field is often labeled “Apt.” Type # 12 (your number) there anyway. A lone 12 gets dropped by some retailers. “Apt 12” looks fine to you and wrong to USPS software.
Update Accounts in This Order
Do not try to fix the whole internet in one sitting. Fix the mail that hurts if it bounces.
- Banks and credit cards. Statements and replacement cards have deadlines. See whether a bank will accept a private mailbox if a form pushes back.
- Amazon and other retailers that already ship to you. Edit the saved address. Watch the Apt field.
- Insurance, DOL, and government mail. Washington ID and license rules are a separate question from mailing address. Do not assume the mailing line and the ID address are the same thing.
- Payroll, health, and school. One missed letter is a headache. A missed packet is a week of phone calls.
- People who mail you things. One text with the three-line address beats explaining it after a birthday card comes back.
Keep your old address open until those updates clear. If you left a P.O. Box or another private mailbox, do not file a USPS Change of Address from a CMRA and expect the Post Office to finish the job. That switch has its own sequence: Switching Private Mailboxes Without Losing a Single Package.
Certified and legal mail is unforgiving of a bad secondary line. If you expect notices, read Can Your Private Mailbox Receive Certified Mail?.
Forward Mail From Your Old Address to This Box
Once the box number is yours, tell USPS to send eligible mail from your old home or apartment here. That is a Change of Address. You can file it online.
Official site: moversguide.usps.com
USPS also points movers to usps.com/move and the forward-mail page. Use those. Skip third-party sites that charge $40 to do the same job.
The new address on the form
Your Name
19916 Old Owen Road, # [your number]
Monroe, WA 98272
If the form has an Apt/Suite field, put # [your number] there. Do not type P.O. Box.
Useful tips
- File from a street address you are leaving (house, apartment, old rental). You may file a Change of Address to a private mailbox. You may not file one from a private mailbox. If your old address was another CMRA box, use this switch sequence instead (USPS CMRA FAQ).
- Choose individual, family, or business so the right names move. A family order covers people at the old address who share the last name; extra last names need their own order.
- Permanent if you left that home. Temporary if you still get some mail there and only want a window of forwarding (seasonal, short rental, RV stretch).
- Set the start date a few days out. USPS says forwarding can begin within a few business days; they still tell you to allow up to two weeks (USPS Change of Address basics).
- Online filing uses identity verification. USA.gov notes you do not need a separate company; scammers charge $40 or more for what the official site does for a small card-authentication fee (How to change your address | USAGov). In person at a post office with photo ID, the Mover’s Guide / PS Form 3575 path is free.
- Save the confirmation email and any confirmation number. You need it to change or cancel the order later.
- This only redirects eligible USPS mail. FedEx, UPS, Amazon Logistics, and DHL do not follow a USPS Change of Address. Update those accounts yourself.
- USPS Marketing Mail (the bulk ads) usually is not forwarded. If you care about a magazine or catalog, change it with the sender.
- A Change of Address is a safety net. Still update the bank, IRS, DOL, payroll, and Amazon directly.
More detail for a whole-household move: USPS Change of Address in Monroe, WA.
Who Can Pick Up — and What to Bring the First Time
Your name is on the 1583. Extra people you listed can receive mail at this box too. A small box allows up to 3 recipients. A large box allows up to 7. More names can be added for $5 per month each. Ask at the counter if your household or shop needs another person on the file.
Anyone picking up who is not you should bring photo ID the first time we hand them mail. We match the name to the 1583. That is not us being difficult. It is how a CMRA is supposed to release mail.
Do not send a friend who is not on the form. We cannot guess. Add them first, then they pick up.
Keys and 24/7 lobby access are for the renter. Do not prop the lobby or share the code in a group chat. If a code stops working, call (360) 805-9250 during staff hours. Do not wait until Sunday night to find out.
Letters vs Packages at 19916 Old Owen Road
| What arrived | Where it is |
|---|---|
| Letters and small pieces that fit | Your box in the lobby |
| Packages that fit the box | Your box |
| Anything too big for the box | Counter hold (Mon–Fri 9–6, Sat 9–2), up to 5 days |
| Larger than 10 × 10 × 10 inches | Counter hold, $3.00 a day |
Standard personal and small-business volume from Amazon, FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL is part of the rental. If your month looks like a warehouse, ask us about a business plan or handling options before fees surprise you.
Packages we hold at the counter stay up to 5 days. Each package up to 10 × 10 × 10 inches is $1.00 minimum. Anything larger is $3.00 a day. We notify you when a package arrives so you can plan the drive from Sultan, Gold Bar, or across Monroe. Ask at the counter if a shipment looks oversized before it sits.
Do not list this address as a walk-in storefront on Google Business Profile just because you rent a cubby. Maps and mailbox rules are different. We covered that mismatch in Google Business Profile Suspended for a P.O. Box.
A First-Week Checklist for Mail Station Renters
- Save the three-line address in your phone as “Mail Station # [number].”
- Rewrite every saved checkout address. Apt field =
# [number], never Apt/Suite/Unit. - File a USPS Change of Address from your old home to this box at moversguide.usps.com. Use
# [number]on the new-address line. Do not file one from a private mailbox. - Tell extra recipients they are on the 1583 and to bring ID the first time.
- Walk the 24/7 lobby once during staff hours so you know the door, the lights, and your box face.
- Ask us how you will hear about packages — do not assume a carrier tracking text means it is in your cubby.
- If you travel, set mail forwarding before you leave. We consolidate your mail into a large envelope and ship it to the address you give us. Collecting and preparing the shipment is $4.00; the carrier’s shipping charge is extra.
- If you want letters viewed remotely, ask about digital mail scanning (usually ready within 24 hours of receipt).
- Do not write P.O. Box on anything that should land here.
- If a sender says a piece came back, bring the notice in. We will check the format they used.
What New Renters Get Wrong in Monroe
Using “Suite” because it feels more professional. Banks sometimes accept a street-plus-# mailing address. They do not need you to fake an office suite. Fake suite language is how USPS returns the mail.
Canceling the old box the day you get this one. Amazon and a credit card issuer will not update on your schedule. Keep the old path open until you see a delivery land here.
Treating tracking as a pickup notice. “Delivered” on a carrier site can mean the building, not your cubby. If it will not fit, it is behind the counter until we are open.
Sending someone who is not on the 1583. We will not hand them your mail. Add them. Then they come in.
Filing a USPS change of address from this box, or from another private mailbox, and expecting the Post Office to finish it. You can forward to The Mail Station from a house. You cannot forward from a CMRA through USPS Change of Address. Talk to us before you cancel anything.
Paying a third-party “change of address” website. File on moversguide.usps.com. If a site wants $40 to “handle the post office,” close it.
None of that means the box is fussy. It means the first week is a setup week. After the addresses are right, most renters only think about us when a package text lands.
When You Should Call the Store
Call (360) 805-9250 if:
- You are not sure of your box number (we will read it back).
- A bank or retailer rejected the address and you need the format said out loud.
- A package shows delivered and you do not see it in the box.
- You need another recipient added.
- You will be on the road and want a forwarding hold.
Walk in at 19916 Old Owen Road during staff hours. We have been at this counter since 1982. You do not need a ticket number to ask a format question.
Frequently Asked Questions
I just got my Mail Station box number. What should I do first?
Write the address as 19916 Old Owen Road, # [your number], Monroe, WA 98272. File USPS Change of Address from your old home to that line at moversguide.usps.com. Then update the bank and Amazon.
Can I forward mail from my old house to this mailbox online?
Yes, if the old address is a home or apartment — not another private mailbox. Use the official USPS site: moversguide.usps.com. Put # [your number] in the apt field. USPS Change of Address does not move FedEx, UPS, or Amazon packages.
Can I pick up mail when the store is closed?
Yes, for what fits in your box. Mailbox customers have 24/7 lobby access. Counter holds wait for Monday–Friday 9–6 or Saturday 9–2.
Can my partner or employee pick up?
Yes, if they are listed on your Form 1583. They should bring photo ID the first time. Extra names beyond your plan are $5/month each.
Why did a sender say my mail was undeliverable if I have a real street address?
The street is fine. The extra line is usually the problem. Apt, Suite, Unit, Box, or P.O. Box on a Mail Station address is how pieces bounce. Use # or PMB.
Do I still use this address if I am in an RV or out of town?
Yes, as the mailing address. Set forwarding or scanning before you leave so paper does not sit. RV-specific setup is in RV mailbox rental in Monroe.
The Mail Station Monroe
19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 805-9250
Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–6:00 PM · Sat 9:00 AM–2:00 PM · Sun closed
24/7 mailbox lobby access for renters
Already a renter with a question about your box? Contact the store.
Not a renter yet? See mailbox plans or get started.
Related Reading
USPS Change of Address in Monroe, WA: How to Forward Mail After Moving — permanent vs temporary, what forwards, and what to update besides USPS.
Why Your Mail Gets Returned: How to Write a PMB Address — the USPS rule behind # / PMB vs Apt.
USPS Form 1583: Why It's Required & How to Fill It Out — the paperwork you already finished to get this number.
Will a Bank Accept Your Private Mailbox Address? (Monroe, WA) — first accounts to update.
Can Your Private Mailbox Receive Certified Mail? (Monroe, WA) — time-sensitive mail and this address.
Switching Private Mailboxes Without Losing a Single Package — if you still have another box open.
Mailbox Rental in Monroe: Costs, Setup & What You Need — for someone who does not have a number yet.
Can You Use a Private Mailbox Address on Your Washington State Driver's License? — mailing address vs DOL address.
Explore Services
Written by the team at The Mail Station Monroe — 19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272, serving Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, and Snohomish County since 1982.
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