Is there any way to start a checking account in the U.S. without a street address? (With only a PO box address?)

Assume that you live somewhere; that’s your street address. It doesn’t have to be on the checks.

No, there is no street address, only a PO box address (the PO box address must be the one on the checks—and I’m not familiar with the idea that a bank would let you specify an address for checks different from the one you use on the application form).

I have never seen a check with just a post office box number on it.

I’ve seen checks with no address at all on them, so that’s not the issue. I don’t see why you can’t tell the bank what they need to know for the application. If you try to hide where you live (or who you are, or some other relevant detail about “you”) then you’ll just be raising red flags. If you give the address where you actually reside right now, whether it’s “your” place or not, or even if you move from there tomorrow, if they need a street address, then you won’t be able to argue them out of that.

You don’t need to have your address printed on your check, you could use a P.O. box on the checks themselves, but it’s not enough for the bank to open the account with. You need to provide a recognized photo id like a driver’s license, you need to provide your social security number and some proof of you current address either from your driver’s license or a current utility bill. Otherwise, you won’t be able to open an account.

Edit: Here’s some information on how to open an account without ID but it sounds like it’s going to cost you. Protecting your privacy, to that extent, appears to be a “premium” service that some banks will provide for a fee.

I believe that due to the Patriot Act (under the money laundering section), you can not open a bank account with a P.O. Box as your address. You can choose the address that appears on your checks though, you just have to order the checks with the address you want on them. You can talk to the bank about that.

I have a Post Office number on my driver’s license and my checks. I never use my home address for business. My credit cards all use my Post Office box number.

@Seaofclouds is correct. Banks must comply to Customer Due Diligence, which is part of the Patriot Act. You can have your mail from the bank sent to a PO Box, and you can have a PO Box printed on your checks, but the bank is going to need information on you.

The easiest and least painful way to do what you want is to open the second account at your current bank; they know you.

Yes, what many said above is true. Just give them your address, and the only thing required on your check is your name. I don’t even know if that is required, since temporary checks don’t even have that. You should be able to have statements sent to your PO box or electronically.

Why don’t you want give out your adress? I’m just curious. It would seem photo ID and SS number should be enough, but when you are giving out that info anyway, what is the big deal about giving out your address? There might be concerns about foreign citizens parking their money here. There are rules about how much they can bring into the country, and they may not have American ID; just guessing some of the reasons this might be important.

This question sounds suspicious to me. It’s definitely going to sound suspicious to those people who are legally required to be be suspicious about all new banking customers.

It’s even more about money laundering than about foreigners, @JLeslie. People purchase legitimate businesses that take in cash and use them to process drug money. Or, deals are struck with people to run money through their personal accounts, in exchange for a kick-back for taking the funds, banking it, then writing a check for cash and purchasing a money order.

@BarnacleBill Makes sense. I know there are rules for transactions over $10k or something like that, not sure if it is the banks rules, or the law. But, also, aren’t banks supposed to watch for people hiding money? Like when Americans move money off shore, don’t the banks have some sort of obligation they are supposed to meet? I don’t know much about it. I would guess we do the same for people banking money here for foreign citizens, just to be coorporative, when necessary, with other governments. I think my husband was limited to how much money he could bring into the country before he had a more permanent status? I would guess the government wants to be able to match it all up. Although, somehow I doubt they can easily do it, match it up. I kind of doubt it is all connected up really, it would take a little research.

There’s supposed to watch even if people come in and go into their deposit box excessively, people who have repeat transactions in similar amounts. There are all sorts of things that make up a suspicious activity report.

There’s? Where did that come from?? They’re. Sorry.

Thanks for the clear consensus (even if it was not the one I hoped for). It makes sense that banks can no longer start accounts without a street address.