What are requirements for physical address display?

Under CAN-SPAM and similar laws, commercial emails must include a valid physical postal address where the sender can receive mail. This isn't optional-it's a mandatory element for any promotional or commercial email. The address establishes accountability: recipients and regulators can identify and locate the sender. It also provides legitimacy signals to spam filters.

Acceptable address formats include: street address (123 Main Street, City, State ZIP), post office box (P.O. Box 456, City, State ZIP), or private mailbox registered with a commercial receiving agency (PMB or suite number). Virtual office addresses that receive mail on your behalf are generally acceptable. What's not acceptable: fictional addresses, addresses where you cannot actually receive mail, or omitting the address entirely.

Placement is typically in the email footer, where it joins other compliance elements like unsubscribe links. The address should be legible (not microscopic text) and presented as text (not embedded in an image) for accessibility and for spam filters to verify. The physical address requirement exists to ensure accountability-embrace it as a trust signal rather than treating it as a regulatory burden to minimize.