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N258 Remark Code: Billing Provider Address Invalid

N258 means the billing provider or supplier address on the claim was missing, incomplete, or invalid. Common triggers are a PO box in the billing address, a missing ZIP+4, or an address that does not match the location the payer enrolled.

Quick facts

Code
N258 (RARC N258)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): A provider-side data error. Correct the address and resubmit; the adjusted amount cannot be billed to the patient.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid billing provider/supplier address.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N258 means

The billing provider address identifies where the billing entity is physically located. Payers use it to confirm enrollment, pick the right locality or pricing area, and sometimes to decide which contractor or network applies. It appears in box 33 on the CMS-1500, form locator 1 on the UB-04, and in the billing provider section of the 837.

N258 tells you the payer could not accept that address. It is almost always paired with CARC 16 and treated as a correctable error rather than a coverage decision.

Typical problems with the billing address

ProblemWhy it fails
PO box or lockboxElectronic claims require a street address for the billing provider
Five-digit ZIPThe billing address needs ZIP+4
Old locationAddress doesn’t match the enrollment record after a move
Suite missing or misplacedSome payers match the full address line strictly
Mailing address usedA corporate or billing-company office was sent instead of the enrolled practice location

How to fix it

  1. Find the practice location your payer enrollment lists for the billing NPI.
  2. Set the billing provider address in your system to that physical street address with the full nine-digit ZIP.
  3. If you receive payment at a PO box or lockbox, move that address into the pay-to address instead of the billing address.
  4. If the enrollment record itself is outdated, file a change of address with the payer and update NPPES before rebilling.
  5. Resubmit a corrected claim with frequency code 7 and the original claim number, or a new claim if the payer rejected the first one at intake.

How to prevent it

Validate addresses against a postal standard when you set up providers, and store the ZIP+4. Keep billing and pay-to addresses as separate fields so staff are not tempted to put a PO box where a street address belongs. After any relocation, review remits for N258 by payer; a cluster from one payer usually means its enrollment file has not caught up. Related guidance lives in our enrollment denials article.

Codes that may appear with N258

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim has a submission error; N258 identifies the billing address.
  • N281 (Missing/incomplete/invalid pay-to provider address.): Concerns the pay-to address, which is where a PO box or lockbox belongs if you use one.
  • N294 (Missing/incomplete/invalid service facility primary address.): Concerns the service facility address, where care was actually delivered.
  • N256 (Missing/incomplete/invalid billing provider/supplier name.): Concerns the billing provider's name.
  • N257 (Missing/incomplete/invalid billing provider/supplier primary identifier.): Concerns the billing provider's NPI.

N258 FAQ

Can I use a PO box as the billing address?

Not on HIPAA 5010 electronic claims. The billing provider address must be a physical street address; a PO box or lockbox goes in the separate pay-to address.

Do I need the full nine-digit ZIP code?

Yes for the billing provider address on 5010 electronic claims. A five-digit ZIP is a frequent cause of address rejections.

We moved offices. Will that cause N258?

It can. If the payer still has your old practice location on file, the new address may not match. Report the move to NPPES and each payer.