Address line 1 is the street address. Address line 2 is the optional second line for an apartment, suite, unit, floor, building, or department.
The confusion usually starts when a form has one long field, or when a building has both a street number and a unit number.
The short rule
Put the street number and street name on line 1. Put the apartment, suite, unit, floor, or building on line 2. Do not repeat the city, state, or ZIP on either line if the form has separate fields for them.
- Line 1: 123 Main Street
- Line 2: Apt 4B
- Line 1: 500 Market Street, Suite 900
- Line 2: Attention: Accounts Payable
When line 2 is not an apartment
Line 2 can also carry a department, a building name, a care-of name, or a delivery instruction. Keep it short. If the form has a separate company or attention field, use that instead.
International differences
Some countries do not use the line 1 / line 2 model. Germany often puts the house number after the street and the postal code before the city. Japan puts the postal code first. Check the country format before you split an address.
Questions
- Only when there is a unit, suite, floor, building, or department. A standalone house usually needs only line 1.
- Some forms allow it. If line 2 exists, use it; it keeps the street address clean and matches most shipping systems.
Is address line 2 required?+
Can I put the apartment number on line 1?+
Examples are synthetic. Do not use a generated address for identity checks, account registration, or delivery.