The cost to change your address with the U.S. Postal Service is $1.25 online, or nothing if you walk into a post office and fill out PS Form 3575. Most federal agencies update your address for free. The real charges show up in two places: state motor vehicle agencies that print a new physical ID card, and private websites that dress themselves up as official and charge $40 or more for a service you can handle yourself.
What USPS Charges
When you submit a change of address at USPS.com, the $1.25 is an identity verification fee billed to a credit or debit card. The billing address on that card has to match either your old or new address. Prepaid cards and gift cards will not work.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address2USPS. Change of Address – The Basics
To skip the fee, go to any post office, complete PS Form 3575, and hand it to a postal employee. There is no charge for the paper filing. Either way, you will need your current address, your new address, and the date you want forwarding to start.3U.S. Postal Service. Official Mail Forwarding Change of Address Form
That single payment covers 12 months of forwarding on a permanent move. First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage packages, and periodicals are all forwarded at no extra cost. Media Mail is forwarded, but you pay the shipping from your old post office to your new address. USPS Marketing Mail is not forwarded.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
After 12 months, remaining mail goes back to senders for six months with your new address on the label. If you want to keep forwarding longer, you can pay to extend in 6, 12, or 18 additional month blocks, up to 30 months total.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
Premium Forwarding Service Is a Separate Product
USPS also sells a Premium Forwarding Service for residential customers who want everything, including marketing mail and smaller packages, bundled and shipped weekly by Priority Mail. As of 2026, the enrollment fee is $26.40 online or $28.70 at the post office, plus $29.70 per weekly shipment. Shipments usually go out Wednesdays with an emailed tracking number. Registered Mail and Priority Mail Express get rerouted right away rather than waiting for the weekly box. Domestic addresses only.4USPS. 2026 Postage Price Change5USPS. Premium Forwarding Services
This is a distinct paid service. If someone quotes you a price well above $1.25 and it is not Premium Forwarding, you are not looking at standard mail forwarding.
Federal Agencies: Free, But You Have to File Separately
USPS mail forwarding does not update your address at other federal agencies. You have to contact each one, and each one is free.
IRS
File Form 8822 (Change of Address) with the IRS at no charge.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address Doing this promptly matters. The IRS sends notices, including notices of deficiency, to your “last known address,” which is the address on your most recently filed and processed return unless you have told the IRS otherwise. A notice mailed there is legally sufficient even if you never see it.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 6212 – Notice of Deficiency Miss a 90-day deficiency notice because it went to your old address, and the IRS can assess the tax on default.8Internal Revenue Service. 4.8.9 Statutory Notices of Deficiency
Social Security Administration
If you get Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, or you are on Medicare, update your address free through the My Profile tab in your my Social Security account. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, or visit a Social Security office. SSI recipients cannot currently use the online option and need to call or go in person.9Social Security Administration. How Can I Change My Address or Direct Deposit Information
Where State Fees Actually Appear
Driver’s License and State ID
Updating the address in a state motor vehicle agency’s system is usually free, and many states let you do it online or by phone. What costs money is the plastic. If you want or need a new physical card showing the updated address, you pay a replacement fee. These vary widely by state, from free in some places to $30 or more in others, with many states in the $5 to $15 range.
Most states also require you to report the move within a set window, commonly 10 to 30 days. Missing that deadline can mean a fine or citation in some states, and it can cause you to miss renewal notices or suspension orders.
Vehicle Registration and Title
If your state ties vehicle registration to your residential address, that record may need updating too. Some states bundle it with the license change; others charge separately. Amending the address on a vehicle title is typically its own fee on top of any registration charge.
Voter Registration
Voter registration updates are free in every state, and most offer online re-registration that takes a few minutes.
Skip the $40 Lookalike Sites
Some private companies charge $40 or more to submit a USPS change of address for you. They are not affiliated with the federal government. USAGov warns that “scammers may charge $40 or more to do what you can do for $1.10 using the ‘Who is moving?’ section of the official USPS.com website.”10USAGov. How to Change Your Address
These sites often copy the look of an official page. Before you enter anything, check the URL. Official federal websites end in .gov and use HTTPS. The only legitimate online destination for USPS mail forwarding is usps.com. If a site is asking for materially more than $1.25 for a standard postal address change, it is not the official site.10USAGov. How to Change Your Address
Other Records You Should Update
Banks, credit card companies, insurance providers, your employer’s payroll department, medical offices, and subscription services all need your new address. None should charge a fee. If you hold a professional license, such as a nursing, legal, or real estate license, your licensing board may require you to report the change within a set timeframe, but the update itself is usually free. The same generally applies to concealed carry permits in states that issue them.