How to Change Your Social Security Address: Online, Phone, or In Person

You can change your Social Security address three ways: online through your my Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at a local field office. The update usually posts within a few business days and carries over to Medicare automatically, so you don’t need to contact Medicare separately.¹ Which method is open to you depends on the benefits you receive; Supplemental Security Income recipients, for instance, can’t use the online tool.

Filing a change-of-address with the U.S. Postal Service is not a substitute. Postal forwarding is a temporary mail redirect and expires, and USPS itself tells filers to update government agencies separately.

What to Have Ready

Before you start, pull together your Social Security number, the address currently on file, and the full new address including apartment or suite number and zip code. If your move is still ahead of you, you can set a specific effective date so mail begins going to the new address at the right time rather than immediately.

Online Through My Social Security

The online portal is the fastest option for people who qualify to use it. If you receive retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, or you’re enrolled in Medicare, log in and open the My Profile tab to update your mailing address.² You can also schedule a future effective date from the same screen.

Access requires a Login.gov or ID.me account, the two identity-verification services Social Security accepts.³ Setting one up for the first time involves uploading a government-issued photo ID. Once you’re in, enter the new address, confirm, and watch for the on-screen confirmation.

Who Can’t Use the Online Tool

The online option is closed to you if you receive SSI, or if your address (current or new) is a foreign address, an APO, or an FPO. Both your current and new addresses must sit within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or American Samoa.⁴ If any of that describes you, use phone or in-person instead.

By Phone

Call 1-800-772-1213, or TTY 1-800-325-0778. The automated system takes address changes around the clock, so you don’t have to wait for a representative.⁵ If you need a live agent, whether because you receive SSI or because your situation is more complicated, representatives are on the line Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Mornings, later in the week, and later in the month tend to have shorter waits.

In Person at a Field Office

You can also handle the change at a local field office. Find yours by zip code at ssa.gov/locator.⁶

Bring a valid photo ID. The agency’s primary identification documents are a current U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued non-driver ID card, or a U.S. passport. If you don’t have any of those, secondary documents such as a military ID, a government employee badge, or a certified medical record showing your name and date of birth can substitute.⁷

Changing Direct Deposit at the Same Time

An address change does not move your direct deposit to a new bank. If your move involves switching banks too, update both. The my Social Security portal lets you change your address and your direct deposit information from the same My Profile tab in one session, and you can also do both by phone or at a field office.²

SSI Recipients: Report Within 10 Days After the Month of the Move

If you receive SSI, address reporting is not optional and the deadline is tight. Federal regulations require you to report any change in your mailing address or the address where you live.⁸ The report is late if the agency doesn’t receive it within 10 days after the close of the month in which you moved.⁹

Late reports cost you money out of your benefits:

First late report: $25 deducted.
Second late report: $50 deducted.
Third or any later report: $100 deducted each time.

Only one penalty deduction applies per penalty period, even if more than one report is overdue.¹⁰ Ignoring a written request from the agency for information for more than 30 days is worse; the agency can suspend your benefits entirely.⁹

The reason SSI rules are strict is that the payment amount depends partly on your living arrangements. If you move into someone else’s household and they provide your food or shelter for free, your federal SSI benefit can be reduced under the in-kind support and maintenance rules. A move can change your financial eligibility, and the agency needs to know promptly.

Moving Outside the United States

The online tool won’t accept an international address. Call the agency or contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate that handles Social Security matters. Non-citizens who plan to be outside the country for 30 or more consecutive days must also complete Form SSA-21, Supplement to Claim of Person Outside the United States.¹¹

Some countries can’t receive payments at all. Restricted countries include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Exceptions may be available in some of them, but payments can never be sent to Cuba or North Korea.¹²

If You’re a Representative Payee

If you manage benefits for someone else as a representative payee, reporting the beneficiary’s move is your responsibility, and so is reporting a change in your own address. If you fail to report a move and continue receiving benefits on the beneficiary’s behalf, you can be held personally responsible for repaying them. For SSI beneficiaries, you also have to report when they enter or leave a hospital, nursing home, correctional facility, or other institution.¹³ The 10-day-after-the-month SSI deadline applies to you too.

When the Change Takes Effect

Whichever method you used, expect the agency’s records to update within a few business days. If you filed online, log back in and check the My Profile tab to see the new address on file. Most people see the change reflected on their next scheduled payment or notice, and the agency mails a confirmation letter to the new address. If you don’t see the update within a couple of weeks, call 1-800-772-1213 or stop by your local office to make sure it went through.⁵

1
Medicare.gov. How Do I Change My Address with Medicare?
2
Social Security Administration. How Can I Change My Address or Direct Deposit Information for My Social Security Benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payments?
3
Social Security Administration. Security and Protection – My Social Security
4
Social Security Administration. Change of Address Applications Filed via the Internet
5
Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security by Phone
6
Social Security Administration. Field Office Locator
7
Social Security Administration. Priority List of Acceptable Evidence of Identity Documents
8
eCFR. 20 CFR 416.708 – What You Must Report
9
eCFR. 20 CFR Part 416 Subpart G – Reports Required
10
eCFR. 20 CFR 416.724 – Amounts of Penalty Deductions
11
Social Security Administration. Social Security Payments Outside the United States
12
Social Security Administration. Have Plans to Leave the United States?
13
Social Security Administration. A Guide for Representative Payees