How to Forward Mail: USPS Filing, Duration, and Coverage

To forward mail through USPS, file a change of address either online at usps.com/move or in person at any post office. The online request costs $1.25 for identity verification; the in-person form is free. Once processed, USPS forwards your First-Class Mail to your new address for 12 months and periodicals for 60 days.¹² You can submit the request up to 90 days before your move or up to 30 days after.

Filing the Request Online

Go to usps.com/manage/forward.htm. You will enter the full name of each person whose mail should be forwarded, your old address, your new address with any apartment or unit number, and a start date. USPS charges $1.25 to a credit or debit card to verify your identity, which helps prevent someone else from redirecting your mail without permission.³ You will also need a valid email address to receive updates on the request.¹

The online route is the fastest option and gives immediate confirmation.

Filing the Request in Person

Visit any post office with a photo ID and ask for the Mover’s Guide packet, which contains PS Form 3575. Fill out the form and hand it to the clerk. The clerk verifies your identity and processes the request at no charge.³ You can also complete the form at home and drop it in the mail to your local post office, though that method takes longer.

When Forwarding Begins

After you submit the request either way, USPS sends a confirmation letter to both your old and new addresses. Forwarding can begin within three business days, but allow up to two weeks for full processing.³ For a smooth transition, file about two weeks before your move date.

Temporary or Permanent

The form asks whether the move is temporary or permanent. Choose carefully.

A permanent change of address forwards First-Class Mail for 12 months and periodicals for 60 days.² After the forwarding period ends, USPS returns mail to the sender for six more months with a label showing your new address, which prompts senders to update their records.³

A temporary change of address fits an extended vacation, a seasonal move, or a short-term work assignment. It lasts anywhere from two weeks to six months, and if your situation changes you can extend it with a second request, up to 12 months total for the same address combination.⁴ Temporary forwarding covers First-Class Mail and periodicals but not marketing mail or most package services.²

What Actually Gets Forwarded

Not everything in your mailbox follows you. The categories break down this way:

Forwarded free of charge: First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage, and periodicals (periodicals only for 60 days).
Forwarded with a charge: Media Mail is forwarded, but you owe the shipping cost from your local post office to your new address.
Not forwarded at all: USPS Marketing Mail, meaning catalogs, flyers, coupon packets, and other advertising. If it cannot be delivered, the post office disposes of it.

³⁵

Mail addressed to “Occupant” or “Postal Customer” rather than a named person is never forwarded. That mail is tied to the address, not to you.⁵

If 12 Months Is Not Enough

You can purchase Extended Mail Forwarding through USPS. The 2026 fees are $24.50 for six months, $36.50 for 12 months, and $48.50 for 18 months.⁶

For people who want their mail bundled and shipped in one weekly package rather than piece-by-piece, USPS offers Premium Forwarding Service Residential. Enrollment is $26.40 online or $28.70 at a post office counter, plus $29.70 per weekly shipment, and the service can run for up to a year.⁶² The weekly fees add up, but for someone splitting time between two homes it can be worth the cost.

Forwarding Business Mail

If you are relocating a business, the process is a bit more involved. Select “Business” when submitting online. For in-person requests, the person filing the form must show they are authorized to act on behalf of the business. Acceptable documentation includes a notarized letter, a power of attorney, or a letter on company letterhead signed by someone in a leadership role.³ A random employee cannot walk into a post office and redirect the company’s mail, so plan ahead and have the right person handle the request before move day.

Forwarding Mail for a Deceased Person

If someone has died and you need their mail sent to you or another address, USPS requires you to handle the request in person at a post office. You must provide documented proof that you are the appointed executor or administrator of the estate. A death certificate on its own is not enough. To reduce continued advertising mail, register the person on the Data and Marketing Association’s Deceased Do Not Contact List through DMAchoice.org; advertising mail should decrease within about three months of registration.⁷

What Forwarding Does Not Cover

Forwarding is a safety net, not a permanent solution. Several senders will not be reached by it at all.

USPS forwarding covers only mail sent through the postal service. Packages shipped by UPS or FedEx need separate action. With a free UPS My Choice account you can reroute an individual package to a different address for $14.99 or to a UPS Access Point for $5.99; a premium membership at $19.99 per year includes unlimited delivery changes.⁸ FedEx Delivery Manager lets you redirect an incoming package to a FedEx location for pickup at no charge through the tracking page.⁹ Neither carrier offers blanket automatic forwarding, so watch for incoming shipments and redirect them one at a time.

Government agencies also do not update from a change of address filed with USPS. Update these directly:

IRS: file Form 8822 to update your mailing address with the Internal Revenue Service.¹⁰
Social Security Administration: update your address through your online “my Social Security” account if you receive Social Security benefits or are on Medicare. SSI recipients cannot update online and must call 1-800-772-1213 or visit a local office.¹¹
Voter registration: update it if you moved within your state, or register fresh if you moved to a different state. Start at vote.gov.¹²
Driver’s license and vehicle registration: most states require updates within 10 to 30 days of a move. Check your new state’s DMV for the deadline and any fees.

Missing a vehicle registration deadline can trigger fines in some states. The IRS has no deadline on Form 8822, but filing promptly avoids chasing down misrouted tax notices.

Watching for Forwarding Fraud

Someone else can file a change of address in your name and divert your mail to themselves. This is a common first step in identity theft. The $1.25 online verification fee helps, but it is not a full defense.¹³

USPS sends a confirmation letter to both the old and new addresses whenever a change of address is processed. If you receive one of those notices and did not request a change, act immediately. Report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online at uspis.gov/report or by calling 1-877-876-2455, and contact your post office to reverse the unauthorized request.¹⁴

For visibility into what should be arriving, USPS offers Informed Delivery, a free service that emails you grayscale previews of incoming letter-sized mail. Sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com. During a move it is a useful way to catch pieces that should have been forwarded but were not.¹⁵

1
U.S. Postal Service. Change of Address – The Basics
2
USPS. Mail Forwarding Options
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USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
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Federal Register. Temporary Mail Forwarding Policy
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Postal Explorer. 507 Mailer Services
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Postal Explorer. Domestic – Other Services and Fees
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USPS. How to Stop or Forward Mail for the Deceased
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UPS – United States. View and Track All Shipments With UPS My Choice
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FedEx. How Can I Request to Redirect a Package to a FedEx Location
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Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address
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Social Security Administration. How Can I Change My Address or Direct Deposit Information for My Social Security Benefits or Supplemental Security Income Payments
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USAGov. How to Update or Change Your Voter Registration
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United States Postal Inspection Service. Change of Address Scams
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United States Postal Inspection Service. Report a Crime
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USPS. Informed Delivery – Mail and Package Notifications