To get mail forwarded to your new address, file a Change of Address request with the U.S. Postal Service. It takes about five minutes online at usps.com/move and costs $1.25, or you can do it for free in person at any post office. Standard forwarding then reroutes your First-Class Mail for 12 months, which buys you time to notify banks, government agencies, and everyone else directly.1United States Postal Service. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
Forwarding is a safety net, not a full solution. Certain mail classes drop off quickly, packages from FedEx, UPS, and Amazon’s delivery network aren’t touched by USPS at all, and some government agencies need to hear from you directly within a set number of days.
Filing Your USPS Change of Address
Before you start, have your old address, your new address, and your move date ready. Decide whether the move is permanent or temporary. You can file up to 90 days before the move or up to 30 days after, but filing ahead of time keeps mail from piling up at an empty house.2United States Postal Service. Change of Address – The Basics
You’ll also pick a move type: individual, family, or business. A family move covers everyone at the address who shares the same last name. If household members have different last names, or one person is leaving while others stay, each person files a separate form.
Online
Go to usps.com/move, choose your move type, and fill out the form. You’ll need a valid email address and a credit or debit card. USPS charges $1.25 as an identity verification fee, which is meant to prevent someone else from redirecting your mail fraudulently.3United States Postal Service. Change of Address Refund Request The billing address on the card must match either your old or new address.
Use only the official USPS site. Third-party lookalike sites often charge $30 to $40 for the same service, and some are set up to harvest personal information.4United States Postal Inspection Service. Change of Address Scams
In Person
Visit any post office and ask for a Mover’s Guide packet. Fill out PS Form 3575 inside and hand it to a retail associate along with an unexpired photo ID. There is no fee.1United States Postal Service. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address A driver’s license, U.S. passport, military ID, permanent resident card, or certificate of naturalization all work. If the ID doesn’t show your old address, bring a secondary document that does, such as a lease, mortgage statement, voter registration card, or vehicle insurance card.2United States Postal Service. Change of Address – The Basics
What Forwarding Covers and How Long It Lasts
First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and USPS Ground Advantage all forward at no additional cost. For a permanent move, that forwarding runs 12 months. Periodicals like magazines and newsletters forward for 60 days, and after that the publisher receives a notice with your new address and the forwarding stops.1United States Postal Service. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
Marketing mail is unpredictable. Whether a catalog or flyer gets forwarded, returned to sender with your new address, or discarded depends on the sender’s instructions on the piece itself. You can’t control it, so don’t rely on forwarding for anything you actually need from a bulk mailer.
For a temporary move, forwarding lasts between 15 days and one year, and mail returns automatically to your original address when the period ends.1United States Postal Service. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
One important boundary: USPS forwarding only covers mail moving through the U.S. Postal Service. Packages shipped by FedEx, UPS, or Amazon’s own delivery network won’t be redirected. Update your shipping address directly in each retailer and carrier account.
Extending Forwarding
If 12 months isn’t enough, you can buy Extended Mail Forwarding in blocks of 6, 12, or 18 additional months. Eighteen months is the maximum extension. You can add it when you first file or later during the initial forwarding period, with pricing roughly in the $20 to $40 range depending on length.
Weekly Bundles Instead of Piece-by-Piece Delivery
If you’d rather get all your mail in a single weekly shipment, USPS offers Premium Forwarding Service Residential. Your old post office holds everything and sends it once a week via Priority Mail. Enrollment is $26.40 online or $28.70 at a post office, plus $29.70 per week of service. This tends to suit seasonal moves and second homes.5United States Postal Service. Premium Forwarding Services
After You Submit
Forwarding can begin as soon as three business days after you file, but expect up to two weeks before mail arrives consistently at the new address.1United States Postal Service. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address Some mail may still land at the old address during that window.
USPS sends two physical confirmation notices. A Move Validation Letter goes to your old address, which is a security check so that a real resident can catch a fraudulent request. A Customer Notification Letter with a confirmation code goes to your new address about five business days before forwarding begins. If you filed online, you’ll also receive a confirmation email. Keep the confirmation code, because you’ll need it to change or cancel the order.
If nothing has arrived after two weeks, call USPS at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or stop by your local post office. The usual culprits are an incorrect ZIP code on the form or a delay in processing at the local delivery unit.
Who You Still Need to Tell Directly
Forwarded government mail can be delayed, flagged for extra handling, or treated as undeliverable once forwarding ends. Update these agencies on your own timeline, not the postal service’s.
Internal Revenue Service
The IRS sends refund checks, notices of tax due, and audit correspondence to the address on file. You can update it four ways: file Form 8822 (individuals) or Form 8822-B (businesses), send a signed letter with your full name, old address, new address, and Social Security number, call the IRS, or simply use your new address on your next return.6Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
Social Security Administration
If you receive Social Security benefits, update your address through your my Social Security account online, though some benefit types still require a phone call.7Social Security Administration. Update Contact Information Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is stricter: you must report the change by phone or in person no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which you moved. Missing that deadline can affect your benefit amount or eligibility.8Social Security Administration. Report Changes to Your Situation While on SSI
Voter Registration
If you moved within the same state, update your registration with the local election office or your state’s online portal. If you moved to a new state, register fresh there. Deadlines vary and can fall as early as 30 days before Election Day. If you moved between states and missed the registration deadline before a presidential general election, your former state must still let you vote by mail or in person.9Vote.gov. Register to Vote Nearly all states accept the National Mail Voter Registration Form at vote.gov; the exceptions are New Hampshire, Wyoming, and North Dakota.10USAGov. How to Update or Change Your Voter Registration
USCIS (Non-Citizens)
If you are a non-citizen living in the United States, federal law requires you to report an address change to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within 10 days of moving. This covers green card holders, visa holders, and other non-citizen status. The exemptions are A and G visa holders (diplomats and international organization employees) and visitors admitted under the visa waiver program.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Change Your Address
The fastest option is your USCIS online account, which updates the agency’s systems almost immediately. You can also file a paper Form AR-11 by mail, but it takes longer.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card Failing to report is a federal misdemeanor with a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in jail, or both, and it can be grounds for removal proceedings unless the failure was reasonably excusable or not willful.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1306 – Penalties
Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration
Most states require you to update your driver’s license address within 10 to 30 days of moving. Some issue a new card, some provide a sticker or printable update, and some just update the record electronically. Moving to a new state usually means surrendering your old license and applying for a new one with proof of your new residential address.
Acceptable proof generally includes a lease or mortgage document, a utility bill in your name, a bank statement, or government mail showing the new address. Many states require two separate documents. If bills aren’t in your name, some states allow a household member to certify your address with their own proof of residency. Vehicle registration is often a separate update, especially across state lines, so check with your new state’s motor vehicle agency for its deadline and any inspection or plate requirement.
Banks, Insurance, and Everyday Accounts
A number of organizations won’t reliably pick up your new address from forwarded mail. Handle these in the first week or two:
- Banks and credit cards. Most allow the change through online banking or the mobile app. Your billing address is tied to fraud detection, so a mismatch can cause declined transactions.
- Insurance providers. Health, auto, homeowner’s, and renter’s policies all need your current address. For auto and homeowner’s, address directly affects premiums and can complicate a claim.
- Employers and payroll. Your employer needs the address for W-2s and other mailed documents. Moving to a different state means adjusting state tax withholding too.
- Healthcare providers. Doctors, dentists, pharmacies, and specialists all keep address records, and forwarded medical mail can be delayed enough to cause missed appointment reminders or test results.
- Subscription services. Anything shipping physical products, especially perishables like meal kits, should be updated directly to avoid extra transit days.
- Professional licensing boards. If you hold a license in nursing, teaching, law, real estate, or similar fields, most state boards require notice within 10 to 30 days.
Tracking What Arrives With Informed Delivery
USPS offers a free service called Informed Delivery that emails you a daily digest with grayscale images of the letter-sized mail headed to your address. During a move it’s a useful way to see whether mail is actually reaching the new address or still landing at the old one. Sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com with a USPS.com account. The images show only the outside of each envelope, but that’s usually enough to spot a bank statement or government notice that should have been forwarded and wasn’t.