AptKeysYour place · Moving out
Changing your address and forwarding mail
Change your address with USPS at USPS.com/move for $1.10, about two weeks before you move. Mail forwards for 12 months. Then update the IRS, your DMV, voter registration, your bank, your job and anyone who bills you. Skip sites that charge $40 for the same thing.
You'll need
- Your old and new addresses
- A credit or debit card for USPS's identity check
- The checklist below
What to know
- Use the real USPS site. Go to USPS.com/move. You don't need to pay a separate company; scammers may charge $40 or more for what costs $1.10 on the official site. You can also get a Mover's Guide packet at the post office.
- Pick permanent or temporary. Moving for good? Choose permanent. Away 15 days to a year, like for school? Choose temporary.
- Do it about two weeks early. Forwarding may start within 3 business days, but allow up to 2 weeks. Online, you'll need to verify your identity; if you can't, go to a post office.
- Watch for the confirmation letter. About 5 business days before your start date, USPS mails a letter with a confirmation code to your new address.
- Know the clock. First-Class mail forwards free for 12 months. After that, USPS returns mail to the sender for 6 months with your new address on it. Use that year to update everyone.
- Update the IRS. Use your new address on your next tax return, or file Form 8822. USPS only changes your mail, not your records anywhere else.
- Update your driver's license and car registration. Each state has its own process; find yours on USAGov. California, for example, has an online change of address; allow up to 3 days to process.
- Update your voter registration at Vote.gov.
Watch out Look-alike sites show up first in search results and charge big fees. Type USPS.com/move yourself. The real online fee is $1.10.
Dad note Do the USPS change two weeks before you move, then knock out the rest of the list the first weekend in your new place. Future you, waiting on a W-2, will thank you.