When moving, you need to change your mailing address. Making a postal address change via USPS is necessary. You want to receive your mail at your new address after you’ve moved in and settled.

After you’ve moved out, ask someone to get your mail. If you do this, you can relax knowing that you won’t miss anything important.

Note: do not collect mail that isn’t yours unless you’ve been asked. Taking mail that isn’t yours is a felony crime. If someone else has your mail, ask them if they’ve received anything with your name on it.

Do not open another person’s mailbox, even if your mail is inside.

Change My Address

You are free to change your mailing address whenever you want. All you need is a United States Postal address change and fill out this form.

If you change your address online, you use the USPS website. Do not use other websites as they might steal your information. To be extra safe, call your local post office and ask for a link to their official Change My Address page.

Who Is Moving?

There are three address forms you can fill out. Each one is different and will result in mail being forwarded to the new address. You’ll move as an individual, but let’s go over each form.

Individual

As an individual, it means you’re moving by yourself. Your mail with your exact name on it will arrive at the new address. This means siblings, children, and parents will have the same address.

Family

This is what to choose if you are moving as a family. You don’t have to type in every family member’s information. Instead, the “head of the household” or whoever is filling out the form will use their info.

Everyone with the same last name will have their mail forwarded to the new address. If some people are staying at the old address, have the people who are moving fill out separate forms. If the people moving have different last names, they will need to fill out separate forms.

Business

You can fill out a business postal address change form if the entire business is moving. If your business has more than one name, you will need to list the names under Business Alias. Don’t leave any alias out.

If you are moving to a new place but still work at the old address, ask your boss to forward your mail to you. Try filling out the form as an individual and use the business as your old address. Use your name, not the businesses.

Contact Info

This is the contact info for the individual completing the form. You will need to write your first, middle, and last name, as well as any suffix.

You will also need to include your e-mail address and phone number. This will not set you up for regular texts or subscribe you to e-mail newsletters. You will receive one-time e-mails alerting you of your address change.

Forwarding Mail

Permanent or temporary? This is a question you need to ask. If the change is permanent, you can forget about the old address once you move. If not, you will need to remember when you decided to have your mail sent back.

You can decide when to want your mail to arrive at your new address. You can decide when you want your mail forwarded. The USPS can tell you more about what mail forwarding. means.

Is It Permanent?

When you choose “permanent” as your move type, you will need to give a date. The date that you want your mail to begin arriving at your new address. If you don’t know, choose an earlier date.

You don’t want whoever ends up in your old house to have your mail in their mailbox. If your mail sits at your new address, no one will bother it.

Is It Temporary?

If you are planning on living in your new place for a short time, you will need to do two things. State when you want your mail forwarded. Next, state when you want it sent to the old address.

If you plan on staying at your new place then moving to another, use the “permanent” form. You can change the address later, but you need to make sure your mail isn’t sent to your old address if you don’t live there.

The Confirmation Code

After you fill out the form and submit it, you will get a confirmation code. The code is sent to your email address. Should you do it in person, the code will arrive via mail. Since email is instant, most people filing for a US postal address change do it online.

US Postal Address Change In Person

If you prefer to do things in person then go ahead. Postal workers are happy to help you through the process if you visit the post office. You need to bring two things with you and trust us, it’s easier than the DMV.

To change your postal address at the post office, you need to bring your ID. You can use your driver’s license or another form of identification. You will also need to bring proof of residency.

A utility bill, doctor bill, or bank statement is fine. They need to know that you live where you say you live so no one tries to forward someone else’s mail to their address. This security step might seem like a burden, but it protects you.

Another way to be safe is to double-check with government websites like USA.gov.

Price Of A Postal Address Change

This is one of the easiest ways to spot a scam or phisher. The postal service in the United States charges $1.05 per address change. This is for your security. It’s nothing to each individual but someone must file the change.

If a site offers to do it for free or charges more than $1.05 then don’t use it. It’s important that you make your changes on the USPS website. If you’re not sure, contact the post office and they will help you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

When Should I Make A Postal Address Change?

A good window is about two to three weeks before you move. Your request will be fulfilled, and you can relax knowing there’s one less thing to worry about. If you know the day you’re moving, you can have it forwarded on the same day.

What If I Enter The Wrong Postal Address?

You can change your information via the USPS website. Use the Change My Address page where you changed your address. You can use the form for mistakes and address changes.

How Do I Get An Update?

You can check the status on this official USPS page or by calling your local post office. If done online, you’ll need your confirmation number and new postal code. To be safe, keep proof of residency on hand if you call the USPS.

Why Does USPS Charge For A Postal Address Change?

The main reason why they charge a small fee is to protect against fraud. You will use a card to pay. The USPS makes sure that the card matched either your old address or your new address. Again, this sounds fussy, but it’s way better than someone else forwarding your mail!

Will Changing My Address Update It Everywhere?

The short answer is no. The thing that changes is your mailing address. You will need to change your address wherever necessary. Check to make sure you cover your bases before moving.

Change Of Address Conclusion

Changing your address is easy. If you follow the simple step listed here, then you won’t any problems. Best thing you can do is to plan ahead.

When know the date of when you’ll be moving, that’s when you want to notify your local post office. Do not wait to change your address at the last minute.