Need help changing your mailing address before you move? It’s easier than you might think. We’ll walk you through changing your address online or at the post office. We’ll also teach you how to temporarily forward your mail, help you pick a moving company, and point you to home services you should set up before moving day.
How to Change Your Mailing Address
4 min readAt a glance
Changing your address when you move
How to change your address
For your convenience, USPS gives you two options for changing your mailing address: online or in person at the post office.
Changing your address online
To change your mailing address online, you’ll need to fill out this form, which asks you to provide your contact information and answer a few questions:
- Are you changing your address for yourself, your whole household, or a business you own?
- Is your move permanent (longer than one year) or temporary?
- What is your current address?
- What is your new address?
- When would you like to start receiving mail at your new address?
After you’ve submitted the form, USPS will email you a verification code you can use to edit or cancel your request.
Changing your address online is a lot more convenient than going to the post office, but it will cost you $1.05, which is a small price to pay to skip the line and drive time.
How soon should I change my mailing address?
USPS requires that you submit your request for an address change at least 30 days before you want to start getting mail at your new address. Additionally, your start date can’t be more than three months away.[1]
Changing your address in person
To change your address in person, you’ll need to go to your local post office and fill out a form in one of the Mover’s Guide packets you’ll find in the lobby. The Mover’s Guide asks all the same as the online form.
After you fill out the Mover’s Guide, you’ll just need to take it to the postal service clerk at the counter to submit it. And that’s it!
The best part is that changing your address in person is absolutely free.
Who else to contact when you change your address
Aside from the post office, you should also change your address with your utility providers, your bank and credit card companies, your healthcare and insurance providers, your subscription and delivery services, and government agencies like the DMV, IRS, and Social Security Administration.
How to temporarily forward your mail
If you’re unsure if or when you’ll be moving back to your old address, premium mail forwarding might be better than changing your address. This service allows you to receive mail once a week at your temporary residence without submitting a formal address change request.
The bad news is this service costs $21.90 to set up and another $23.90 per week you’re using it. Obviously, this is much more expensive than simply changing your address, but it gives you more flexibility since a formal address change needs to be submitted at least 30 days in advance.
Need some extra guidance?
Check out our comprehensive change of address checklist to make sure you notify everyone from insurance companies to financial institutions about your move.
Pick your moving company
Now that you know how to change your mailing address and forward your mail, it’s time to pick a moving company. Moving prices tend to increase the closer you get to your moving date, so the sooner you pick your movers, the better.
Here are the moving companies we recommend hiring:
Want cheaper moving options?
The professional movers we’ve listed provide sterling service and convenience, but you can save money by doing more of the work yourself and hiring a moving container company or renting a moving truck instead. To know for sure which moving option will work best for your needs and your budget, get quotes from all types of moving companies.
Sign up for home services
Along with changing your mailing address, you should also make sure that all of your home services are ready to use as soon as you move in.
Internet
While you might be able to transfer your current internet service to your new home, your internet service provider (ISP) may not cover the area you’re moving to, so you might need to pick a new ISP. Use this tool to find the best ISPs that service your new zip code.
Find internet prices for your new home
Cable and streaming
Next, you’ll want to line up all your entertainment services. Make sure you know how to set up cable at your new home if you’re a cable subscriber. Alternatively, if you’re using your move as an opportunity to cut the cord and give TV streaming a try, here are the TV streaming services we recommend:
Lastly, you’ll want to secure your new home to keep you and your family safe on day one. This means picking a home security system that will monitor your home and notify you if anything’s amiss. Here are the home security systems we recommend:
Recommended resources
To ensure your move goes off without a hitch, check out these other moving checklists and resources:
Sources
- United States Postal Service, “Official USPS® Change-of-Address.” Accessed November 22, 2021.
