A moving checklist for address changes and records

A change of address with the Postal Service reroutes your mail, but it changes your address only with the post office. You tell government agencies, companies and other senders yourself.

The Postal Service

• File on the official site, or at a post officeChange your address at USPS.com/move, or ask for the Mover's Guide packet at your local post office. You don't need to pay a separate company to do it.
• Pick permanent or temporaryA permanent change is for a move. A temporary one covers a stay of 15 days up to a year.
• Verify your identityOnline, the Postal Service charges a $1.25 identity verification fee in 2026, and the card's billing address has to match your old or new address.
• File ahead of the moveAllow at least seven to ten business days after approval for the change to take effect.
• Watch for the two lettersA Move Validation letter goes to your old address. About five business days before the start date, a Customer Notification Letter with your confirmation code arrives at the new one.
• Go in person when online won't workFile at a post office if you're moving outside the United States, filing for someone else, or can't verify your identity online.

The mail that won't forward

• Know what does forwardFirst-Class Mail is forwarded free, piece by piece as it arrives, for 12 months. You can pay to extend forwarding by up to 18 more months. Magazines and newsletters are forwarded free for only 60 days.
• Banks, cards and insurersFinancial institutions and similar senders don't allow forwarding of credit cards, bank statements, insurance information and other financial or medical mail.
• Identity documentsGovernment agencies don't allow forwarding of identity documents, especially driver's licenses and voter registration cards.
• Contact each sender directlyGive each of these senders your new address yourself.

Government services

• Federal taxes and Social Security
• Veterans benefits and immigration, if they apply to you
• Driver's license and vehicle registrationYour state handles both, usually through its motor vehicle office.
• Voter registrationVote.gov shows how to update your registration in your state.

The moving papers

• Keep the change of address confirmationThe Postal Service emails a confirmation code, which you use to change or cancel the request.
• Keep the move's paperwork togetherPut the mover's estimate, the lease or closing papers, and the new utility accounts in one folder.

Hiring movers

Hiring a moving company without getting scammed goes through registration, estimates and the red flags.