In order to receive your mail at your new address you'll need to submit a change of address form with the post office. You can do that in any USPS location or online. If you decide to use the online service, you'll need to provide a credit card with a billing address matching the address you are moving from or the address you are moving to. If you are unable to do so, you can print out the form and take it to your local post office.
Who to notify when changing your address?
- Sending a postcard is a great way to give your new address to friends and family.
- To change your address with the IRS, complete Form 8822 (PDF), Address Change Request or write to the campus where you filed your last return and provide your new address, full name (including spouse's name if you filed jointly), social security number, old address and your signature.
- Contact your local DMV and inform them of your new address.
- Credit cards and utility bills usually have a space to fill in the new address on the back of the invoice. Don't forget to check the new address check-box on the front side.
- If you're currently receiving magazines and newspapers you'll have to send a change of address card since the post office won't forward those for longer than 2 months.
- Most banks and financial institutions require a signed letter from you with your full name, account number, current address, and new address.
- Most likely you'll have to register to vote again, you can get a form from your local post office or library.
- If you have to notify Social Security you can do it online by answering a series of questions that have to match their records.
- Utility companies will need to know your new address in order to send you any final bills. Make sure you pay those otherwise it may have negative consequences on your credit report.
- To keep receiving your mail after USPS stops forwarding it (usually one year except for periodicals) you need to send out change of address cards, available at the post office, to everyone you do business with. After that any mail arriving for you will either be sent to the post office's dead-letter room or go to your old address.
- Colleges and universities have their own delivery systems, different from the post office, and their own forwarding policies so if you're student check with the campus mail service.
