When you move, submit a USPS change-of-address request and separately tell the people and organizations that send you mail. USPS forwarding changes your mailing address with the Post Office; it does not update a bank's, insurer's or government agency's records.
Use a permanent request for a permanent move. For a temporary relocation lasting 15 days to one year, use a temporary request. You must verify your identity, and USPS says to allow at least 7–10 business days after approval for the change to take effect.
Submit the request and verify your identity
Start with the official change-of-address route on USPS's forwarding page[1]. Online, choose an individual, family or business move; the family option is for people with the same last name. Complete the form and opt to receive a verification code or link on your mobile phone.
The online identity-verification fee is $1.25. The billing address on the credit card you use must match either your old or new address. After successful verification, USPS emails a confirmation code that you can use to modify or cancel the request.
If online verification fails, USPS sends an email with instructions and a barcode. Take it and acceptable photo ID to a local Post Office. You can also apply there by requesting a free Mover's Guide packet, completing PS Form 3575 and giving it to the retail associate with acceptable photo ID and any other required documents.
If you cannot verify your identity at the Post Office, you cannot complete the change with USPS. You will need to give your new address directly to everyone who sends you mail.
Tell important senders yourself
USPS says government and financial mailers do not allow forwarding of certain sensitive documents. These include driver's licenses, voter-registration documents, credit cards, bank statements, and financial or medical information. Contact the sender to update your address and arrange how those documents will be sent.
Once forwarding is active, mail is redirected piece by piece. First-Class Mail, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage are forwarded free. Fully prepaid periodicals get free forwarding for 60 days. For Media Mail, you must pay shipping from your local Post Office to the new address. Marketing Mail is not forwarded unless the sender paid forwarding postage.
Standard forwarding lasts 12 months. Paid extensions add six, 12 or 18 months, with 18 months the maximum extension. Extended forwarding cannot be canceled or refunded.
Special situations
A request for someone else must be made in person with the required identification and authorization documents. For a move outside the United States, visit a Post Office to verify your identity and submit the request before leaving the country. For a military move, USPS says to work with your command first. Its forwarding page explains these special situations and the documents they require.
