When you move to a new home, you want to ensure that your bills, letters, bank statements, and other important mail continue to reach you without any inconvenience—that’s why it’s important to update your mailing address. The USPS Change of Address service is a reliable solution for ensuring your mail is redirected to your new location.

Relocating to a new place is often stressful as you have to leave your friendly neighborhood and convenient location for new territory. Adding to the stress is that you will need all your regular mails and periodicals (including letters and packages) to reach you smoothly in your new residence.

Let’s take a look at each option, so you can understand the whole process.

What is the USPS Change of Address Process?

You will need to submit a change of address request to your post office for many reasons. For example, if you and your family move to a new location, you will need to request a change of address for yourself and all family members. If you move your business to a new location, you want your mail to be forwarded to the new address, so again you need to request a change.

Change of address is a process that you can initiate and is done by postal services like the United States Postal Service (USPS). It allows individuals and businesses to update their mailing addresses when they move to a new location.

This process starts when you submit a change of address request to USPS, which can be done online or in person at your local post office.

After you submit your request, USPS will send a confirmation letter to your old address within five business days. This letter will confirm your change of address and provide a 16-digit numeric confirmation code for your records. This step ensures the request isn’t fraudulent. The entire address-changing process takes a few days to complete, with mail forwarding starting within 7-10 postal business days of the change of address start date.

As you can see, you need to submit your request at least 2 weeks before your move date.

2 Ways to Change Your Address

As we already mentioned above, you have available two ways to start change of address request with USPS, online or in person at local USPS postal office.

Let’s look at both of them:

1. Change of Address Request Online

Currently this is primary option provided by USPS because today there are not options to use phone or sending the form through mail.

On the other hand, this is perhaps the most time-efficient and convenient method of changing an address. You can do it from the comfort of your couch, at whatever time you please. To change your address online, simply log on to the USPS website here: https://moversguide.usps.com/.

Filing an address request online is convenient and can be done using an existing USPS account for faster processing.

Before you start filling out the change of address request online form, you must select who is moving, there are three options: individual, family, or business. In such a way, different forms will be shown that you must fill and send your request to your postal service.

Then, you can navigate to the USPS Change of Address form, and fill out the required fields with accurate information.

You’ll be asked to provide an e-mail address, where USPS will send you a confirmation e-mail.

For security and potential fraud, you must go through a multi-factor authentication process, which involves verifying your mobile phone number with a one-time passcode and a valid credit or debit card authentication. However, you must be sure that the address on your credit card matches the old or new address you used in the request to change the address.

You’ll know that your address change has been successful when you receive a confirmation email.

If you can’t authenticate the request, you must go to your local postal office and request the change of address phisically.

2. Change of Address Request Physically at Local Post Office

If you experience online authentication failure you will receive an email with instructions how to continue and a barcode to verify your identity in person at your local postal service.

This option requires that you visit your local post office, and authenticate your identity with a photo identification document such as:

• State issued driver’s license or non-driver’s license identification card (name and address must match the old or new address on your request)
• Uniformed Services Identification Card or
• U.S. Passport

However, Uniformed Services Identification Card and passport will require a secondary form of identification such as:

• Lease, mortgage or deed of trust
• Voter or vehicle registration card
• Home or vehicle insurance policy or card.

You can then go back home. It’s worth noting that a change of address at the post office is free. If you want to save time, consider downloading and filling out the change of address form at home before you visit the post office.

If you request change of address for your family and there are members of your household with different last names that are moving with you, but others are staying, you must fill out and submit another form (Change Of Address – COA form) for each person in your family that is moving, using the “individual” option.

Mail Forwarding Options

The USPS offers two main types of mail forwarding options to suit different needs: temporary and permanent. You can file a temporary address with the USPS or a permanent one. So, you will fill out PS Form 3575 depending on whether you decide to move to a new location for a specific period or permanently.

A temporary change of address (temporary forwarding) is the ideal option if you are planning to relocate only for a few months or less than a year, say, spending winter in a warm place. In such a way you will ensure to have your mail forwarded to your new address for a specified period.

Temporary mail forwarding lasts a maximum of 364 days while standard mail forwarding lasts up to 12 months for First-Class mail, however, you can pay to extend it for 6, 12, or 18 months more.

So, your first-class mails other than business emails will be forwarded to your temporary address.

On the other hand, permanent forwarding is for long-term moves, with your mail redirected indefinitely to your new location. When you opt for the permanent option, USPS will forward all your first-class mails and periodicals to your new residence for a specified period.

The USPS offers a premium forwarding service for those requiring more frequent mail delivery. This service includes weekly or daily Priority Mail shipments for an additional fee, ensuring that you receive your mail promptly and conveniently.

Costs and Fees Associated with Changing Your Address

When you change your address with the USPS, there are some small fees to be aware of. When submitting a Change of Address request online, this $1.10 authentication fee applies regarding identity verification. This is processed through a credit or debit card and helps prevent fraud.

But if you want to do it in person at your local post office using PS Form 3575, there is no additional fee for identity verification.

Mail-in address changes don’t have an identity verification fee, but you may need to pay for postage to send the forms. And the USPS offers extended mail forwarding options for an extra fee if you need your mail forwarded for a longer period.

Best Practices for a Smooth Address Change

So, to avoid any hiccups, make sure you plan ahead and submit your request at least 2 weeks before your move date. Online is the most efficient way to do it and you can just input the required info on the USPS website. Verifying with a credit or debit card ensures it’s secure and fast. Also, online requests are typically processed faster than in-person requests at a post office.

Consistency across all entities is key. Make sure you notify banks, employers, insurance companies and subscription services so essential communications aren’t interrupted. Create a list of these services to track and confirm.

Double check the info you input is crucial to avoid delays. Reconfirm both your old and new address to minimize errors. If you run into any problems, contacting USPS support can help resolve it ASAP.

Remember, changing your address with USPS doesn’t change it with other organizations. You need to notify them separately to make sure all your important mail gets to your new address without a hitch.

In Conclusion

Now that you understand the four USPS change of address options, it’s up to you to choose the one that works best for you. For most, the online requests are the most convenient, making it a popular choice. The most important thing, however, is to ensure that you’ve updated your address before you get comfortable in your new home, no matter how you do so.