How to Change Your Address?

How to Change Your Address When You Move – Start By Verifying It

The first thing you should do after moving in is to confirm your new place of residence. You can do that by checking with your landlord or realtor. Here are the steps you should take:

• Consider checking the apartment number and the spelling of the street name and the city
• If your residence is in a recently constructed building, check whether the developer modified the original street name
• Verify the zip code

Visit the Post Office Page

If you don’t have much time and want to finish this process as soon as possible, you should visit the Official USPS Change of Address website and follow these instructions:

• Make sure you have a valid email address.
• At the very beginning, you will receive an email that confirms the

• You will need your credit card information with you, as there is a fee to do this online. It is a verification fee to prevent fraud.

Change the Address of All Family Members

If you are moving with kids and family, then you need to do the same thing for everyone. Be prepared to fill the appropriate form of your location change depending on whether you are all moving together or not.

Notify Governmental Institutions

In case you want to inform the IRS that your place of residence has changed, you can do the following:

• Download Form 8822 from the website and fill it out
• You can also contact the IRS center and send them information about your last return, old and current location, your full name, social security number, and signature

To inform the state tax agency, go to your specific state’s government website and look for instructions. If you are a recipient of social security benefits, let the SSA (Social Security Administration) know about your updated location. You can fill out the application online or give them a call.

Housing Utility Service Providers – They Should Know Also

We recommend that you deal with utilities at least two weeks before the move so that you don’t end up not having water or electricity in your new place. Make sure to inform the following utility service providers:

• Gas and electric
• Phone
• Cable
• Internet
• Water department
• Sewer utility company
• Garbage/recycling company

Notify Banks, Doctors and Your Boss

In case you think that you might overlook to inform important institutions and services and leave them in the dark about your upcoming relocation, maybe the preferred solution is making a list. You should definitely notify:

• Banks and credit card companies
• Doctors and dentists
• Magazines and newspapers
• Clubs and associations
• Your employer
• Your kids’ school and kindergarten
• Any other home-based service you subscribe to

Don’t Forget to Update Your Driver’s License

As one of the most used personal identification documents, your driver’s license should also have the correct place of residence. Updating this information will make it easier to update your vehicle registration papers as well. Check your state’s website and make these changes by email or online if it’s possible.

Loan and Insurance Providers

Your loans are crucial and must not be overlooked since it’s your responsibility to inform the bank or another loan provider about the relocation.

Also, agencies that provide you with various insurance policies (health, dental, car, life, etc.) should be kept in the loop as well. If your health insurance is in the federal jurisdiction, visit their website and follow the directions outlined there.

Other Ways of Changing Your Box Number

Sometimes, the above mentioned methods are simply not convenient. For example, you might not have your internet connection set up in your new home yet. Alternatively, if you are the kind of person who likes doing important things eye-to-eye, that means you should consider some of the following methods.

Over-the-Phone Method

This alternative allows you to shift your place of residence without leaving your home.

• Contact your local post office and ask for instructions. They should be able to send them to your email.
• You will probably be charged a verification fee for over-the-phone service.

In-Person – Visiting Your Local Post Office

This might not be the fastest way out there to go about changing your residential information, but you will at least be sure that everything is done the right way – in-person. On top of that, you will avoid paying the service fee for telephone and online assistance.

• Fill out a form given to you by the post office staff. Print it out from the USPS website or find it in the nearest office.
• Provide all the necessary information such as your name, the old and the up-to-date addresses, declare whether it is a temporary or permanent relocation, and so on. Also, if other family members moved to the new place with you, don’t forget to state that on the form.
• After handing in the filled-out form to the office personnel, you’ve finalized the process.

By Mail – Using USA Postal Service

After filling out the PS Form 3575 at home, you can send it by mail to the USPS. Here are the steps:

• Download the printable form.
• Print out the COA form (Change of Address), fill it out correctly and mail it to the United States Postal Service
• Apply a First Class postage
• A move validation letter should arrive at your old location after some time
• A confirmation letter will be sent to your new location within ten days after your application

Help Your Friends and Family Keep in Touch

During the chaotic moving process, don’t forget to tell your friends and family what your new place of residence is. A good idea is to make a list of everyone you’d like to inform, and then just send them an email with your accurate location information.

Whether you’re moving by yourself or shipping your belongings to another state using the moving services of professional movers, your daily routine will definitely be disrupted. Doing everything in a proper, organized, and safe way is, however, feasible if your to-do moving list is written down and ready to be checked off. With a reliable moving company, that’s going to be easy. When it comes to changing your residential information, this process requires time, but it’s much easier to take care of it sooner rather than later. So, update your place of residence now and don’t worry about letters, packages, and important documents being misplaced or lost forever.