A USPS change of address is filed online through the official USPS Change of Address site, where you verify your identity and pay a small verification fee, or for free at a Post Office with PS Form 3575 and photo ID. Mail starts arriving at your new address 7 to 10 postal business days after your move date or filing date, whichever is later, and standard forwarding lasts 12 months.
You can file up to 3 months before your move and up to 30 days after it. This guide covers each step, what gets forwarded, how long it lasts and the cases where USPS requires an in-person request.
How Do You File a USPS Change of Address?
USPS accepts change-of-address requests in two ways. Phone requests aren’t one of them, and third-party “change of address” websites that show up in search results often charge far more than USPS for the same filing, so start from usps.com/move.
| Method | What you need | Fee | Required when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (official USPS site) | Old and new addresses, start date, email, a mobile phone for the verification code, and a card for the verification fee | Small identity-verification fee | Most individual, family and business moves |
| In person (PS Form 3575) | Completed Mover’s Guide form and acceptable photo ID | Free | International moves, filing for someone else, or when online verification fails |
Filing online
- Go to usps.com/move and choose Individual, Family (everyone at the address with the same last name) or Business.
- Enter your old address, new address and the date forwarding should start, and choose a permanent or temporary move.
- Verify your identity with the code or link USPS sends to your mobile phone, and pay the verification fee.
- Save the confirmation code from the confirmation email. You’ll need it to change or cancel the request.
If online verification fails, USPS emails instructions and a barcode. Bring that email and photo ID to a Post Office to finish the request there.
Filing in person
Ask at any Post Office counter for the free Mover’s Guide packet, fill out PS Form 3575 and hand it to a retail associate with acceptable photo ID. There’s no verification fee because the clerk checks your ID in person.
When Does a USPS Change of Address Take Effect?
Expect forwarded mail to start arriving 7 to 10 postal business days after your move date or the date you filed, whichever comes later. Filing a couple of weeks before you move gives the forwarding order time to reach your old Post Office before the first piece needs to follow you.
USPS sends two letters along the way. A Move Validation Letter goes to your old address so anyone still living there can flag a request they didn’t make. A Customer Notification Letter reaches your new address about 5 business days before the start date and confirms the move.
What Mail Does USPS Forward?
A change of address covers mail handled by USPS. How each piece is treated depends on the mail class the sender paid for:
| Mail class | Forwarded? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Mail | Yes, free | Letters, bills and cards for the full 12 months |
| Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express | Yes, free | Packages and envelopes |
| USPS Ground Advantage | Yes, free | Most everyday packages sent by USPS |
| Periodicals | Yes, free for 60 days | Only when the sender fully prepaid postage; update subscriptions directly |
| Media Mail | Yes, postage due | You pay to ship it from your old Post Office to the new address |
| USPS Marketing Mail | No | Unless the sender paid for forwarding |
| Sensitive items from government agencies and financial institutions | No | IDs, credit cards, bank statements, medical and insurance information |
Parcels from UPS, FedEx or other private carriers aren’t covered at all, because those carriers don’t use USPS forwarding orders. Our guide to USPS package forwarding options explains which packages follow you after you move and how to redirect one that’s already on its way, including USPS Package Intercept.
How Long Does USPS Mail Forwarding Last?
A permanent change of address forwards mail for 12 months. Temporary changes cover stays from 15 days up to 1 year and end on the date you choose, which suits seasonal homes, school terms or long work assignments.
- Extensions: You can pay to extend permanent forwarding by 6, 12 or 18 months, to a maximum of 18 extra months. Extensions can’t be canceled or refunded once bought.
- After forwarding ends: For the next 6 months, USPS returns mail to senders with a label showing your new address, so they can update their records.
- Short trips: If you’re only away for 3 to 30 days, USPS Hold Mail pauses delivery instead of forwarding it.
Premium Forwarding Service is a separate paid option. For residential customers, USPS packs your mail at the Post Office and ships it to you weekly by Priority Mail, which helps when you’re moving between temporary addresses.
When Does USPS Require an In-Person Change of Address?
Some situations can’t be handled through online verification and need documents at a Post Office:
- International moves: File in person before you leave.
- Filing for someone else: A person who can’t act for themselves needs an agent with power of attorney. For a minor, an authorized agent brings the child’s birth certificate.
- A deceased person’s mail: The executor or administrator files in person with the documents that authorize them. A death certificate alone isn’t enough.
- Businesses filing in person: Bring a notarized letter, power of attorney or a letter on company letterhead from someone in a leadership role.
- Military moves: Coordinate with your command first. Online requests from a military address need a .gov, .mil or .edu email.
If you’re routing mail to a virtual mailbox or a commercial mail receiving agency rather than a new home, that arrangement runs on USPS Form 1583, authorizing a mail agent, not on a change-of-address order.
What Are the Most Common Change of Address Problems?
Mail still going to the old address
Check that the start date has passed by more than 10 postal business days and that the old address matches USPS’s format exactly, including apartment or unit numbers. Marketing Mail and private-carrier packages will keep going to the old address no matter what, because forwarding doesn’t cover them.
Needing to change or cancel the request
Use the confirmation code from your confirmation email on the USPS change-of-address site to edit the start date or cancel the request. If you filed in person and lost the paperwork, ask at the Post Office that serves your old address.
Important senders never updated
A change of address updates USPS only. Banks, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, your state DMV, employers and subscriptions all need your new address directly, ideally before the 12 months run out.
Documents that need proof
For legal notices you mail to your old landlord or a lender during the move, a USPS return receipt as proof of delivery gives you a signature record that ordinary forwarded mail doesn’t.
How Do You Ship From Your New Address?
Update the return address on your shipping account as soon as you move, because a forwarding order doesn’t change the ship-from address on labels you buy. Returned or undeliverable packages go back to whatever address the label shows.
If you’re sending boxes ahead of the move, ParcelPath is free and offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS, with free USPS pickups from your door. You can compare Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and UPS Ground for each box in the ParcelPath rate calculator, and our USPS shipping hub with rates, tracking and services covers each USPS service in more depth. Larger moves that need several carriers are compared in our roundup of shipping services and solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance can I file a USPS change of address?
USPS lets you file up to 3 months before your move date and up to 30 days after it. Filing about two weeks ahead works well, because mail typically starts arriving at the new address 7 to 10 postal business days after the move date or filing date, whichever is later. You choose the start date when you submit the request.
Is a USPS change of address free?
Filing in person at a Post Office with PS Form 3575 and photo ID is free. Filing online on the official USPS site includes a small identity-verification fee charged to a card. Standard forwarding itself costs nothing for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage, though Media Mail is forwarded postage due.
Does a change of address forward packages?
Yes, for packages sent by USPS. Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage packages are forwarded free for the 12-month forwarding period, while Media Mail arrives with postage due. Packages shipped by UPS, FedEx or other private carriers aren’t covered, so update your address with those retailers or use the carrier’s own delivery-change tools.
Can I file a change of address for my whole family?
Yes. The Family option covers everyone at the old address who shares the same last name and is moving to the same new address. Household members with a different last name, or anyone moving somewhere else, need their own Individual request. Filing for a minor or another adult who can’t act for themselves must be done in person with documents.
What happens to my mail when forwarding ends?
After the 12-month forwarding period, USPS spends the next 6 months returning mail to senders with a label showing your new address, so they can update their records. After that, mail addressed to the old address goes back as undeliverable. You can pay to extend forwarding by 6, 12 or 18 months before the original period runs out.
Sources
- USPS: Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
- USPS FAQ: Change of Address, The Basics
- USPS: Official Change-of-Address Form
- USPS FAQ: USPS Hold Mail, The Basics
- USPS: Premium Forwarding Services
Part of our USPS Locations guide. Related: USPS Locations and Access Points, Post Office Near Me, USPS Collection Box.
