Change of Address

You can file a change of address two ways: online at usps.com, which carries a $1.25 identity-verification fee charged to a credit or debit card, or in person at any post office using PS Form 3575, which is free. You don't need to track this form down yourself — ask for a free Mover's Guide packet at the counter, which has it already inside; it just asks for your move type (individual, family, or business), whether it's temporary or permanent, and your old and new addresses. Both routes forward mail to your new address for a limited period rather than permanently — you should still update your address directly with banks, subscriptions, and other senders during that window.

Not all mail forwards the same way. First-Class mail and periodicals like magazines are forwarded for free, as are Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and USPS Ground Advantage packages. Media Mail is forwarded too, but you pay the shipping cost from your old post office to your new address. USPS Marketing Mail — most flyers and catalogs addressed to you by name — isn't forwarded at all, so you'll stop getting some mail immediately even with an active change of address on file.

Forwarding typically lasts around 12 months for most first-class mail. You can pay to extend it for another 6, 12, or 18 months once your standard period is running — USPS sends a reminder email when you have a month left — but extended forwarding can't be canceled or refunded once purchased. After your forwarding period ends completely, USPS returns any further mail to the sender with your new address on it for 6 months, giving slower senders a chance to catch up on their own.

If you're only relocating for 15 days to a year, such as for school, file a temporary change of address instead of a permanent one — the process is the same either way. Special situations like filing for someone else, for a deceased person, for a military move, or for a business each have their own document requirements and generally must be handled in person at a post office rather than online.

If you're moving within an area covered by this site, use the state and city listings here to find your new local post office and its hours before you need it.