When you move, tell each sender your new address, and use mail forwarding as a back-up

Telling the post office you have moved does not move all your mail. In the US, USPS’s own page lists mail it does not forward, and the list includes bank statements, insurance papers and identity documents.

Before you move, list everyone who sends you mail or bills, tell each one your new address yourself, and set up the post office’s mail forwarding as a back-up.

This page covers moves inside the US and inside the UK. If you are moving away from someone who frightens or follows you, the usual steps here may not be the safe ones. The last section, “Who this page is not for”, says where to get help.

What forwarding does not do

Forwarding changes where the post office delivers. It does not change what the bank, the tax office or your landlord have on file. In the US, USPS says: “Your change of address order only changes your mailing address with the Post Office. You are responsible for telling government agencies, companies, and any other senders that your address has changed.” USPS lists mail that is not forwarded:

• “Identity documents, especially driver’s licenses and voter registration”
• “Credit cards, bank statements, insurance info, and other financial or medical information”
• “Other personal or sensitive information”

USPS says mailers such as government agencies and financial institutions do not allow forwarding of these for security, and to “Contact the sender directly to change your address with them and determine sending options.” It also says that advertising mail (it calls it Marketing Mail) “is not forwarded unless the sender has paid forwarding postage”. The IRS says that “not all post offices forward government checks”, so you should also tell the IRS your new address directly.

In the UK, Royal Mail’s help pages list mail it cannot redirect. The list includes mail delivered by other couriers, items addressed “To the occupier”, and “Any mail the law prohibits us from redirecting.”

Some people say forwarding is still worth setting up, because it catches the update you forget. Some people also say it does not guarantee that every piece is forwarded, so some mail may still arrive at the old address.

Make the list first

Some people say a list of the banks, accounts and subscriptions that need your new address is more reliable than remembering them in the stress of the move. One person says a stable address also protects against losing tax papers such as a W-2, when an employer’s records are not updated. One person says that setting up electronic bill pay means bills still get paid if mail goes astray during a move.

USPS says most bills and statements have a place to report a change of address, and that it helps to tell senders at least two weeks before the move. USA.gov lists these US services to tell: federal taxes, Social Security, veterans benefits, immigration, driver’s license and vehicle registration, and voter registration. In the UK, GOV.UK says to tell HMRC if you have changed your address, to register to vote again at your new address (“You’ll need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address or nationality”), and to tell your council: its Council Tax page says to “tell your local council or tell the council for the new area you’ve moved to”. How soon, and what your old council needs to end your bill, is for each council to say. GOV.UK says that if you get Universal Credit, moving to a new address is one of the changes you need to report, and that you need to report changes “as soon as they happen” because “Any delay may mean you receive too much money and will have to make a repayment.” Citizens Advice can explain what applies to you (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020, Scotland 0800 028 1456; Northern Ireland: Advice NI 0800 915 4604).

Some address changes are rules, with deadlines or fines

In Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), GOV.UK says: “You must update your provisional or full driving licence when you move.” It also says: “You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when your address changes”, and that it does not cost anything to change your address with DVLA. If you are the registered keeper of a vehicle, it says you must update the vehicle’s log book, and that if you pay vehicle tax by Direct Debit you need to tell DVLA. What a missed update would cost you is for the agency to say, not this page. Citizens Advice can advise (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020, Scotland 0800 028 1456). In Northern Ireland the process is different; nidirect.gov.uk explains it.

In the US, each state sets its own rule for when and how to tell its motor vehicle agency of a new address, so this page gives no number; your state’s agency site has the deadline for your state. The same goes for any benefit office that pays you, which has its own rule on how soon it must be told. If you are not a US citizen, USCIS says that “all aliens in the United States must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving”, except A and G visa holders and visa waiver visitors, and that you can report it in a USCIS online account or file a paper Form AR-11 by mail. Immigration Law Help lists nonprofit immigration legal services by state. This page cannot tell you what a missed update would cost in your case. LawHelp.org points to legal help by state, and USAGov (1-844-872-4681) can tell you which office handles a question. A PO box is a mailing address, not the place you live. Some people say some organisations require a street address, and one person warns that some states fine people and cancel licences when the address on the licence does not match where they live.

Setting up forwarding

In the US, USPS says to choose a permanent change of address if you are moving, and to allow at least 7 to 10 business days for it to start. You choose “Individual”, “Family” (where everyone has the same last name) or “Business” for the move; one person says that mistakes here can cause loops or errors. You can file online or at a Post Office with photo ID and a PS Form 3575. Online, the card you pay with must have a billing address at your old or new address. USPS sends a Move Validation letter to the address you are moving from. If you cannot verify your identity online or at a Post Office, USPS says you cannot complete a change of address, and your only option is to contact everyone who might send you mail and give them your new address.

USPS Postal Inspectors say to visit USPS.com or your local Post Office to process any change of address. USA.gov says you do not need to pay a separate company to change your address, and the Postal Inspectors warned (page last updated October 2022) that some other websites charged up to $40, and “in some cases, the changes never get made.”

In the UK, Royal Mail says you have a statutory right to cancel a Redirection within 14 calendar days of its confirmation.

Mail for someone who lived there before you

In the US, USPS says that for mail addressed to someone who does not live at your address, you write “Not at this address” on the piece and give it to your mail carrier or drop it in a collection box, and “Don’t erase or mark over the address.” USPS also says: “Destroying mail that was not intended for you may be prohibited by US laws.”

In the UK, Royal Mail says: “You can cross out the address, write ‘Not known at this address’ or ‘No longer lives here,’ and drop it in a postbox”, and that it will try to return the mail to the sender. USPS and Royal Mail differ on crossing out the address, so follow the one for your country.

Do not open mail addressed to someone else. Mark it and put it back in the mail, the way USPS or Royal Mail says above.

If you are moving a service, such as an alarm or the internet

One person warns that a company can read ‘transfer’ or ‘relocate’ as moving the service while keeping the old account open and billing the old address, and says to use ‘cancel’, ‘terminate’ or ‘disconnect’ for the old one. One person says even that did not stop a charge, and one says some contracts need 30 days’ notice. Some people say refunds are not guaranteed and can take a long argument. If you rent, one person says to give your landlord your new address when you move out. This page does not cover refunds or what the law says about double billing. In the US, your state’s consumer protection office can help with a complaint against a business, and in England and Wales you can phone the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133. In Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) helps with consumer problems, and in Northern Ireland, Consumerline (0300 123 6262).

Who this page is not for

This page does not cover moving abroad, though USPS says that if you are leaving the US you must go to a Post Office before you leave to verify your identity and file in person. It does not cover living without a fixed address, or the mail of someone who has died.

If you are moving away from someone who is hurting, threatening or following you, a standard change of address may not be the safe step. USPS says it sends a Move Validation letter to the address you are moving from, and this page cannot say what that letter shows. USPS also says that when forwarding ends, it returns your mail to the sender for 6 months with a label that has your new address, so someone who writes to your old address could learn the new one. Royal Mail says that if you are setting up a Redirection because of personal safety concerns, you should not apply online but call 03457 777 888 and tell the staff why, and it says: “All calls are confidential.” In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) can help you think through a safety plan before you file anything. In the UK, the domestic abuse helpline for your nation can help with safety planning: in England the National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247), in Wales Live Fear Free (0808 80 10 800), in Scotland the Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline (0800 027 1234), and in Northern Ireland the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline (0808 802 1414). The National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300) gives advice on stalking. If you are in danger now, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.