moving guide

Change of Address Checklist: Everyone to Notify When You Move

Updating your address sounds like one task. It's actually thirty small ones, and the ones you forget are the ones that bite: a missed bill that dings your credit, a package delivered to a stranger, a jury summons you never saw. Here is everyone to notify when you move, in the order that keeps you covered.

Start here: USPS mail forwarding

File a change of address with USPS at usps.com about two weeks before your move (it costs $1.10 to verify your identity online — anyone charging more is a scam site). Forwarding starts on the date you choose and lasts 12 months for first-class mail. This is your safety net for everything you forget below — but it's a net, not a fix. Senders see a "notify sender of new address" flag, and forwarding for magazines only lasts 60 days.

Government (the ones with deadlines)

DMV: driver's license and vehicle registration. Most states require this within 10–30 days of moving — it's the one with real penalties.
Voter registration: re-register at your new address (often bundled with the DMV update).
IRS: file Form 8822 so refunds and notices reach you.
Social Security Administration: if you receive benefits.
Immigration (USCIS): non-citizens must file Form AR-11 within 10 days of moving.

Money

Banks and credit unions — every institution where you hold an account.
Credit card companies — billing address mismatches can decline online purchases.
Employer HR and payroll — your W-2 goes to the address on file.
Insurance: auto, health, renters/home, life. Auto insurance rates change with your ZIP code, so this can actually save (or cost) you money.
Investment and retirement accounts, loan servicers, and anyone you owe.

Home services

Electric, gas, water, trash: schedule shut-off at the old place for the day after you leave and turn-on at the new place for the day before you arrive.
Internet and cable: book installation 2+ weeks ahead — appointment slots go fast.
Phone carrier — billing address, and check coverage at the new place.

Health

Doctors, dentist, and pediatrician — request records if you're switching practices.
Pharmacy: transfer active prescriptions before you run out.
Vet: records and any microchip registry — update your pet's address too.

Everything on subscription

Online shopping defaults: Amazon, food delivery, rideshare — anywhere with a saved address. Update these first; they're where surprise packages come from.
Streaming and subscription boxes, meal kits, contact lens deliveries.
Gym and memberships — transfer or cancel local ones.
Magazines and newspapers — remember, USPS only forwards these for 60 days.

People

Family and friends — a group text works fine.
Schools: transfer enrollment and records.
Your old landlord needs your new address to return the security deposit.

The timing cheat sheet

2 weeks before: USPS forwarding, utilities scheduled, internet booked.
1 week before: banks, cards, employer, insurance, subscriptions.
First week after: DMV, voter registration, IRS, doctors, and everything the forwarded mail reminds you about.

Working through a bigger move? Start with the complete week-by-week moving checklist, or see what to pack first so the boxes don't pile up at the end.