Change of Address Checklist: Who to Tell When You Move in 2026

A change of address after a move takes about six separate notices, not one. Start with the U.S. Postal Service for forwarding. Then tell the IRS directly, update Social Security, which also updates Medicare, and call any Medicare plan you have. Finish with your state motor vehicle office, voter registration, banks and insurers.

In the conveyancing office where I worked, the most common post-sale problem was not the sale. It was mail going to the old house for months. A final water bill, a tax notice, a pension statement. When I moved cities at 52, I made the same mistake with one account and only found out when a renewal lapsed.

This how-to is for anyone in their fifties or sixties moving home, whether you are selling, downsizing or renting for the first time in years. It sets out who to tell, in what order, and which steps people skip. Rules and fees below are current as of October 2026. This is general guidance, not legal advice, and state rules vary.

Step 1: File Your USPS Change of Address First

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is the safety net that catches everything else. File it first and early. According to the USPS mail forwarding page, forwarding may start within three business days, but you should allow up to two weeks.

You have two ways to file. Online, the Postal Service charges an identity verification fee, listed at $1.25 when I checked. In person, you can pick up the free Mover’s Guide packet at your local post office and fill in the card.

Choose permanent or temporary carefully. A permanent change forwards mail for 12 months. A temporary change runs from 15 days up to one year, which suits a short rental while you look for somewhere to buy. If you need longer, USPS sells Extended Mail Forwarding for 6, 12 or 18 more months. It cannot be cancelled or refunded, so only buy it if you are sure.

How Do You Avoid Change of Address Scams?

Type the USPS web address yourself instead of clicking a search ad. Copycat sites buy ads that sit above the real one and charge far more for the same form. The official USAGov guide to changing your address warns that scammers may charge $40 or more for a change that costs about a dollar.

The warning signs are easy to spot once you know them. Watch for these:

If you have already paid one of these sites, call your card issuer and ask about disputing the charge. Then file the real request.

Step 2: Tell the IRS Directly

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not reliably learn about your move from the Post Office. The IRS address change FAQ notes that not all post offices forward government checks. It recommends telling the IRS yourself.

You can do that in four ways. File Form 8822, put the new address on your next tax return, mail a signed letter, or call or visit with proof of identity. A letter must include your full name, old and new addresses, and your Social Security number. The IRS says a change can take four to six weeks to process.

Timing matters most if you sold a house this year. Your closing company may issue Form 1099-S, and any IRS letter about it should reach you. Our explainer on capital gains tax when selling a family home covers when that form means you have to report the sale.

One detail catches couples. If you filed jointly but now live at different addresses, each of you must notify the IRS separately.

Step 3: Update Social Security and Medicare

The Social Security Administration (SSA) holds the address for your benefits. If you are on Medicare, it also holds your official Medicare address. Updating SSA once covers both. The USAGov guide points to SSA’s own online service for this, and you can also phone or visit a local office.

Do this before the move if you can. Benefit letters, cost-of-living notices and a new Medicare card can all go to the old address otherwise.

Call your Medicare plan as well

Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans cover set service areas. If your new home is outside that area, you need a new plan. The Medicare special enrollment period rules reward telling the plan early.

If you tell your plan before you move, your window to switch starts the month before you move. It lasts for two full months after. If you tell them after, the window starts when you move. I would call the plan the same week you sign a lease or a contract.

Step 4: State Records, Voting and Your Car

State records are where moves across a state line get complicated. Each state sets its own deadline for a new driver’s license and vehicle registration, and those deadlines can be short. Check your new state’s motor vehicle website in your first week.

Voter registration is separate again. USAGov lists your state election office as its own step. A move within the same county may be a quick online update. A move to a new state means registering there.

Here is how the main government notices compare:

Step 5: The Private Accounts People Forget

Government notices are only half the job. The rest are private accounts, and nobody sends you a reminder. In my own move, the one I missed was a small insurance policy I paid once a year.

Work through this list, roughly in order of how much harm a missed letter could do:

Save the old house’s final utility readings with your moving papers. Disputes over a last bill are common, and a dated photo of the meter settles most of them.

When You Move Twice: Renting Before You Buy

Many people selling a family home rent for a while before buying again. I did. That means two moves, and two rounds of notices, within a year or so. It is worth planning the address changes for both from the start.

A temporary USPS change can help here. You can forward mail to the rental for up to a year, then file a permanent change when you buy. The catch is that temporary forwarding does not tell anyone else you moved. Banks, the IRS and Social Security still need your real current address each time.

Some movers use a trusted relative’s address or a post office box as a fixed point during the gap. That can reduce the number of changes. Check first with your bank and your state, because some accounts and licenses require a residential address rather than a mailing address. Rules differ from state to state.

Keeping One Record of Every Notice

Keep a simple log as you go. Write down who you told, the date, how you did it and any confirmation number. A single page in your moving folder is enough.

That log earns its place a few months later. When a letter turns up at the old address, you can see at once whether you told that company. You also have proof if a bank insists it never heard from you. In my conveyancing days, the clients with a log solved problems in one phone call.

Ask a neighbor or the buyer of your old home to text you if anything slips through after forwarding ends. Most people are happy to help, and it costs nothing. For more on keeping move documents in order, see our property paperwork guides.

Your Change of Address Order, in Short

Forward your mail first, through the real USPS site or the free paper card. Tell the IRS and Social Security directly, and call any Medicare plan before you leave its area. Then work through your state records and private accounts, logging each one.

Set aside one evening a week before the move for the government notices. Leave the private accounts for your first quiet weekend in the new place. If your circumstances are complicated, such as a pending tax matter or benefits from more than one agency, check with the agency or a professional before you rely on forwarding alone.

✻ This guide is part of our Paperwork series. One small job a week arrives in Sunday Notes, with nothing to sell you.