How to Forward Postal Mail
If you're moving to a new address or heading to your vacation home, you need to let the U.S. Postal Service know to forward your mail. Notifying the Postal Service about two weeks before your departure will allow adequate time for your change of address to be processed. Changes made at the last minute will result in your mail being held for several days at your local post office, delaying delivery of bills or checks.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Request a change of address kit or PS Form 3575 from your mail carrier or the postmaster of your local post office, or by calling 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777). You may also access and submit the form online at the U.S. Postal Service website.
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2
Use a blue or black ink pen to fill in the requested information, beginning with Box 1, which asks whether the entire family will need mail forwarded or just one individual.
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3
Indicate whether the move is temporary in Box 2. If you're going to your summer or winter home for a few months, or perhaps doing an internship for a year, choose "temporary" and enter the date you want the mail forwarding to stop in Box 4. Choose "no" in Box 2 if you will not be returning to your old address, and leave Box 4 empty.
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4
Enter the date that you want your mail carrier or postmaster to begin forwarding your mail to your new address and discontinue delivery to your mailbox, in Box 3.
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5
Fill in your last name in 5a and your first name in 5b. If your household has more than one last name, you will need to fill out this form for each last name. This is required for children, too, since schools and family members sometimes send documents in the child's name. If your business is moving, indicate the name of the business in Box 6; otherwise, leave Box 6 blank.
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6
Print your current, or old, mailing address in Box 7. Remember to include your ZIP code.
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7
Enter your new mailing address in Box 8.
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Print and sign your name in Box 9.
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Enter the date in Box 10 before submitting the form. Incomplete forms can result in delays in processing your request.
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10
Consider the U.S. Postal Service's Premium Forwarding Service if you need or want your bulk-rate mail, or if you will be gone for more than six months and do not want to change your address on your periodicals, or if you do not want to give anyone your temporary address. All of your mail is collected at your post office and sent to you in a priority package once a week for a prepaid fee, for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of one year. This service has an enrollment fee of $15 and a weekly fee of $13.95, and it's available for domestic service only.
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Tips & Warnings
First-class mail, including letters and bills, will be forwarded for up to 18 months. After 18 months, your first-class Mail will be returned to the sender as "Unable to Forward, UTF" if you have not given the sender your new address.
Bulk-rate mail will not be forwarded and will be discarded by the Postal Service. While bulk-rate mail is mostly what people consider junk mail, it also includes blank income tax forms and most stock proxy information.
Magazines will be forwarded for only six months, so be sure to notify periodicals about your address change.
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