How to Forward Postal Mail

If you are moving to a new address, or heading to your vacation home, then 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 in order to avoid any delays in forwarding your mail. 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. Here is how you can forward your postal mail.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• PS Form 3575 or computer with Internet

1. 
    
   United States Post Office

   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, or [phone]. You may also access and submit the form electronically on the Internet at the USPS website. (See Resources.)

2. 
    
   PS Form 3575

   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.

3. Indicate whether the move is temporary in Box 2. If you are 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.

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.

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, as their school district sometimes sends documents in the children's name. If your business is moving, indicate the name of the business in Box 6; otherwise, leave Box 6 blank.

6. Print your current, or old, mailing address in Box 7. Remember to include your ZIP code, especially if you are filling the form out online or mailing it in, to help it get to your old post office.

7. Enter your new mailing address in Box 8.

8. Print and sign your name in Box 9.

9. Enter the date in Box 10 before submitting the form. Incomplete forms can result in delays in processing your request.

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 up to 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.

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 quickly.

References

• Options for Receiving Mail
• Premium Forwarding Service - Terms and Conditions

Resources

• Options for Receiving Mail

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