When moving your home, the first thing you need to do is get your address changed so that the USPS can forward your mail to your new address. The USPS offers a mail forwarding service for people moving in-state or out-of-state, both temporarily and permanently.
Why You Should Get Your Address Changed
It’s simple: if you do not get your address changed, you will miss out on all your important mail. This includes credit card and postpaid cellular connection bills, letters from authorities, etc. Not receiving such mail would result in non-payment of bills and consequently, you might end up serving jail time.
And that’s not it. If you do not update your address with the USPS, you will not be able to get it changed on your official identity documents which can cause problems for you. In extreme cases, you might be charged for hiding your address or providing a fake address because that is what people usually do when they are living in a state illegally.
So to avoid such incidents, you should sign up for the USPS mail forwarding when moving away.
How It Works
The USPS provides two options for getting your address changed: the offline method and the online method.
The USPS has an online address change method which means you no longer have to necessarily wait in long queues at the post office to get your work done; you can do it from your couch at home! All you have to do is open the USPS website and click on the “Change of Address” option. A new window will appear where you will have to fill out a form that includes information about your old and new delivery address. Once you have filled out the form, the website will ask you to pay a small fee of $1.05 through your credit card for verification purposes.
If you’re not tech-savvy, you can go for the offline method. This method requires visiting your local Post Office. There, you can ask the Post Office official for PS Form 3575, which is the change of address form. You can fill out this form immediately, or take it with you, fill it out at home and then submit it later along with the service fee. The process is fairly simple. In case of confusion, you can ask the Post Office official for help.
Once you have submitted the form, you will receive an acknowledgment letter from the USPS on your old address. You will also receive a confirmation letter a few days later, and finally, the welcome kit on your new address once the process has been finished. The whole process takes more than a week, so make sure you do not delay it till the last minute or else you will end up missing out on some of your really important mail.
Regular Vs. Premium Mail Forwarding Service
The USPS actually offers 2 types of mail forwarding services – regular and premium. To sign up for the regular mail forwarding service, you have to follow the steps given above.
For premium mail forwarding service, the process is a little different. Here you need to enroll by paying a one-time registration fee plus a weekly fee for every week that you are going to avail the service. You can use this service for as little as 2 weeks to 1 year. However, this Premium Forwarding Service costs higher than the Regular Forwarding Service.
If you opt for the premium service, you will have to pay more than the regular service, but at the same time, you will be put on the Priority Mail List and your mail will be delivered to you in less time as compared to the regular service. This service is ideal for those who receive important mail on a weekly basis, mainly due to the nature of their work or their position.
Find out more about mail forwarding here: https://www.unitedpostforwardonline.com/
