Change of Address Checklist: Who to Notify When You Move

Changing your address sounds like one task. It isn’t.

You file the USPS form, sure. Then three days later you remember the bank. Then your driver’s license. Then the electric company. Then the doctor’s office. Then the subscription box that apparently knows where you live better than some members of your family.

A complete change of address checklist is usually 15 or 20 separate updates. The easiest way to handle it is to split the job in two: what to do before the move, and what to clean up after you’ve actually moved.

For all California locals tired of searching “who to notify when moving” online, here’s the detailed list. If you’re also interested in learning more about how long does USPS mail forwarding take, scroll further. All the answers are here.

Start With USPS Mail Forwarding

This is the first one because it catches the mail you forgot about.

You can submit a USPS Change of Address online or at a Post Office. Online requests require identity verification and currently carry a $1.25 verification fee. The standard forwarding service itself is free.  Do it before moving day rather than waiting until you’re standing in the new house wondering why nothing has arrived. USPS says forwarded mail generally begins arriving at the new address within 7-10 postal business days after the forwarding start date.

Also, USPS itself recommends separately updating government agencies, banks, insurance companies and other businesses. Otherwise, you’ll spend months discovering which company still thinks you live at the old place.

Government and Legal Addresses

These are the ones we’d move toward the top of the list because missing a random magazine is one thing and missing something important from the DMV or IRS is another.

California DMV

If you’re moving within California, local law requires you to notify the DMV of your new address within 10 days. This applies to your driver’s license or ID records and vehicle registration information. You can submit the change online, by mail or in person.

One slightly annoying detail: changing your address does not automatically mean you’ll receive a new physical driver’s license. If you want a replacement card showing the new address, that’s a separate step. A quick rundown for everyone who’s still wondering “Do I need to update my address with the DMV in California?” It’s pretty much simple:

• Update your driver’s license/ID address.
• Update your vehicle address.
• Do it within 10 days.
• Don’t assume your physical license will magically show up with the new address.

If you’re moving within Los Angeles, our local moving services can handle the physical part while you’re dealing with the paperwork.

IRS and Taxes

If the IRS still has your old address, update it.

You can use Form 8822, update the address when filing your next return, or use another IRS-approved method. The IRS notes that USPS forwarding does not replace notifying the IRS directly, particularly because not all government correspondence is forwarded.

Voter Registration

If you’ve moved, update your voter registration address as well.

California says voters who move can update their residence address by re-registering online or submitting a paper application. A DMV or USPS address update can also trigger an automatic update through California’s voter-registration systems, but it’s still worth checking that the record is correct.

Banks, Insurance and Anything Involving Money

This is the section where “I’ll get to it later” tends to become a problem.

Update:

• Bank accounts
• Credit cards
• Mortgage
• Auto insurance
• Renters or homeowners insurance
• Health insurance
• Any other financial accounts that send statements or important documents

Check both the mailing address and, where relevant, the residential address. They’re not always the same thing.

If you’re planning a move and haven’t booked the movers yet, check our moving rates as part of the same planning process. The address changes and the physical move are two different jobs, but they tend to happen on the same very busy week.

Utilities, Subscriptions and Deliveries

This is the boring stuff. Which means it’s exactly the stuff people forget.

Before moving day, arrange the shutoff or transfer of:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Internet
• Cable
• Trash service

Then update the services that actually deliver things to your house, like Amazon, grocery delivery, subscription boxes, online retailers, newspaper or magazine subscriptions, etc. Delete the old address from shopping accounts where possible. Otherwise your new blender may have an exciting little adventure to your previous house.

Work, School and Medical Records

Your employer or HR department needs the new address, particularly if they mail tax forms or other documents. Then think about everybody who keeps records for you.

School or daycare. Doctor. Dentist. Pharmacy. If you have prescriptions shipped to your home, update that address separately rather than assuming every medical system shares the same information.

And yes, update the vet. Your dog cannot do it.

Friends, Family and the Random Mailing List Problem

This part is easier. Tell the people who actually need to know.

Friends. Family. Anyone who regularly sends you things. Then unsubscribe from the mailing lists you don’t want following you into the new house. Somehow, the coupon catalog you haven’t opened since 2019 will find you.

It always does.

Your Moving Checklist Address Change Timeline

Don’t try to update everything on moving day. You’ll have enough going on.

About 2 weeks before the move:

• Submit your USPS Change of Address
• Notify your bank and credit-card companies
• Update insurance
• Arrange utility shutoffs or transfers
• Update your employer
• Notify your school or daycare
• Update doctors, dentist, pharmacy and vet
• Change important shopping and delivery addresses
• Update subscriptions
• Check DMV requirements if you’re moving within California.

On moving day:

• Keep your confirmation numbers and moving paperwork handy
• Make sure utilities are active at the new home
• Check that the new address is correctly entered in your important accounts
• Keep an eye out for anything that still arrives at the old address

If you’re making a larger move, knowing your moving cost ahead of time can help. A good quote should be based on the actual job rather than a guess you have to untangle later.

Within 2 weeks after moving:

• Confirm USPS forwarding is working
• Verify your DMV address if you’re in California
• Check your voter registration
• Confirm banks and insurance have the new address
• Update anything you missed
• Start watching your mail for evidence of the accounts you forgot

There will probably be one. There always is.

Moving is already enough paperwork without discovering six months later that your bank, DMV and dentist are all still sending things to the old house. Make the list. Work through it. Then you can forget about addresses for a while and concentrate on the actual move.