There are a number of reasons why you might need your mail forwarded. One other note: if you receive mail under more than one name, it’s best to file a change of address form for each name you use. If you’re expecting time-sensitive bills in the mail, you may want to make other arrangements to pay them until the mail forwarding process is well underway. According to the USPS, this can take anywhere from a few days to up to two weeks. Once your mail forwarding service is set up, the postal service or mail forwarding company you use will begin redirecting your mail to the forwarding address you provided: letters, packages, magazines, the whole shebang.įinally, you can expect to receive your forwarded mail at your new address. Currently the cost to file a change of address form online is $1.10 - less than the price of gas to get you to the post office. What’s more, you can also file a change of address form online. The USPS also publishes a Mover’s Guide that provides a range of tips for people who are relocating. There’s no charge to do so, though you may be asked to provide some form of identification. It’s best to drop off your change of address form at the post office yourself. But you don’t want your form to get lost in the sauce or accidentally delivered to someone’s home. Some of them are salt-of-the-earth type folks. Nothing against mail carriers, of course. But that’s probably not the safest route to take. Many of us are accustomed to putting our outgoing mail in our mail slots, and mail carriers are usually happy to mail our letters for us. Mail carriers often carry USPS change of address forms with them.

This can be a temporary or permanent address, depending on your needs. The form will ask you to provide the address where you want your mail forwarded. You can do this by filling out an official USPS change of address form with your postal service or signing up with a private mail forwarding company. Here’s how it typically works.įirst, you need to change your mailing address with the United States Postal Service and mail forwarding service. Mail forwarding is a service provided by postal authorities or private mail forwarding companies that allows you to receive mail at a different address than your current or primary address.

Usps form for forwarding mail