How to Forward Mail (USPS Change of Address Step-by-Step)

Open Google and type 'usps mail forwarding' or 'usps change of address'. Look for the result with a moversguide.usps.com address - that's the real one. Click it.

Heads up on the ads at the top. Several scam sites buy ads that look like official USPS results and charge $20 to $40 to forward your mail. The actual USPS fee is $1.10. If the price you see is anything else, you're on the wrong site.

The landing page at moversguide.usps.com shows a banner that reads 'Official USPS Change-of-Address' along with a friendly cityscape illustration. This is the right place.

Scroll past the optional add-ons like voter registration and Bed Bath & Beyond coupons - those are upsells, not required steps. Keep scrolling down to the form itself.

The first section asks 'Who is moving?' with three options: Individual, Family, or Business. Pick Individual if it's just you. Pick Family if everyone in your household shares a last name and is moving together - one form covers all of them.

If anyone is moving to a different address or has a different last name, file separate Individual forms for each person. The Business option is for company mail, which works a little differently and forwards mail addressed to the business name, not to the people.

Under 'What's your contact information?' type your first name, middle initial if you use one, and last name. The suffix dropdown is for Jr., Sr., II, III - skip it if none of those apply.

Add your email address twice. USPS uses this to send a confirmation code and the receipt. Then add your phone number and pick Mobile or Home from the Phone Type dropdown.

USPS asks 'Are you planning on returning to your old address in six months or less?' Tap Yes if you're heading somewhere for a few months (college, a snowbird trip, an assignment) and coming home. Tap No if this is a real move and you're not planning to return.

Then pick a Mail Forwarding Date - the day USPS should start rerouting your mail. The date has to be between 30 days before today and 90 days from today. Mail usually starts showing up at the new address 7 to 10 business days after that date, so build in a small buffer.

Under 'What's your old address?' type the ZIP code first. USPS auto-fills the city and state once you tab away from the ZIP field. Then enter the street address exactly as mail arrives now, including apartment or suite numbers.

If your old address is a PO Box, put it in the Street Address line - like 'PO Box 1001'. USPS won't process change-of-address requests for non-USPS private mailboxes (PMBs) like the kind you rent at UPS Store or Mailboxes Etc., so those have to be handled directly with that mail service.

Scroll down to 'What's your new address?' and fill in the same fields - ZIP, city, state, street address, apartment or suite. USPS validates the address against its database while you type, so if you mistype a street, you'll see a red error before you can submit.

If you're moving to a brand-new construction address that USPS doesn't recognize yet, click 'I don't know my ZIP Code' for the lookup tool. New developments sometimes need a few weeks before USPS adds them to their database - call your local Post Office if the lookup tool can't find your new address.

On the last screen, USPS asks for a credit or debit card to verify your identity and charges $1.10. The billing address on the card has to match either your old address or your new one - this is how USPS confirms you're really the person moving.

Once the card clears, USPS emails you a confirmation code. Save that code - you'll need it if you ever want to edit, extend, or cancel the forwarding. Mail will start showing up at the new address 7 to 10 business days after your start date.