Change of address checklist — who to notify when moving

Moving is one of those things in life that arguably elicit all of our available emotions, from the good to the not so good.

From the joy of figuring out your new apartment, house, or wherever you plan to reside, to the stress and consumption of time from packing, organizing, to everything in between.

All in all, moving is a big part, and in many cases, a necessary part of life that many of us experience.

When planning for a move, there are also many other things to consider other than packing and organizing. These are the things that may initially go overlooked and might cause some headaches down the line if not taken care of at the appropriate time.

One of these elements is that of an address change. 

If that’s something that made you just say ‘oh yeah, that’s right’, you’re not alone. 

But changing your address doesn’t have to be a pain. 

Our handy change of address checklist below will ensure that you have given everyone your new address and remove one thing off your list of items that may cause you to stress.

Change of address checklist

When it comes to changing your address and wondering who to notify about it, you need to take into account both before you move, and after you move. 

It’s not recommended to lump everything together in one fell swoop. It’s better for some companies to know about your address change before you move rather than after, and vice versa. 

Despite following all of the rules of what you should do, there may be instances with unforeseeable circumstances.

One instance may include telling your internet service provider that you’re moving to a new location on a certain date and you need your services transferred over on that day, but then the internet service provider unexpectedly, or accidentally shuts off your internet at your current location right then and there until the date you provided them.

These types of incidents happen more times than you might think.

While telling your internet service provider, amongst other utility companies, before you move is generally the right way to do things, you always need to prepare for anything. 

In looking at what to change when you move and who to ultimately notify, here is a list of entities that need to be notified before the move. 

Download our full change of address checklist to help stay organized and keep track of who to contact when you move:

Meathead Movers Change of Address Checklist

Who to notify before moving

Here is a list of entities that are recommended to be contacted before your move. 

Post office

If you’re wondering how you change your address when you move, the first place you need to look to is the post office. 

What you need in order to change your address is simple. You can submit a mail forwarding request via USPS online, so then the mail that was originally going to be delivered to your old address will be sent to your new address. 

USPS states:

‘Although mail forwarding may begin within 3 business days of your submitted request, it’s best to allow up to 2 weeks. Mail will be forwarded to your new address as it comes, piece by piece.’

Also, consider the length of your move.

You can put in a temporary change of address which reroutes mail to your new location for up to 12 months. A permanent change of address is good indefinitely, or until you change it again. 

Utilities

Basic utilities include gas, electricity, internet, cable, phone, water.

These are essentials that need to be handled right before your move to increase the likelihood of a smooth transition and to help maintain your sanity.

Ever been without electricity or hot water for a period of time? Not fun.

How about an internet-less environment? No thanks!

Ensuring that your utility providers are aware of your move and are provided the information that they need will assist with minimizing any hiccups on the big day. 

Meathead Movers goes the extra mile for our customers by offering a selection of utility companies on each moving service area pages. 

We’re also proud to showcase trustworthy and award winning service providers across California via our industry leading concierge service. We offer these perks to ensure that our customers get partnered up with only the best in the business.  

When moving to a new area, it may be a challenge to find a service provider you can trust. Looking at resources such as Yelp and other directories can sometimes be beneficial, but in many cases, companies may not even be on these websites, and the customer reviews may not be 100% accurate. 

Our concierge service list consists of various businesses that fall under the categories of typical moving services. Whether you need a babysitter, carpet cleaning, mortgage banker, assisted living services, storage, or anything else, our concierge service has it all. 

Who to notify after moving

Here is a list of entities that are recommended to be contacted after your move. 

DMV 

Letting the DMV know where you’re going to move to is a smart idea. You can easily change the address on your driver’s license through the DMV’s online portal. If you’re moving to a new state, make sure that you acquire new registration and a new driver’s license.

IRS

Informing the IRS about an address change is important because that way they can properly process your tax forms, and send you information about refunds and other important information.

According to the IRS:

‘Changes of address through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may update your address of record on file with us based on what they retain in their National Change of Address (NCOA) database. However, even when you notify the USPS, not all post offices forward government checks, so you should still notify us’ 

With that being said, relying on changing your address with the USPS is always going to guarantee you that the IRS will be notified too. 

Social security

If you receive social security benefits or are enrolled in Medicare, informing SSA about an address change is extremely important. 

According to their literature titled ‘What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits’ they go on to explain that:

‘When you plan to move, tell us your new address and phone number as soon as you know them. Even if you receive your benefits by direct deposit, Social Security must have your correct address so we can send letters and other important information to you. We’ll stop your benefits if we can’t contact you.’

A stoppage of benefits due to a non-update of an address may be seriously problematic for many individuals. Be sure to stay on top of this one and keep your benefits active. 

Banks

When dealing with financials, having your address correct when it comes to your banking is of utmost importance for many reasons.

Without a correct billing address, your bank can’t send you your monthly statements (unless they’re electronic), and other information.

Furthermore, when shopping and needing to verify your billing address, your old address will be incorrect and may cause some problems with transactions. 

Having an old address on file can also prevent you from being able to open up and maintain certain accounts.

When looking to update your address, you can do this by visiting their online portal or visiting a physical branch of your bank near you. 

Voting

According to a video published by USA.gov:

‘Even if you voted before, from time to time, state and local election offices purge their voter registration lists. They delete people who have moved or haven’t voted in a long time. Sometimes, there’s just an error. That’s why it’s a good idea to check your registration now to make sure you can vote on Election Day’

In order to keep your voter registration updated and prevent any mishaps on being able to vote, updating your address is a necessary requirement. 

Car insurance

When looking to change your address on your car insurance, make sure to do it right away. Many insurance companies allow you a 30 day grace period. When a change of address happens, there may come changes to your plan.

Changing the address is not only just for the purposes of sending mail but because car insurance companies look at your ZIP code, which helps to determine your normal auto insurance rates.

Those that don’t change their address with the hopes of getting a better rate are considered committing automotive insurance fraud. This could land you in hot water, quickly. 

Health insurance

Having updated information on file when dealing with health insurance is important because it can help eliminate any potential denials or rejections of claims.

Also, when moving out of state, your health insurance may be altered. In most cases, you need to acquire new insurance when moving to a new state.

Home & renter’s insurance

When it comes to your home and renter’s insurance, changing the address on the policy will help to satisfy the insurance requirement. 

You may run into coverage issues if you don’t update your address. 

Place of work

Although the direct deposit is the favored method for collecting your hard-earned money, letting your boss and HR know of your move will save you headaches in the long run when trying to acquire tax forms and other employment documentation.

Subscription services

For those that get magazines, publications, newspapers, subscription boxes, and services or anything that is delivered to your home, updating your address with these will help to prevent any issues and lapses in deliveries. 

Medical professionals

When moving to a new area, especially a new state, there will be a changing of the guard when it comes to your healthcare professionals. 

Having an updated address on file is beneficial to all parties, helping to prevent any coverage issues and having a successful transfer of medical files and documents.

Credit card companies

Although we wish that debt and spam mail wouldn’t travel with us as we moved to a new home, having an updated address on file is key to your financial success and for worse, preventing any fraud or identity theft.

According to thebalance.com:

‘You want to make sure you receive your billing statements in enough time to send your credit card payment on time so you avoid a late fee. You also don’t want your credit card statements – which may include your credit card number or other sensitive personal information – to arrive at your old address where they could be stolen and used to commit fraud or identity theft. Your credit card issuer will send important documents or replacement card to the address on file, be sure they have the correct address on file for you.’

Loan companies

When dealing with loan companies, having your information correct from the getgo is pretty important. Not only do they deal with money, but you’re also repaying them back for a loan they offered you.

If there is any suspicion from their end thinking that you may not be on board for wanting to repay back your loan, legal matters may be pursued. 

Shopping websites

Everything and everyone is online.

According to recent statistics from Oberlo: 

‘The number of online shoppers is expected to continue on its growth path and hit 2.14 billion by 2021. With an expected world population of 8 million, that means 26.8 percent of the global population will be digital buyers – a .52 percentage point increase from 2020.’

Whether it be Amazon, eBay, or whichever store you usually shop with, changing your address when you move can help you eliminate the forgetfulness of changing your address when you actually buy something.

Many of these companies have one-touch buying, so making a purchase and forgetting to change your address won’t end up being a good situation when you’re trying to collect your package!

Friends, family & anyone close to you

While mail forwarding makes things easier in terms of rerouting mail from your old address to your new address, it’s not 100% perfect. 

It’s recommended to let the people close to you know your new address in case they try to send you mail or packages. This way, they’ll get delivered to the right place, every time. 

For instance, in case a family member or friend wanted to send you flowers over the mail, you wouldn’t want them delivered to the wrong address, right?

Takeaways

While this list showcases the more important and essential entities that need to be notified of an address change, each person’s list can vary, depending on the services that are being used.  

There are many things to consider when moving. Notifying the proper entities of your address change should be at the top of your list. 

Meathead Movers is an athlete moving company with locations all across the great state of California. With award winning services including local moving, long distance moving, commercial moving, and senior moving, our team of dedicated professionals can do it all. Need moving supplies? We have you covered there too. Contact us over the phone or online a free quote and see how we can help you make your move quick, easy, and efficient!