With all the tasks involved with making a move, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the fact you must notify a large number of people and institutions about your change of address. The following change of address checklist provides a handy guide for who you need to contact before you make your move.
A Change of Address Checklist By Category
To keep the list more manageable, it’s broken down into different categories. You can knock out one category at the time to make it more efficient and easier to manage.
Change of Address Checklist: Government Agencies
If the government loses track of you, it will cause you headaches down the road.
- U.S. Postal Services. Ensure that you continue to get your mail. The USPS makes this easy by providing a web page with information on making changes to your address.
- Internal Revenue Service. The IRS needs to know where to send any communication. You can notify the IRS of your address change by calling, filing form 8822 (8822-B for a business change of address), through a letter or when you next file taxes.
- Department of Motor Vehicles. You will need to contact the DMV in the state where you are moving to start the process of getting a license, car plates and tags, and vehicle registration papers. You may also need to notify the DMV in the state you are leaving – laws vary on this, so check with your state government.
- Social Security. If you receive payments from Social Security, you will need to let them know your new address. You can do this through your online social security account or by calling (800) 772-1213.
- Voter registration. States differ on how they do this, but to make it as simple as possible it’s best to become proactive. Contact the proper government agency in your new location and register to vote.
Change of Address Checklist: Financial Services
Keep in mind that financial services such as banks and investment companies report to credit agencies, so you want all addresses filed with each one to match your new address.
- Banks. You’ll want to let your bank know of your change of address if you have a national bank such as Chase, Citi, Bank of America or Wells Fargo so they can contact you and also start the process of updating addresses for checks, loans, etc. With regional banks, you’ll need to find a new bank in your area.
- Investment services. Financial services companies that handle your investments will also need to know your new address.
- Credit card companies. If you still have paper credit card bills mailed, you don’t want the sensitive information contained in them falling into someone else’s hands. This also keeps you from missing payments and aligns the zip code on file with the credit card company with your new location (which you have to enter for some transactions, such as buying gas).
- Loan companies. Any company that has issued you a loan that you are currently making payments on needs to also know your new address.
Change of Address Checklist: Utilities
You not only want power and internet service where you are going, but you also want to make sure you don’t get billed for service in your old location after you’re gone. In most cases, you can find information both on turning off services at your current location and turning it on at your new location through the power company’s website.
This is something to take care of as soon as you know your new address so that you don’t spend any days without services. The utilities to contact differ depending on what you are responsible for (which varies when you own vs. renting a property). Generally, they include:
- Gas and Electricity
- Water
- Internet
- Cable
- Phone (if you still want a landline)
- Garbage service
- Wastewater
Change of Address Checklist: Insurance Companies
All insurance companies will need to know about your change of address. Depending on how far you move from your current location, you may need to change your insurance and healthcare providers (doctor, dentist, therapists) to ensure they are in network. Your new location may also impact your rates. Insurers to contact include:
- Homeowner’s insurance
- Renter’s insurance
- Auto Insurance
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Life insurance
- Medicaid and Medicare, if applicable
Change of Address Checklist: Online Retail and Personal Contacts
The following looks at people and places you need to inform about your change of address that do not fall into the above categories.
- Employers. This one should be at the top of your list.
- Online retailers. Change your address with Amazon or other online retailers now, while you’re thinking about it. Most people have their home address stored on the retail site and have everything mailed there automatically. Changing it now will prevent you from accidentally sending a package to your old address.
- Service providers. If you are staying within your current area, you still need to let doctors, dentists, veterinarians, financial institutions, yard services, and all other service providers know your new address so they can bill you properly.
- Clubs and organizations. Again, this applies if you are staying within your current area.
- Friends and family. Let everyone know where you are so you can get those holiday and birthday cards on time!
You’ll probably need to add a few items of your own to your personal change of address checklist, but this one covers the ones you simply cannot skip. Stick to it and make your move that much easier!