USPS Mail Forwarding: What Gets Forwarded and What Doesn't
USPS forwards First-Class, Priority and Ground Advantage mail free, forwards Media Mail at your cost, and does not forward Marketing Mail unless the sender paid. Sensitive documents from banks and agencies may not be forwarded at all.
On this page
What forwarding does
When you file a change of address with the Postal Service, it reroutes the mail addressed to your old address. That is all it does. It does not alter the address on file with your bank, your employer or the stores you shop at. The USPS page says so directly, and adds that you are responsible for telling agencies, companies and other senders. This guide explains what forwarding covers so that you can decide how much to rely on it.
Permanent or temporary
USPS describes two kinds of request. A permanent request is for a move, so mail is rerouted to the new address. A temporary request is for a stay of 15 days up to 1 year, such as going to school or staying with family or friends. USPS also offers a separate Hold Mail service if you will be away for 3 to 30 days, which pauses delivery to your address, and a paid Premium Forwarding Service that sends your mail in a weekly Priority Mail shipment for residential customers.
Timing
You must submit the request and verify your identity. USPS then asks you to allow 7 to 10 business days, at minimum, from approval before the request takes effect. Once active, mail is forwarded piece by piece as it arrives. On the online route, USPS describes a Move Validation letter sent to your old address and a Customer Notification Letter, with your confirmation code, sent to the new address about 5 business days before the start date. You can submit online or at a Post Office. In person is required if you are moving outside the United States, submitting for someone else, or unable to verify online.
Mail class by mail class
| What arrives | How USPS says it is handled |
|---|---|
| First-Class Mail | Forwarded for free |
| Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage | Forwarded for free |
| Periodicals (newsletters and magazines) | Forwarded free for 60 days if fully prepaid by the sender |
| Media Mail | Forwarded, but you pay the cost of shipping from your local Post Office to the new address |
| USPS Marketing Mail | Not forwarded unless the sender has paid forwarding postage |
| Sensitive documents from government agencies and financial institutions | Senders do not allow forwarding of these |
What senders keep from being forwarded
USPS gives a reason for the last row: for security, mailers like government agencies and financial institutions do not allow forwarding of sensitive documents. Its examples are identity documents, especially driver's licenses and voter registration, credit cards, bank statements, insurance information, and other financial, medical or personal information. USPS says to contact the sender directly to change your address and to determine sending options. In practice, this means you cannot treat forwarding as a way to get a replacement card or a statement. If one is mailed to the old address, it may not follow you.
How long forwarding lasts
USPS says standard forwarding lasts 12 months. You can pay to extend it by 6, 12 or 18 more months, with 18 months the maximum. You can add the extension when you submit the request or later, by editing it, and USPS emails a reminder when you have 1 month left. USPS says Extended Mail Forwarding cannot be cancelled or refunded. When the period ends, USPS returns mail to the sender for 6 months with a label that has your new address.
Worked example: a statement that never arrives
Imagine you move in March and set up forwarding. A friend's birthday card, a package sent by Priority Mail, and a magazine you pay for all reach you. A bank statement mailed to the old address does not, and neither does the replacement debit card you ordered the week before the move. The cause is not a failure of your request: USPS says those senders may not allow forwarding. The fix is to log in to the bank or call, give the new address, and ask them to resend. Do that for every sender that matters, and use forwarding only for the leftovers.
What to do next
If you cannot verify your identity online or at a Post Office, USPS says you will not be able to complete a change of address, and your only option is to contact everyone who might send you mail and give them your new address. For military moves, USPS says to work with your command first, since relocation information is shared with USPS. For a full task list, use the change of address checklist, and for the rest of your planning, the moving timeline checklist. Check the USPS page itself before you file, since its wording and fees can change.