Whether your business is moving permanently or temporarily, you'll want to submit a change of address with the United States Postal Service (USPS) so that your mail gets forwarded to the right location. The only way to get an official free change of address form is to drop by your local post office to obtain a mover's guide with the necessary materials.

If you're willing to spend a small fee for the convenience, you can complete the entire change of address process on the USPS website. Either way, you'll be able to review your request online and make changes if needed.

USPS Change of Address Process

The USPS allows you to submit a change of address request as soon as 30 days before the move date and no later than 90 days after you're at the new address. Whether you choose to do this online or in person, you'll use the USPS mover's guide. This includes PS Form 3575, which asks for information about your type of request and the addresses involved. Along with this form, the mover's guide comes with coupons and offers related to your move.

After you provide all the details on the physical form or USPS website and submit PS Form 3575, you can expect to receive a move validation letter in the mail shortly afterward that serves as verification that you personally submitted the request. A welcome kit/customer notification letter will arrive up to five days before your change of address takes effect.

After the USPS processes your change of address, your mail will begin to be forwarded to your new location. However, the USPS warns that it can take seven to 10 days after the address change start date for you to receive your mail. You'll also need to contact any individuals or organizations such as suppliers, creditors, business partners or clients to inform them of the new address.

Free Change of Address Form

To get the form needed to change your address without paying a fee, you'll need to simply go to your local post office and request a mover's guide. The USPS does not make this physical packet or PS Form 3575 available online to print and fill out beforehand.

Follow the instructions to complete PS Form 3575 and fill it out in black or blue ink as requested. You'll provide this information:

  • Your type of entity (individual, family or business).
  • Whether you're moving permanently or temporarily.
  • Your basic contact information, including your old and new addresses.
  • Your signature and current date.

After filling out the form, hand it to a post office worker or drop it in a mailbox to send the form to the postmaster for processing. Your move validation letter and welcome kit/customer notification letter will arrive in the physical mail. The latter will have a confirmation code that allows you to monitor or update your request on the USPS website.

Online Change of Address Process

If you're willing to pay a modest $1.05 fee for identity verification, you can change your address conveniently online. This saves you a trip to the post office and eliminates the need to fill out forms by hand. You'll need both an email address and regular credit card to move forward, and this method doesn't work if your business is moving to an international address.

Visit usps.com/move to change your address online and look for the "Get Started" button. You'll go through a series of six pages that will ask for the same information as the physical PS Form 3575. However, you'll also enter payment information for the processing fee, and your credit card is also used for identity verification.

The USPS will email you to confirm that you submitted your change of address and will include the confirmation code to edit the request. You'll also receive the other notifications by mail and be able to print the coupons from the mover's guide online.

Changes to Your Request

If something happens and you end up moving to another location or not at all, the USPS allows you to make changes to your change of address request on its website. Simply visit managemymove.usps.com, type your request's confirmation code (located on your USPS change of address confirmation letter or email) and enter your new zip code. Click "Get Started" to view details about your address change request and either cancel or edit it as necessary.

If you don't have the confirmation code, you'll need to return to the post office to make changes to the request.