There are roughly 17 million long-distance moves annually.

Whether this is changing county or state, moving is a common life experience.

All 17 million citizens have to change their address with multiple institutions.  If this statistic includes you, you’re probably wondering: where do I need to do an address change?

Don’t sweat it.  Since so many people have moved before you, we’ve compiled a simple list of places to update your information.

The First Step of an Address Change: Notify Residential Services

As soon as you know you’re moving, you should notify residential services, such as lawn care and cleaning professionals.

This gives the people you’ve hired a chance to plan for your departure and find new clients if necessary.

On the same note, schedule turning off utilities, so you don’t have to pay for something you’re not using after you leave.  This includes electricity, water, garbage, sewage, and cable.

Then, you will need to reroute your mail.

United States Postal Service

Update your address with USPS before your move.

It’s ideal to do it two weeks before, but at least do it before your actual moving day.

This way, you won’t lose your mail, and it won’t get backed-up. You can receive forwarded mail for up to a year from your old address.

You can do this on the phone, online, in person, or via mail. It will take about seven days to update for non-local moves.

If you do it in person or by mail, you’ll fill out a Form 3575.

Changing your address at USPS will take care of paper bills, but you still need to update financial information online.

Financial Institutions

We’ll put this first, so you don’t forget:  change your address with the job(s) you’ve had this past tax year.  You don’t want to delay tax return information.

Then you’ll want to change your mailing address with banks, credit cards, PayPal, brokers, consultants — you name it.  Any financial enterprise you’re involved with should be notified.

Most financial institutions have an option to do this online, but call if you have any questions.

Don’t forget about loans and financial aid, too.  

Government Entities

Notifying the government is a little more involved than just changing your address on a website.

You’ll need to update information for income tax, social security, voter registration, veterans affairs, pensions benefits, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (if applicable).

You’ll also need to change your information with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you’re staying in state, you can do this online.

Otherwise, you’ll need to go in to get a new drivers license and update vehicle registration.

Be sure to research the rules of your new DMV.  Some states require immediate renewal, while others allow between 30 and 60 days.

Other Institutions and Entities

Consider what you’re involved in.  Do you see health care professionals?  Do your children attend school?

If you have a pet, perhaps change your information at the veterinarian.

Change anything that will continue to charge you even after you leave.  This may be gym memberships, magazine subscriptions you keep ignoring, or newspapers.

Get Moving

Now that you have an idea of what’s involved with an address change, it’s time to get moving.

Contact a moving professional today to make the rest of your journey easier.