USPS Address Change Policy – Guidelines on How to Verify the Identity

With a rise in mail theft and robberies involving letter carriers within the postal service, the service is taking this matter seriously. From March 2020 to February 2021, the US Postal Inspection Service registered almost 300,000 complaints about mail theft, indicating a 160% increase compared to the previous year.

How to Complete the Verification Process?

The fundamental procedure for submitting COA remains the same, however additional steps to precisely verify the identity are included in the policy. The verification of ID depends on the filing of Change of Address and the COA is activated right after completion of ID verification.

If ID verification is not achieved online or in person, the COA status will not be activated.  USPS recommends directly notifying creditors and organizations to prevent the omission of any sensitive information.

The USPS address change can completed online via the postal service’s official website or by physically visiting the office. The USPS change of address form pdf is available on the USPS website.

ID Verification Process for Online Users

Individuals opting for online filing will charged $1.10 and are required to provide a valid mobile number. However, there must be an exact match in the billing address on the credit card with either the old or current address. The process of identity verification will be started after providing personal information.

USPS will send a confirmation via mail to confirm completion of identity verification. Users are advised not to share this code with anyone and use the code for any alteration or cancellation of request.

In case of online ID verification failure, users are required to visit the post office physically to complete the change of address request. The postal service will provide the user an email with verification and a barcode to verify his identity in person.

ID Verification Process at Post Office

For filing address change at the post office, two forms of ID cards will be required. One of the current or unexpired photo identifications from the list below needs to be represented;

• US Government-Issued driving license or ID card (Name and Address must match the previous or present address)
• US passport (As a secondary form of ID verification)
• Uniformed Services ID card (As a secondary form of ID verification)

When using a passport or Uniformed Services ID card, presentation of name and address will be required as a secondary form of identification. Keep in mind that the name and address on secondary identification must align with the previous or present address mentioned in the USPS change of address request.

Recommended secondary forms of identification may include a lease, mortgage, or deed of trust, a voter or vehicle registration card, and a home or vehicle insurance policy or card.

Note:

The timeframe for submitting the change of address spans 90 days before the effective date of shifting and remains open for up to 30 days after the actual shifting