USPS Change of Address Policy Brings Forth New Changes

The United States Postal Service recently unveiled an update to its new change of address policy that any individuals planning to change residences now or in the near future will need to be aware of.

USPS Now Requires Customers to Verify Their Identity When Submitting a Change of Addresses

Effective immediately, the U.S. Postal Service has a new policy that requires both homeowners and renters to verify their identity when requesting to change their address.

Whenever an individual wanted to change their address in the past, USPS required them to submit a “change of address” form at their local Post Office or submit it online (online forms have been the most popular method over the past several years). The new policy has the same steps as before, but now, customers must confirm their address change when submitting the request online through a QR activation code that USPS sends to their email address. Individuals can also verify their identity by visiting their local Post Office and presenting their government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license or a passport.

What Happens if a Customer Doesn’t Verify Their Identity?

If a customer doesn’t verify their identity either by presenting the proper identification at a Post Office or if they don’t enter the QR activation code they receive after submitting the online form, then their change of address request won’t be activated.

What’s the Reason for the New USPS Change of Address Policy?

According to USPS, the reason behind this change in policy is to prevent fraud. The Postal Service published the following announcement on its Mover’s Guide landing page:

“The U.S. Postal Service is enhancing security protocols surrounding its Change of Address (COA) service by implementing additional identity verification methods. These enhancements are designed to address global identity theft concerns, and to protect our customers’ information. The Change of Address service remains simple and convenient to use. It can be completed in a few steps, online at USPS.com, or by visiting one of more than 33,000 local Post Office locations.”