The cost to forward mail through USPS is $1.25 if you file your change of address online, and nothing at all if you file in person at a Post Office. That $1.25 is an identity verification charge, not a fee for the forwarding itself, which USPS provides free for 12 months on most First-Class Mail. Paid options exist if you need to extend beyond a year or want a bundled weekly shipment, and those run from $24.50 for a six-month extension up to $29.70 per week for Premium Forwarding Service.
Standard Change of Address Pricing
A standard Change of Address, or COA, is what most people need. It redirects your mail from your old address to your new one for up to 12 months on a permanent move, or between 15 days and one year on a temporary move.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
Two prices, depending on how you file:
- Online at usps.com: $1.25 identity verification fee, paid by credit or debit card. The billing address on the card must match your old or new address.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
- In person at a Post Office: free. You fill out PS Form 3575 and show photo ID.1USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
The $1.25 online charge exists so USPS can confirm you’re actually authorized to redirect mail from the old address. Skip it by walking into any Post Office with your ID.
What the Free Forwarding Actually Covers
The no-cost forwarding applies to First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and USPS Ground Advantage packages. Periodicals like magazines and newsletters are forwarded free for 60 days on a permanent COA.2USPS. Mail Forwarding Options
Two exceptions can create surprise costs or gaps:
- Media Mail is forwarded, but you owe postage at the single-piece rate for that class. USPS holds the item at your local Post Office and collects payment before releasing it. You can refuse the piece if you don’t want to pay.3Postal Explorer. 507 Mailer Services
- USPS Marketing Mail (ads, promotional pieces, coupon books) isn’t forwarded at all. It gets discarded.2USPS. Mail Forwarding Options
Paid Extensions Beyond 12 Months
Once the free 12-month window closes, any mail still addressed to your old address gets returned to sender with a “Forward Time Expired” label. If you need more time, USPS sells extensions in three tiers:4Postal Explorer. Domestic – Other Services and Fees
- 6 months: $24.50
- 12 months: $36.50
- 18 months: $48.50
Eighteen months is the maximum extension, so the longest you can keep forwarding running is roughly two and a half years total. You can buy the extension when you first file, or add one later using the confirmation code USPS sends after your original request.5USPS. Extended Mail Forwarding – FAQ
Premium Forwarding Service Pricing
Premium Forwarding Service Residential works differently from standard forwarding. Rather than redirecting individual pieces as they arrive, USPS gathers all your mail at the old Post Office and ships it to you once a week by Priority Mail. The weekly bundle includes marketing mail, so nothing gets discarded.6USPS. Premium Forwarding Services
Pricing:4Postal Explorer. Domestic – Other Services and Fees
- Enrollment online: $26.40
- Enrollment in person: $28.70
- Weekly shipment: $29.70
The minimum commitment is two weeks and the maximum is one year. At $29.70 per week, a full year would run about $1,570 on top of the enrollment fee, so this service fits seasonal relocations of a few weeks or months better than long stays. Registered Mail and Priority Mail Express items don’t wait for the weekly bundle; they’re rerouted to you right away.6USPS. Premium Forwarding Services
Business Version
Businesses use Premium Forwarding Service Commercial instead. Online enrollment is the same $26.40, but shipment cost isn’t a flat weekly rate; it’s calculated by container weight and zone. A Priority Mail half tray is $33.15 and a full tray is $60.55, with Priority Mail Express containers running higher.4Postal Explorer. Domestic – Other Services and Fees A standard business COA follows the same $1.25-online or free-in-person pricing as a personal one, though in-person filing requires a business license or a signed authorization letter on company letterhead.7USPS. Change of Address – The Basics
Watch Out for Third-Party Sites Charging More
Plenty of websites are built to look like USPS and offer to “process” your change of address for you. Some charge up to $40 for what USPS provides for $1.25 online or free in person, and some never actually file the request at all.8United States Postal Inspection Service. Change of Address Scams The only legitimate website is usps.com. If the URL doesn’t end in usps.com, close the tab and go somewhere else.
One Situation That Requires In-Person Filing
Forwarding mail for a deceased person can’t be done online. You have to visit a Post Office with documented proof that you’re the appointed executor or administrator; a death certificate by itself isn’t sufficient. There’s no additional fee for the change of address itself when filed this way.9USPS. How to Stop or Forward Mail for the Deceased