If you don't know where to send the mail and know the person is deceased: Write 'Not at this address' on the piece and drop the mail in an approved location. If you don't know where to send the mail: Mail is automatically sorted, and that same piece may end up back at your home if the barcode isn’t crossed out. Crossing out the barcode is often advised, too. If you know where the mail should be delivered:Ĭross out the address, write the 'Forward to ' on the piece, and then put it in a mail drop. The first and most common method is to forward mail piece by piece, especially early on: Unfortunately, you can't go to the post office and fill out any forms, even if you know the forwarding address. You have options, but they’re a bit different than the steps above. Let’s say you moved into a new place and are still receiving the mail of a former tenant or owner. Therefore, you need to contact each place sending mail quickly to change the address or end subscriptions. After that time expires, mail will go to whatever address is on the envelopes. The USPS expects that, within that time, you have contacted senders to let them know of the situation. Note: First Class Mail is only forwarded for 12 months, and periodicals are only forwarded for 60 days. Whoever moves into your loved one's home after their death will receive all their mail if you don't fill out a postal change of address-meaning important papers may never make it to the person who needs to handle relevant issues. USPS recommends filling out the form at least two weeks before the new address is necessary. Postal change of address (COA) forms can have official dates to begin forwarding mail on them, from 30 days in the past to 90 days in the future. If you lived with the person and need to forward specific mail: Forward that mail as necessary, crossing out the current address and barcode, writing 'Forward to ' on the envelope, and dropping the mail in a place where it gets picked up. Provide proof that they are the executor and allowed to change the decedent's mailing address.įill out a Forwarding Change of Address Form at the post office.Ģ. If you lived with the person but need to forward the mail OR If you didn't live with the person and want to receive their mail: The deceased's executor needs to

There are three ways to forward the deceased person's mail: You should forward a deceased loved one's mail if they lived alone or if the person they lived with can't emotionally or legally handle the mail. Note: If you know no one will be able to deal with this for a few weeks, you should be able to have the post office hold an entire household's mail for up to 30 days, meaning the mail won't arrive at all during that time. There’s a lot going on when someone passes away but changing the deceased's address should be handled quickly. Whether alive or dead, forwarding mail means mail sent to a person goes to a new address. That said, you can stop nearly all mail from arriving. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as easy as making a phone call to the post office.

This means deceased people's loved ones are responsible for forwarding or stopping their mail. You may have heard the phrase, 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.' While this isn't the United States Postal Service (USPS) official motto as is commonly believed, nearly nothing indeed stops the mail-including the deaths of the recipients.

Mail forward 1 year