Key takeaways
- File USPS forwarding about two weeks before you leave.
- Federal agencies (IRS, SSA, VA) each need their own update.
- Don't forget Alaska-specific accounts: the PFD Division, your Native corporation, Alaska Airlines mileage, local utilities.
Mail forwarding
File with USPS online or at a post office. Forwarding generally lasts 12 months for first-class mail. If you've used a PO box, plan for closing it and forwarding from it separately.
Government agencies
- IRS: Form 8822, or use your new address on your next return.
- Social Security: online through my Social Security, if you receive benefits.
- VA: online through VA.gov.
- Military: update DEERS and finance records.
- DMV and voting: handled when you get your new license and register.
- PFD Division: update your address if you have a pending application or correspondence.
Money and insurance
- Banks and credit unions; credit cards; loans and mortgages.
- Retirement and investment accounts, including Alaska PERS/TRS if you have them.
- Auto, home, renters, life and health insurers.
- Your employer and payroll, for state withholding.
Alaska-specific accounts
- Your Alaska Native regional or village corporation, so dividends and shareholder mail reach you.
- Alaska Airlines and other loyalty programs.
- ADF&G account, if you'll buy nonresident licenses later.
- Local utilities and borough property tax, if you keep property.
- Alaska 529 or college savings accounts.
Everything else
Online shopping accounts, subscriptions, pharmacies, doctors and schools, your pet's microchip registry, professional associations, and friends who still send holiday cards.
Frequently asked questions
Does USPS forwarding update the IRS?
The IRS can use USPS change-of-address data, but filing Form 8822 or updating on your return is more reliable.
When should I file mail forwarding?
About two weeks before your move, with a start date matching your departure.
Ready to turn this into a plan?
Build a dated, week-by-week roadmap for your move. Or tell us about your move and we'll connect you with independently licensed, FMCSA-registered interstate movers, who give the quotes.
Sources
- USPS — Change of address
- IRS — Form 8822, Change of Address
- Social Security Administration — Update your address
- VA — Change of address
- Alaska PFD Division
Rules change. Always confirm with the official source before you act. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice.
Continue your plan
- Your First 90 Days in the Lower 48The truck or container is only the start. The first three months are when the paperwork, the routines and the feeling of home all come together.
- Ending Alaska Residency the Right WayResidency is a bundle of decisions, not one form. Closing Alaska ties cleanly protects you from PFD problems and makes your new state's paperwork easier.
- Driver's License and Vehicle Registration in Your New StateEach state sets its own deadline and paperwork. Gather documents before you leave Alaska and the DMV visit becomes one trip instead of three.