Guidelines for Changing Name with USPS: Essential Documents and Procedures Detailed
In life's significant milestones, such as marriage, divorce, legal name modification, gender transition, and naturalization, updating your name with the United States Postal Service (USPS) is an essential step. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to change your name with the USPS and update all related services.
Firstly, obtain a valid legal document showing your new name. This could be a marriage certificate, a divorce decree permitting a name change, or a court order if you are changing your first name or adopting a new one.
Next, while USPS itself does not change your name on mail delivery addresses directly, it processes change of address requests. To update your name for receiving mail and services, you typically need to update your name with the USPS by submitting a change of address form under your new name. This helps ensure mail is delivered correctly. Additionally, some services like forwarding mail can be set up under your new name once you have updated your records.
Before updating USPS and other services, update your Social Security card, driver’s license or state ID, and passport to reflect your new name. These updated IDs will be required to update your USPS records and most other accounts.
Beyond USPS, inform banks, credit card companies, loyalty programs, and other personal accounts of your new name. This can be streamlined by using name change kits like those from NewlyNamed, which provide personalized forms and instructions for updating various accounts and government documents such as Social Security, passport, driver's license, voter registration, and more.
Usually, submitting your legal name change order or certified marriage/divorce documents along with a government-issued ID (showing your new name) will suffice for updating records with USPS and related services.
After submitting all change requests, verify that USPS and other services have updated your name correctly to avoid mail delivery issues.
In summary, changing your name with USPS involves first legally changing your name, updating your government-issued IDs, and then filing the appropriate change of address/update forms with USPS. Utilizing a comprehensive name change kit can simplify and expedite the process by guiding you through updating USPS and all related personal accounts.
Each method has different processing times and costs, and the choice depends on one's schedule and location. When changing your name with USPS, it's important to update multiple identification documents at once and to manage mail forwarding needs carefully, especially for name changes involving hyphenation. Accuracy is key in the USPS name change process, and all documents must match exactly to avoid delays.
Tracking the status of your name change application can be done online, through the USPS website, by phone support, or in-person at a local post office. When updating one's name with USPS, important services include Informed Delivery, PO Box registration, Online USPS Profile, and Package Tracking Preferences.
If a mistake is made on the name change form, a corrected form can be sent, either online or by mail, with the right documents. If documents do not match, it could slow down the name change process with USPS and other agencies. A pro tip is to make sure all documents match before starting the name change process.
When both name and address are changed, immediate contact with USPS is necessary to avoid mail delivery problems. Each USPS service might require different proof for name change, such as a marriage certificate or court order. There is usually no fee for changing one's name with USPS, but there might be a small fee for online changes if a change of address is also filed. The online method is quick, with instant confirmation and usually takes less time compared to mail-in submission.
Updating one's name with USPS helps ensure smooth mail delivery and keeps personal information secure. It is important to make copies of original documents and keep them safe. Remember to inform key contacts and senders about your new name for better mail service.
[1] NewlyNamed. (n.d.). Name Change Services. Retrieved from https://www.newlynamed.com/ [2] Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Name Changes. Retrieved from https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf [3] USPS. (n.d.). Change of Address. Retrieved from https://www.usps.com/mailing/change-of-address.htm [4] USPS. (n.d.). Name Change. Retrieved from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/forms/ps-form-3575.pdf
- To ensure smooth mail delivery and secure personal information, remember to update your mail forwarding and other personal accounts after changing your name with the USPS, which can be done using name change kits like those from NewlyNamed.
- Furthermore, since updating government-issued IDs like a passport, driver’s license, or Social Security card is essential to change your name with the USPS, this process requires attention to finance as well, particularly personal-finance matters.
- After filing change of address and update forms with the USPS under your new name, keep track of related services, such as Informed Delivery, PO Box registration, Online USPS Profile, and Package Tracking Preferences, to avoid potential mail delivery issues.
