Moving Within New Jersey: The Address Changes to Make After You Close

Start with the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission, because New Jersey requires drivers to report an address change within one week, and you can do it online. Then update your voter registration, the NJ Division of Taxation, the post office and every account that mails you something, ideally from a list you start before closing day.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. When I help someone downsize from one New Jersey home to another, closing day isn't the finish line. The paperwork follows you for a few weeks. Here's the order I'd do it in.

How do you change your address with the NJ MVC?

The MVC says drivers must report an address change within one week, and online is the way it steers people. You'll need an email address. The MVC sends a confirmation letter rather than a new license, and it says to keep that letter as proof that you complied with N.J.S.A. 39:3-36 (NJ MVC).

• Want the new address printed on your license? A duplicate license is $11.
• Registration. Updated registration documents are $5. If you only hold a registration, you can change the address online using the number on your registration card.
• By mail. The MVC lists its Database Corrections Unit, PO Box 141, Trenton, NJ 08666.

The MVC can also pass a voter registration update to the Division of Elections if you choose "Yes" on the signature pad during an MVC transaction (NJ MVC). Don't count on it alone. Check your voter record directly.

Do you have to re-register to vote?

It depends on whether you changed counties. The Division of Elections' FAQ says a voter who moves to a different county must re-register in the new county, while a move within the same county doesn't affect your right to vote, though you may need a provisional ballot if you didn't notify the county (NJ Division of Elections).

A move from Monmouth County to Ocean County, or the other way, is a county change. The registration deadline is 21 days before an election, and you can register online (NJ Division of Elections). If your closing is close to an election, put this at the top of the list.

What about your taxes and property tax relief?

The NJ Division of Taxation takes address changes on its own form, or on IRS Form 8822 with a copy of a government ID, uploaded online or mailed in. It also updates addresses automatically when you file an income tax return or a property tax relief application (NJ Division of Taxation).

The mailing address takes a few minutes. Eligibility is the part that needs planning: ANCHOR applies only to the home you owned or rented and lived in on October 1, and Stay NJ looks at owning and living in a home for the whole year (NJ Division of Taxation). My article on ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ when you move covers that before you pick a closing date.

How does mail forwarding work?

The U.S. Postal Service charges a $1.25 identity verification fee to file a change of address online. Standard forwarding lasts 12 months and can be extended, and the USPS says to allow 7 to 10 business days for it to start (USPS). File it a couple of weeks before you move, with the move date as the start date. If you're on good terms with your buyers, leave them a note with a way to reach you for stray mail.

What else goes on the list?

Forwarding catches what you forget. It shouldn't be the plan. Before closing, write down everyone who sends you mail or bills, then update them in the first month:

• Banks, credit cards and investment accounts
• Auto insurance, since your policy is tied to where the car is kept
• Homeowners insurance on the new home, and cancellation on the old one after closing
• Employer or pension administrator, and any benefits that mail statements
• Doctors, dentist and pharmacy
• Subscriptions, memberships and online shopping accounts
• Utilities: final readings at the old home and new service at the new one (see setting up utilities in Monmouth or Ocean County)
• Your new association's management office, if the home is in a community with one
• Your new town's tax collector, to confirm where the property tax bills will go

What order should you do it in?

1. Two weeks before closing: start the list and file mail forwarding.
2. Closing week: schedule utilities and insurance for both homes.
3. Within one week of moving: the MVC.
4. Right away if you changed counties: voter registration.
5. First month: the Division of Taxation and everything else on the list.

If you're still at the start, find out what your current home should bring on my home value page and read the Downsizing Guide, which lines up both closings on one timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to change my address in New Jersey after moving?

The NJ MVC says drivers must report an address change within one week.

Does the NJ MVC send a new license after an address change?

No. It sends a confirmation letter to keep with your license. A duplicate license with the new address is $11.

Do I need to re-register to vote if I move within New Jersey?

If you moved to a different county, yes. A move within the same county doesn't affect your right to vote, but update your address so you don't end up with a provisional ballot.

How long does the post office forward mail?

Standard forwarding lasts 12 months, and it can be extended.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Each agency's own site has the current rules and fees.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• How to hire a licensed mover in New Jersey
• Selling your home and buying the next one
• The Downsizing Guide and how I plan a downsizing move
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark.