Redirect Mail After Death: USPS Mail Forwarding for a Deceased Person

You Can't Do This Online

Living people can forward their mail through USPS.com in minutes. For a deceased person, there is no online option. Federal law treats the deceased's mail as protected: opening it without legal authorization is a federal offense. USPS requires documented legal authority to forward it.

This catches many executors off guard, especially those managing the estate from a different city or state.

How to Set Up Mail Forwarding at the Post Office

Visit the Post Office serving the deceased's address with these documents:

1. Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration — your court-issued proof of authority to act on behalf of the estate
2. A certified copy of the death certificate
3. Your government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport)

Ask to complete USPS Form 3575 (Official Mail Forwarding Change of Address Order) for the deceased. The postal clerk will verify your documents and process the forwarding request.

Mail forwarding lasts 12 months for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express. Periodicals forward for 60 days. USPS Marketing Mail (advertisements and catalogs) is forwarded only if the mailer specifies forwarding instructions; otherwise, it may be returned or discarded.

Why Mail Forwarding Is Critical for Estate Administration

Every piece of forwarded mail is a clue. Bank statements reveal accounts. Insurance notices reveal policies. Bills reveal debts. Tax documents reveal income sources. Without mail forwarding, these documents pile up at the deceased's address — and if the home is vacant, they sit in an unlocked mailbox for anyone to take.

Some executors discover entire accounts — brokerage holdings, small insurance policies, utility deposits — solely through mail that arrived after death. Skipping this step means potentially leaving money uncollected and debts unresolved.

If You're Managing the Estate From Another State

You must still appear in person at a post office. If travel isn't practical, you have two alternatives:

Ask about an authorized representative. If you cannot travel, call the Post Office serving the deceased's address before delegating the request. USPS requires documented proof that the requester is authorized to manage the deceased's mail; a notarized letter alone is not the court appointment.

Use Informed Delivery. If you are authorized to access the deceased's USPS Informed Delivery account, you may be able to view email scans of incoming mail while you arrange forwarding. This doesn't replace forwarding, but it gives you visibility into what's arriving.

Stopping Junk Mail

Forwarding handles the first-class mail. For the flood of marketing and promotional mail that won't forward:

• Register the deceased with DMAchoice.org (Deceased Do Not Contact list) to suppress national mailers
• Call 1-888-567-8688 or visit OptOutPrescreen.com to stop prescreened credit and insurance offers
• Contact individual senders directly if specific catalogs or solicitations keep arriving at the address

The junk mail matters beyond annoyance. Prescreened credit offers addressed to the deceased are a vector for identity theft — a criminal who intercepts one can apply for credit in the deceased's name.

Part of a Larger Notification Sequence

Mail management connects directly to credit bureau notifications, bank account closures, and asset discovery. It works best when coordinated with the rest of the agency notification process.

The Government Notifications Master Checklist sequences mail forwarding alongside every other notification — Social Security, IRS, credit bureaus, DMV, VA, and financial institutions — with the documents, addresses, and scripts needed for each step.