The US Postal Service is recommending customers affected by the wildfires in California submit a change of address or a temporary hold mail request.
Customers who will not be able to occupy their home within 30 days should submit a change of address (COA) request, writing ‘temporary’ on the card or online form.
A temporary change of address is designed for customers who plan on returning to their residence within six months. If wildfire victims are not planning to return to their current address, they are asked to submit a permanent COA request.
COA cards are available from letter carriers or at post offices. COA requests can also be filed at usps.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To complete the online change of address, customers will need an email address and a valid credit or debit card for the US$1 charge.
The hold mail service is designed for customers who plan to occupy their homes within 30 days. Customers who request hold mail will have their mail and packages held safely by the postal service for up to 30 days.
They can then either pick up accumulated mail at their local post office or they can request mail be delivered to their residence on a date they choose that is no more than 30 days from now. Once hold mail is picked up, mail delivery will resume.