Moving to Another State: What You Need to Know

By VanLines.com

Moving to another neighborhood or city is difficult enough, but what about when you have to move to another state? Moving to another state isn’t as simple as changing you address. There may be some things that you need to know before you move there, and it’s better to be prepared than be caught off-guard. So, here are some things you need to know before you move out of state.

Check Local Laws.
There may be some state laws that you might not know about or are slightly different from your home state laws, so make sure you check. For example, in some laws, child seat safety laws can vary, anywhere from a one or two years (some states require that children below five must have a car seat, in some it’s six.) Some things, like public breastfeeding, are allowed in some states, but banned is others. While you may be given some slack, it’s better to be safe and sorry.

Forwarding Your Mail.
Forwarding your mail is so much easier these days – you can even get it done online without having to line up at the post office. Make sure you do this about 2 weeks before you move, as recommended by the USPS. However, many people think that getting your mail forwarded is permanent – it’s not. The post office will only forward your mail for 12 months (60 days for magazine subscriptions.) It’s your responsibility to notify the change of addresses with the people who mail you, such as your banks or credit card companies.

Getting New Licenses and License Plates.
When you hire long distance moving companies, you will need to get a new license and plates are the first things you should do as soon as you move in. Law vary by state on how much time you have, but it’s usually anywhere from 30 – 60 days, so just check with your local DMV. Usually, you need to switch the license to the new state first, before you can get your new plates. Also, you have to send back your tags, plates and perhaps even your old license as soon as you get the new ones.

Aside from getting them changed, there may be additional things you should think about. For example, if you’re moving to a state that experiences a lot of snow and not used to it, you should think about getting lessons and tips on driving in the snow.

Insurance Matters.
Many insurance policies may not be transferable, so make sure you check with your company. That includes ALL types of insurance – from life insurance policies, car insurance, medical insurance and of course, your homeowner’s insurance. Call them as soon as you can, because if you have to take up a new policy, you’ll need some time to get a new one in place. Also, don’t cancel your insurance until you’re covered by the new policies.

Banking.
Don’t forget to transfer your bank accounts. If you have a big national bank, that has branches in your new state, it may be as simple as an internal transfer and you can just visit your new bank as soon as you get there and transfer your money to your a new account on the same day. If you have a local bank, you may need some time to transfer the money to another bank, so make sure you’re prepared and can have access to cash while you’re waiting for the transfer.

There may be other things that you need to do before you move to another state, so make sure you check with the local governments of both your old and new state.