Moving Out of State Checklist: A Week-by-Week Plan

8 weeks before

• Set a budget. Estimate the move itself with our moving cost calculator, then add deposits, travel, temporary housing and a cushion of 10–15%.
• Compare the money side. Check take-home pay, rent and taxes in the new state with the relocation calculator.
• Get at least three moving quotes. Use FMCSA’s Protect Your Move resources to check interstate mover registration, USDOT information, complaint history and the documents you should receive.
• Decide what not to move. Price is driven by weight or volume, so selling or donating furniture now saves money later.

4–6 weeks before

• Book movers, a truck or a container, and confirm dates in writing.
• Give notice to your landlord or schedule your home sale closing.
• Request medical, dental, veterinary and school records.
• Check whether your health insurance and provider network work in the new state. HealthCare.gov explains how to report an interstate move and start a new Marketplace application; eligibility for enrollment outside open enrollment depends on your circumstances.

See health insurance by state for Marketplace links and coverage-transition guidance.

2 weeks before

• File a change of address with USPS and update banks, employer payroll, and subscriptions.
• Schedule utility shut-off at the old home and connection at the new one.
• Update your auto and renters/homeowners insurance for the new address and state.
• Pack a "first week" box: documents, medications, chargers, basic tools, bedding.

Moving week

• Photograph furniture and electronics before they’re loaded.
• Keep IDs, titles, the lease or closing papers and the mover’s inventory with you, not on the truck.
• Do a final walkthrough and record meter readings.

First 30–60 days in the new state

• Driver license: most states require new residents to get a local license within 10 to 90 days, and a few (such as Arizona and Michigan) expect it right away. See the deadline for your state in our new resident guides.
• Vehicle title and registration: usually due on a similar timeline, sometimes with an inspection and a new-resident fee.
• Voter registration: register at your new address.
• Employer withholding: Tell payroll where you live and physically work, and review withholding for every state that may tax your pay. Keeping a job in another state, commuting, remote-work sourcing rules or income earned before the move can leave an old-state obligation. A new address alone does not mean all old-state withholding should stop. See moving-year tax guidance and your states' official instructions.
• Residency paperwork: keep your lease or deed, utility bills and license dates; they prove when you became a resident for tax purposes.

At tax time

Check each state's residency, income-sourcing and filing rules. You may need part-year resident returns, nonresident returns for income earned in another state, or no individual income tax return in a state without that tax. Read taxes the year you move for the filing checklist and records to keep.