Change of Address

Change of Address (COA) – United States Postal Services (USPS) electronic process of providing a forwarding address when provided by a customer. These are the addresses CSS currently obtains through returned mail or by Postmaster Letter (PML) reply.

Types of COAs OSIS will automatically update are:

1. New forwarding address
2. Moved, left no forwarding address
3. The same address, converted by the USPS for 911 services. This is called a Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS) address
4. Moved to a foreign address. Although, the USPS will not send us the new foreign address, workers can request the foreign address by requesting a manual PML.

National Change of Address (NCOA s) automatically updates an address from the USPS, no matter what the date, if the address in OSIS matches the address USPS has to be forwarded. OSIS in turn, automatically updates and replaces a verified address in the system even for a verified address provided by the individual directly to CSS. Because the address is getting updated in OSIS by the COA process, the good address for the individual is being removed and some parties are not receiving mail from CSS and are being non-coop based on documents not being returned that were mailed to the forwarding address they have on file with the USPS.

Example:
CP provides local office a current valid address that is added to OSIS. It is an address the CP has previously told the USPS is not good and has provided another forwarding address. The NCOA process changes the CP address to the forwarding address on file with USPS. The address NCOA adds is not the CP’s true current address and has not been for several years. ADI screen (as shown) makes it appear that the NCOA address was verified on 8/01/11 and last updated onto the case 5/10/14.

This is not something we can change within our child support business processes or with our automated system since we are required to keep accurate and verified USPS information in our system. It is the customer’s responsibility to keep the USPS informed of their current and correct mailing address.
To correct the issue the individual will need to file a COA form with the Post Office to correct/change their forwarding address on file with USPS. When the new COA is processed by USPS, OSIS can accept and hold the correct address for the CP. The NCOA database is updated at least once per week. By doing this, the address database with USPS and OSIS will be the same and the customer will still receive their mail.


Please keep COA forms available in your local offices for customers to access quickly.
A few things that customers will need to know:

1. Who moved? Is it an individual or the entire family?
   Individual: if the customer is the only one who has or will be moving.Select Individual and Repeat the Change of Address Process for each name if:
   • Customer receives mail by more than one name (maiden name, married name or nickname)
   • Some members of their family with the same last name are moving but others are staying
   • Some members of their family are moving but they have different last names

   Family: if everyone in the household has the same last name and everyone is moving to the same new address.

2. Workers may need to provide the customer with the exact name and address that we have in OSIS to fill out the COA to ensure proper updating with USPS.
3. The customer will need to know the last address that they are forwarding mail from to fill out the COA form.
4. The cost to submit a COA is free if using the paper form and there is a fee for submitting the COA online at the USPS website.

For more information or if you have questions please contact Jogeina Tharp.