The first 90 days after an interstate move have real deadlines. The tightest are usually your driver’s license and vehicle registration — California, for example, requires a new license within 10 days of becoming a resident — followed by your employer’s state withholding and your health coverage. Work through the list below in order.
Before moving day
Know your new budget. Run your new salary and household through the relocation budget planner before you sign a lease. It applies 2026 federal, state and local income taxes, HUD Fiscal Year 2027 Fair Market Rent (HUD’s 40th-percentile gross rent, utilities included) and local price levels, and shows what is left each month.
Collect documents. Birth certificate or passport, Social Security card, current license, vehicle title and registration, insurance policies, school and medical records, and two recent proofs of address once you have them. Motor vehicle offices ask for proof of identity and residency.
File change-of-address notices. The U.S. Postal Service forwards mail; the IRS uses Form 8822 for an address change; also update the Social Security Administration, banks, brokerages and your employer’s payroll records.
Days 1–30: identity, car and insurance
| Task | Who handles it | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Driver’s license | New state’s motor vehicle agency | Set by state law: 10 days in California, 90 days in Texas |
| Vehicle registration and title | New state’s motor vehicle agency | Set by state law; check the same agency |
| Auto insurance meeting the new state’s minimums | Your insurer | Before you drive or register in the new state |
| Voter registration | State or local election office | Registration deadlines vary by state and election |
| Payroll address and state withholding | Your employer | As soon as you move |
Find your new state’s agency through USA.gov’s state motor vehicle services directory. California’s rule comes from the California DMV; Texas’s from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Register to vote at Vote.gov, which links to each state’s rules.
Days 30–60: payroll, taxes and health coverage
Switch your state withholding. Give your employer your new address and any state withholding form your new state uses. If you moved to a state that does not tax wages — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming — state income tax withholding should stop.
Check your take-home pay. The take-home pay calculator shows full-year 2026 tax on your wages in any metro. For a single filer earning $75,000, take-home pay is $61,593 in Austin and $55,312 in New York City, where state, city and payroll taxes apply.
Decide whether you need estimated payments. Federally, you generally avoid an underpayment penalty if withholding covers at least 90% of this year’s tax or 100% of last year’s tax — 110% if last year’s adjusted gross income was over $150,000 (IRS estimated-tax FAQ). States apply their own versions, so check both states’ revenue departments if you will owe a part-year return.
Update health coverage. Moving to a new ZIP code or county can open a Special Enrollment Period on the Marketplace. If your employer plan’s network does not reach your new area, ask HR about a mid-year change.
Professional licenses. Nursing, teaching, real estate and trade licenses are issued by state boards. Apply to the new state’s board early; some professions have interstate compacts that speed the process.
Days 60–90: schools, records and paperwork
Enroll children in school. Districts typically ask for proof of address, immunization records and prior school records. Contact the district for its list.
Review legal documents. Wills, powers of attorney and health-care directives are governed by state law. Ask an attorney in your new state whether yours need updating.
Re-shop home or renter’s insurance. Your policy must list the new address. Rates depend on the state and ZIP code.
Taxes for the year of the move
Expect part-year resident returns in both your old and new states for the move year, each covering the income earned while you lived there. Most states give a credit for tax paid to another state on the same income, but the mechanics differ; see whether you pay tax in two states the year you move.
Moving costs are not deductible on your federal return unless you are active-duty military moving under orders or an intelligence-community employee relocating for a change in assignment. P.L. 119-21 made that limit permanent from 2026 (IRS Topic 455).
Quick checklist
- Run the new budget before signing a lease.
- Forward mail and file IRS Form 8822.
- Get the new license and registration by your state’s deadline.
- Update auto insurance before registering the car.
- Register to vote.
- Change payroll address and state withholding.
- Check whether you need estimated tax payments.
- Review health coverage within the Special Enrollment Period.
- Transfer professional licenses.
- Enroll children and update legal documents and home insurance.
For metro-by-metro budgets, see the cost of living index and the city-to-city moving pages.