Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. StopTheCatalogs.com may earn a commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you. The free opt-out methods always come first in our guides. See our Privacy Statement for details.

How to Stop Catalogs After You Move

calendar Jun 3, 2026 / · 3 min read · catalog opt out Moving  ·
Share on: linkedin copy

Within 90 Days of Moving, Two Catalog Floods Hit at Once

A move triggers two separate streams of catalog mail, and most people only think about one of them. The first is your own mail, dragged to the new address — and your USPS change-of-address filing actually makes it worse, because that data feeds the National Change of Address (NCOA) database that mailers buy to update their lists. The second is the previous resident's catalogs, which keep arriving for months because the senders have no idea anyone moved. Knock both down in the first 90 days and you avoid the new-homeowner mail avalanche that otherwise lingers for a year.

One important detail clears up a lot of confusion: a USPS change-of-address forwards your first-class mail, but most catalogs travel as Marketing Mail, which is generally not forwarded. So forwarding won't reliably move your catalogs — and it won't stop the old resident's, either. You have to opt out at the source.

How to stop catalogs after a move: step by step

  1. Re-opt-out at your new address — Opt-outs are tied to a specific name-and-address pair, so the ones you filed at your old place don't cover the new one. Re-register with DMAchoice ($5, 10 years) and Catalog Choice (free) using your new address.

  2. Get USPS to stop mail from the previous resident — For mail addressed to a name that isn't yours, write "Return to Sender — Not at This Address" on each piece and put it back out for your carrier. You can also ask your post office to flag the prior occupant as "Moved, Left No Address" so their mail is returned automatically.

  3. Opt out the previous resident from persistent senders — For catalogs that keep coming despite return-to-sender, use Catalog Choice, which lets you submit removals on behalf of a previous occupant, or contact the catalog company directly to remove that name from the address.

  4. Photograph the stubborn ones with PaperKarma — Whether the catalog is in your name or the old resident's, PaperKarma can file the opt-out from a photo of the label.

What to expect

Returned mail for a previous resident typically tapers off within two to four weeks of consistent return-to-sender, though catalogs and political mail can take months because their lists update slowly. Your own re-filed opt-outs run on the usual 30–90 day cycle. The combination — re-opt-out for you, return-to-sender plus direct removal for the old resident — clears the bulk of new-address catalog mail within a quarter.

Don't skip the re-opt-out step just because you opted out years ago. Address-bound suppression means a move effectively resets you to zero on every registry.

Frequently asked questions

Does USPS change-of-address forward my catalogs? Usually not. Forwarding covers first-class mail; most catalogs are Marketing Mail, which isn't forwarded — and your forwarding data actually updates mailer lists with your new address.

Do I have to opt out again after moving if I already did at my old house? Yes. Opt-outs are tied to a specific address, so you re-register DMAchoice, Catalog Choice, and any brand preferences at the new address.

References

  • U.S. Postal Service / consumer guidance. "Return to Sender and Mail for Previous Residents." Retrieved 2026-06-07.
  • Association of National Advertisers. "DMAchoice Mail Preference Service." DMAchoice.org, https://www.dmachoice.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
  • The Story of Stuff Project. "Catalog Choice — Previous Occupant Opt-Out." CatalogChoice.org, https://www.catalogchoice.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-07.

Posts in this series