Plain-language terms

Glossary

Understand the administrative term before you choose a form or submit a request.

Change of address

A notice sent to an organization so it updates the address in its own official record. This is not always the same as forwarding mail.

Mail forwarding

A Postal Service arrangement that reroutes eligible mail from an old address to a new one for the selected period.

State or territory motor vehicle office

The jurisdiction-level agency that handles driver licenses, state ID cards, vehicle titles, and registration. Its name is not always “DMV.”

Address of record

The address an agency stores for notices, payments, identity checks, or case correspondence.

Official source

The government agency, statute, regulation, form, or public portal responsible for the information or filing.