Moving to Austin — 38-Item Checklist

Check crime rates, safety grades, and neighborhood profiles for Austin. CityCheck provides FBI-sourced safety grades for every neighborhood.

Compare housing costs, grocery prices, transportation, and utilities between your current city and Austin. Check if your salary goes further or shorter.

Learn about street cleaning schedules, permit parking, meter hours, and common fine amounts in Austin before you arrive. Expired meter tickets run $25-50 in TX.

File a change of address with USPS online ($1.10 identity verification fee) or at your local post office. Forward mail for 6-12 months to catch stragglers.

Update your mailing address with all financial institutions. Some banks flag out-of-state transactions as fraud — call ahead to prevent card freezes during your move.

Get at least 3 insurance quotes for your new Austin address before move day. Landlords typically require proof of renter's insurance before handing over keys.

Cancel gym memberships, update streaming service addresses, transfer magazine subscriptions. Check which services are available in your new city.

Request copies of medical records, dental records, and school transcripts. Many offices need 2-4 weeks to process requests. Get vaccination records for school enrollment.

Austin has specific rules about what goes in recycling vs. trash. Learn your pickup day and recycling rules before you arrive so you don't miss your first collection.

Austin internet providers: Google Fiber (where available — fastest), AT&T Fiber (wide coverage), Spectrum (cable, most areas). Google Fiber covers large parts of Austin — check googlefiber.com. It's the best deal if available at your address.

Austin Energy (city-owned municipal utility — no choice): https://coautilities.com/wps/wcm/connect/occ/coa/util/support/utility-service/start-stop-transfer or call (512) 494-9400. Austin Energy is municipal — you CANNOT choose a different provider (unlike the rest of deregulated Texas). One signup covers electric + water + trash.

Texas Gas Service: https://www.texasgasservice.com/start-stop-or-transfer-service or call 1-800-700-2443. Gas is a SEPARATE signup from Austin Energy. Many Austin apartments are all-electric — check if you even need gas service.

Austin Water (bundled with Austin Energy): https://coautilities.com/wps/wcm/connect/occ/coa/util/support/utility-service/start-stop-transfer or call (512) 494-9400. Water is bundled into your City of Austin utilities account along with electric and trash.

Austin trash is collected by Austin Resource Recovery (512-494-9400). Find your specific pickup day by address on their website.

Contact Austin Resource Recovery at 512-494-9400 to request your bins if they weren't left by the previous tenant. Standard is a trash bin + recycling bin.

DMV (when you transfer license), voter registration, employer HR, IRS (Form 8822), health insurance, car insurance, Amazon, and any subscription services.

Map out the closest grocery stores and pharmacy to your new Austin address. Download store apps for digital coupons — this will save you hundreds over the first year.

Introduce yourself to immediate neighbors in the first week. They're your best source for hyperlocal information: which trash day is yours, where to park during street cleaning, and what to know about the block.

TX DPS - Pflugerville Mega Center, 216 E Wells Branch Pkwy, Pflugerville, TX 78660 (Mon-Thu 7:30am-6pm, Fri 7:30am-5pm). Phone: (512) 486-2800. Cost: $25 for new license. Deadline: 90 days after establishing residency. Bring: Current out-of-state license, Proof of TX residency (utility bill, lease, or bank statement), Social Security card, Proof of identity (passport or birth certificate), Proof of TX vehicle registration and insurance. Other locations: TX DPS - Austin South at 6425 S Interstate 35, Suite 180, Austin, TX 78744; TX DPS - Austin North Lamar at 6121 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752. The Pflugerville Mega Center is the highest-capacity office in Central Texas — go there

Bring your out-of-state title, proof of insurance, and proof of TX address to the Texas DPS. Most states require registration within 30-60 days. You'll also need a TX emissions/safety inspection in many states.

Register at https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/. Texas does NOT have online voter registration — you must print and mail the form or register in person at the Travis County Tax Office, 5501 Airport Blvd. Deadline: 30 days before election.

Free for Austin residents. 21 branches. Apply online, then visit any branch with photo ID and proof of address. Central Library at 710 W Cesar Chavez St is architecturally stunning.

CapMetro: Download the CapMetro app for mobile tickets. The MetroRapid (Route 801/803) is the fastest bus service. Project Connect light rail is under construction. Monthly pass: $41.25/mo (local). Single ride: $1.25 (local bus/rail). More info: https://www.capmetro.org/fares-passes

Austin has specific rules about what's recyclable. Common mistakes: plastic bags (never in curbside recycling), greasy pizza boxes (trash, not recycling), and Styrofoam (trash in most cities).

Car insurance rates vary significantly by city. Austin may be higher or lower than your old city. Get 3 quotes and update within 30 days of your move to avoid coverage gaps.

Search your insurance provider directory for in-network doctors near your Austin address. Book a new-patient visit — most offices have a 2-4 week wait for new patients.

Search for in-network dentists near your Austin address. Schedule a cleaning if you're due — dental health is easiest to maintain when you don't skip visits during a move.

File IRS Form 8822 (Change of Address) so tax documents go to the right place. This is separate from USPS mail forwarding. Free to file online or by mail.

Many Austin neighborhoods require a residential parking permit. Check with Austin's parking authority whether your block requires one — unpermitted cars get ticketed during restricted hours.

Join your Austin neighborhood's Nextdoor group, Facebook neighborhood group, and any local Reddit community (r/austin or similar). These are where you'll learn about block parties, lost pets, and local issues.

Walk every block within a 10-minute radius of your Austin home. Note the coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and corner stores. You'll discover spots that don't show up on Google Maps.

Unexpected costs in Austin: parking tickets ($25-115), towing ($150-400), lost apartment keys ($50-200 locksmith), laundry machine repairs. Build a $500 city emergency fund.

Know your rights as a renter in TX: security deposit limits, required notice periods, habitability standards, and eviction protections. Landlords cannot charge fees or make deductions that violate state law.

Austin uses 311 (or a local equivalent) for non-emergency city services: pothole reports, noise complaints, abandoned vehicles, streetlight outages. Save the number in your phone.

Street cleaning tickets in TX run $25-55. Set a weekly reminder on your phone for the morning before your block's cleaning day. Move your car the night before.

Track open 311 requests near your Austin address. Patterns in complaints reveal neighborhood issues: repeated noise complaints, rodent sightings, or infrastructure problems.

Recycling rules change. Austin may add composting mandates, change accepted materials, or modify pickup schedules. Check annually or when you see a notice on your bin.

Set calendar reminders for annual renewals: residential parking permit, vehicle registration, and driver's license. Late renewal fees add up.