Moving to San Francisco — 37-Item Checklist

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

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

Learn about street cleaning schedules, permit parking, meter hours, and common fine amounts in San Francisco before you arrive. Expired meter tickets run $65 in CA.

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 San Francisco 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.

San Francisco 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.

San Francisco internet providers: Xfinity/Comcast (most common), Sonic (local fiber — excellent where available), AT&T Fiber (expanding). Sonic is the best option if available at your address — local company, no data caps, competitive pricing. Check sonic.com.

PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric): https://www.pge.com/en/account/service-requests/start-stop-transfer-service.html or call 1-800-743-5000. PG&E handles both electric AND gas. One account for both. SF residents can also opt into CleanPowerSF for renewable energy (still billed through PG&E).

SFPUC (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission): https://sfpuc.org/accounts-services/start-or-stop-service or call (415) 551-3000. SFPUC handles water, sewer, and power (Hetch Hetchy). Most SF renters do not pay water directly — check your lease.

San Francisco trash is collected by Recology (415-330-1300). Find your specific pickup day by address on their website.

Contact Recology at 415-330-1300 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 San Francisco 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.

CA DMV - San Francisco (Fell St), 1377 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 8am-5pm; Wed 9am-5pm). Phone: (800) 777-0133. Cost: $41 for new license. Deadline: 10 days after establishing residency (California is strict). Bring: Current out-of-state license, Proof of CA residency (2 documents: utility bill, lease, bank statement), Social Security card or ITIN, Passport or birth certificate for Real ID. SF has only ONE DMV office — the Fell St location. It is always busy.

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

Register at https://sfelections.sfgov.org/voter-registration. Register at sfelections.sfgov.org or registertovote.ca.gov. SF uses ranked-choice voting for local elections. Deadline: 15 days before election (conditional same-day registration available).

Free for all CA residents. 28 branches. Apply online, then visit any branch with photo ID for physical card. Includes free museum passes (de Young, SFMOMA, etc.).

SFMTA (Muni) + BART: Get a Clipper card at any Muni/BART station or Walgreens. The 'A' pass ($104) covers both Muni and BART within SF — worth it if you commute. Monthly pass: $86/mo (Muni only) or $104/mo (Muni + BART within SF). Single ride: $2.50 (Muni) / $2.50+ (BART, distance-based). More info: https://www.clippercard.com

San Francisco 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. San Francisco 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 San Francisco address. Book a new-patient visit — most offices have a 2-4 week wait for new patients.

Search for in-network dentists near your San Francisco 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 San Francisco neighborhoods require a residential parking permit. Check with San Francisco's parking authority whether your block requires one — unpermitted cars get ticketed during restricted hours.

Join your San Francisco neighborhood's Nextdoor group, Facebook neighborhood group, and any local Reddit community (r/sanfrancisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco: 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 CA: security deposit limits, required notice periods, habitability standards, and eviction protections. Landlords cannot charge fees or make deductions that violate state law.

San Francisco 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 CA run $73. 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 San Francisco address. Patterns in complaints reveal neighborhood issues: repeated noise complaints, rodent sightings, or infrastructure problems.

Recycling rules change. San Francisco 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.