Should You Put Your Address on a Resume?

Direct Answer

You don’t need your full street address on a resume in 2026. Including your city and state is enough for nearly every job application.

Full addresses were standard decades ago when employers mailed interview invitations. Today, communication happens by email and phone. The only reason an employer needs location information is to assess whether you’re in a reasonable geography for the role.

When to Include Your Address

Include city and state (not full address) when:

• The job requires on-site or hybrid attendance at a specific location
• You’re applying locally and want to show you won’t need relocation
• The job posting asks for it specifically
• You’re applying to government positions that require location verification

Include your full street address only when:

• The application form or job posting explicitly requires it
• You’re applying for a federal or security-clearance role

When to Leave It Off

Leave your address off entirely when:

• You’re applying for fully remote roles (though listing your state can help with tax/legal questions)
• You’re relocating and your current address might trigger geographic filtering
• You’re concerned about privacy (your resume may be stored in databases, shared with third parties, or posted publicly)
• The role is in a different city and you don’t want to be filtered out before you can explain your willingness to relocate

Best Practice for 2026

Use this format in your resume header:

Jane Smith
San Francisco, CA
jane.smith@email.com | (555) 123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/janesmith

City and state gives the employer what they need. No street address, no zip code. Clean and modern.

If you’re relocating, you can note the target city:

Jane Smith
Relocating to Austin, TX

ATS Impact

Most ATS systems parse a location field from your resume header. City and state is typically all that’s extracted — ATS software doesn’t use your street address for matching or scoring. Some ATS systems even use location to match candidates with local job openings, so including your city helps rather than hurts.

If you leave location off entirely, some ATS systems may flag your resume as having incomplete contact information. That’s why listing at least your city and state is better than omitting location altogether.

What Recruiters Say

Recruiters use your location to determine commute feasibility or relocation needs. They don’t need — or want — your apartment number. Several recruiting professionals have noted that a full street address on a resume feels outdated and can raise minor privacy concerns.

The key is showing that you’re either local to the job or willing to be. If you’re not local, address it in your cover letter rather than hoping they won’t notice.

Example

Modern (recommended):

Alex Chen
Denver, CO
alex.chen@email.com | (555) 987-6543 | linkedin.com/in/alexchen

Outdated (not recommended):

Alex Chen
1234 Maple Street, Apt 5B
Denver, CO 80202
alex.chen@email.com | (555) 987-6543

Common Mistakes

• Including your full street address — unnecessary and a privacy concern
• Omitting location entirely — some ATS systems need at least a city/state to parse your contact info correctly
• Listing a location far from the job without context — if you’re willing to relocate, say so
• Using a P.O. Box — this looks unusual on a resume and can raise flags