To change your last name after marriage, you update records at the Social Security Administration first, then your state DMV, the U.S. passport office, your employer, your banks, and a handful of smaller accounts like voter registration and airline profiles. The order matters: nearly every agency verifies your name against the SSA database before issuing new documents, so skipping ahead usually means a wasted trip. The whole process takes a few weeks if you stay organized, and most government steps are free.
Order Certified Marriage Certificates Before Anything Else
You can’t start without certified copies of your marriage certificate from the county or state that issued it. Several agencies demand an original or certified copy and will reject photocopies, so a single copy forces you to work one agency at a time. Order three or four. That lets you file with the SSA, the passport office, and your bank in parallel instead of waiting weeks between steps. Fees generally run $10 to $30 per copy depending on the jurisdiction.
Social Security Administration
This is always the first stop. Your Social Security number stays the same, but the name attached to it has to match your new legal name before the DMV, the IRS, or your employer can update their own records. The SSA recommends waiting at least 30 days after the wedding so the state vital records office has time to make the marriage certificate available for verification.1Social Security Administration. Just Married? Need to Change Your Name?
You’ll complete Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card, available on the SSA website or at any local office.2Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card Along with the form, bring your certified marriage certificate as proof of the name change and one current, unexpired identity document such as a driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport. Everything must be an original or a certified copy from the issuing agency. The SSA will not accept photocopies or notarized versions.3Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
Depending on your situation, the SSA may let you complete the change online. Otherwise you can mail the application or visit a local office. Going in person gets your originals back immediately after the agent reviews them; mailing means they come back separately from the new card. The name change is free, and the new card typically arrives in 5 to 10 business days.4Social Security Administration. Change Name With Social Security
Driver’s License or State ID
Once the SSA has processed the change, head to your state DMV or equivalent agency. Don’t rush. The DMV pulls your name from the SSA database, and the update can take 24 to 48 hours to appear on their end. Walk in too soon and the clerk’s system will still show your old name.
Bring your certified marriage certificate and either your new Social Security card or the paper receipt the SSA gave you. Fees for a corrected license vary by state, with many offices falling in the $10 to $40 range. Some states waive the fee for a name correction if your license isn’t close to expiring; others charge the full replacement rate.
REAL ID Catches People Off Guard
If you’re applying for or renewing a REAL ID-compliant license, the documentation rules are stricter. REAL ID requires proof linking your birth-certificate name to your current legal name, so you’ll need the marriage certificate as that connecting document. Ordinary non-REAL-ID name changes at the DMV generally don’t require your birth certificate, which is why the REAL ID requirement surprises people.
Vehicle Title and Registration
Some states expect you to update your vehicle title and registration too. This usually means a separate form and fee. It’s rarely urgent, but a name mismatch between your license and your title creates friction when you sell the car, renew registration, or file an insurance claim. Check with your state agency about whether it’s required or just recommended.
U.S. Passport
Federal regulations require your passport to be issued in your current legal name.5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.25 – Name of Applicant to Be Used in Passport Which form you use depends on how old your passport is and how recently your name changed, and the right choice can save you over $100.
- Form DS-5504 (free): Use this if less than one year has passed since both your passport was issued and your name was legally changed. Mail in the form, your current passport, the marriage certificate, and one passport photo. No fee unless you pay $60 for expedited processing.6U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
- Form DS-82 ($130): Use this if more than a year has passed but your passport was issued within the last 15 years, is undamaged, and was issued when you were 16 or older. Mail in the form, your passport, the marriage certificate, a photo, and the fee.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Form DS-11 ($165): Use this if your passport is more than 15 years old or you don’t qualify for mail-in renewal. You must apply in person at a passport acceptance facility such as a post office or county clerk’s office. The fee includes a $130 application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
All three forms require one color passport photo and the original or certified marriage certificate.6U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport Standard processing runs four to six weeks from the date the agency receives your application. Your marriage certificate comes back separately from the new passport.
Employer, W-4, and Benefits
A name mismatch between your W-2 and your Social Security record is one of the most common causes of delayed tax refunds after a name change. The IRS checks every return against SSA data, and a mismatch can hold up your refund.8Internal Revenue Service. Changed Your Name After Marriage or Divorce Updating your employer early in the year gives payroll time to issue the W-2 under the right name.
Give HR or payroll a copy of your new Social Security card and ask them to update:
- Your Form W-4, so withholding records match your Social Security card.
- Your Form I-9. The employer updates the New Name fields in Supplement B and may ask to see your marriage certificate for the file.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Recording Changes of Name and Other Identity Information for Current Employees
- Health insurance, retirement accounts, and life insurance beneficiary records. Some benefits administrators sync through payroll, many don’t.
If a W-2 or 1099 arrives in your old name, ask the issuer for a corrected form. You can also correct the name on the copies you file with your return, and if the employer sends a W-2c, include it.10Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
IRS and Tax Records
You don’t have to separately notify the IRS. It pulls name data from the SSA, so once SSA has your new name, the IRS will pick it up. What matters is that the name on your next tax return matches your Social Security card exactly, or the return may get flagged.11Internal Revenue Service. Update My Information
If you’re also moving after the wedding, Form 8822 notifies the IRS of both the new address and your prior name; line 5 has a field for the previous name. Let your lenders know your new name too, since tax documents like Form 1098 for mortgage interest use whatever name the lender has on file.10Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
Banks and Financial Accounts
Most banks and credit unions want you to come in person. Bring your new driver’s license and the marriage certificate. Digital-only banks sometimes accept uploaded documents through a secure portal, but expect a few business days for the change to take effect.
Don’t stop at checking accounts. Credit cards, brokerage accounts, IRAs, auto loans, and your mortgage all carry your name and all need updating. Lenders typically want a written request with a copy of the marriage certificate. Handle these promptly, because a name mismatch across financial accounts creates confusion on your credit reports and complicates future loan applications.
Airline Reservations and TSA
The TSA’s Secure Flight program requires the name on your airline reservation to match your government-issued ID exactly.12Transportation Security Administration. Does the Name on My Airline Reservation Have to Match the Name on My Application If you’ve already switched your driver’s license to your married name but an upcoming flight was booked under your maiden name, you can run into trouble at the checkpoint.
Most airlines allow name corrections for marriage without charging a fee. The correction updates the existing ticket rather than transferring it to another person. Corrections generally can’t be made within 24 hours of departure, so take care of it well in advance. While you’re at it, update frequent flyer accounts, online travel profiles, and any TSA PreCheck or Global Entry records, since those programs also match names against your ID.
Voter Registration
The name on the voter rolls needs to match the ID you present at the polls. Most states let you update registration online, by mail, or through your county clerk or board of elections. Deadlines range from Election Day registration in some states to a 30-day cutoff in others. If an election is coming up, don’t wait.
Other Records Worth Updating
A handful of smaller records are easy to overlook:
- Property deeds. The deed still shows your old name. Some owners file a new deed, others leave it until they sell or refinance. Not urgent, but the mismatch adds a step at closing.
- Professional licenses. Medical, legal, teaching, nursing, and similar boards usually require a name update within a set period. Check with your specific board for deadlines.
- Insurance policies. Auto, homeowner’s, renter’s, and umbrella policies should all reflect your current legal name. A mismatch can slow a claim.
- Estate planning documents. If you have a will, trust, power of attorney, or healthcare directive, ask the attorney who drafted them whether they should be amended or re-executed.
- Utility accounts and subscriptions. Lower priority, easy to batch once you have the new ID in hand. Most take a phone call.