Marriage name-change hub
Name change after marriage: complete guide and checklist
Start with certified proof of marriage, then update federal, state, travel, financial, and household records in a sequence that avoids mismatches.
Quick answer
Get a certified marriage certificate, decide the exact name you will use, update Social Security, and then follow your state’s driver’s-license rules. Update your passport and trusted-traveler programs around your travel plans. Requirements differ by agency and state, so use the linked official sources before submitting documents.
Start with legal proof of the marriage
A marriage license authorizes a marriage; a certified marriage certificate proves it occurred. Agencies commonly ask for the certified record. If you need a copy, use the official vital-records office for the state or locality where the marriage occurred.
USAGov: Get a certified marriage certificate
Recommended order after marriage
- Social Security: update the name attached to your existing Social Security number.
- Driver’s license or state ID: follow your state agency’s sequence, timing, document, and appointment rules.
- Passport: use the State Department procedure that matches when your passport was issued and your renewal eligibility.
- Employer, payroll, banks, insurance, and benefits: align tax, payment, identity, and coverage records.
- TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, airlines, and loyalty programs: make travel records match the identity document used for the trip.
Agency-by-agency guides
Social Security
Use SSA’s eligibility questionnaire first. It determines whether you can finish online or must complete the request at an office or Card Center.
- How to update Social Security after marriage
- Social Security name-change agency page
- Official SSA name-change workflow
Driver’s license or state ID
There is no universal DMV process. Use USAGov’s state directory to reach the official agency, then confirm whether it requires an SSA update first, an appointment, original documents, or a waiting period.
- State-by-state driver’s-license guide
- Driver’s-license name-change agency page
- Official state motor-vehicle directory
Passport
The State Department uses different forms and fees based on your passport’s issue date, renewal eligibility, and whether you can document the legal name change.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
Update each program separately. TSA PreCheck members work through their enrollment provider; Global Entry members use the Trusted Traveler Programs account and CBP’s current process.
- TSA PreCheck and Global Entry name-change guide
- Official TSA personal-information guidance
- Official Trusted Traveler Programs portal
Use the complete checklist
The agency steps are only part of the process. Continue with employer and payroll records, banks, credit cards, insurance, voter registration, professional licenses, utilities, subscriptions, and household accounts.
Open the complete Social Security, DMV, passport, and account checklist.
Want the forms and sequence organized for you?
UpdateMyName packages organize the federal and state steps and prepare the forms included with your selected package.
Official sources
- USAGov: Agencies to notify of a name change
- USAGov: Marriage certificates
- SSA: Change name with Social Security
- USAGov: State motor-vehicle services
- State Department: Change or correct a passport