Name change after marriage by state
Pick your state below for the exact DMV name-change steps, fees, and documents after marriage — each one backed by official government sources and verified. The order is the same everywhere: Social Security first, then your state DMV / REAL ID, then your passport. Your state sets its own forms, fees, and whether you can do it online or only in person, so the state-specific step is the one that trips people up.
Choose your state
Pick yours and you'll get steps written for your state, with every step linked to its official .gov page and stamped with the date we last checked it. We only publish a state once we've confirmed it, so you're never guessing.
- Name change after marriage in Alabama
- Name change after marriage in Arizona
- Name change after marriage in California
- Name change after marriage in Colorado
- Name change after marriage in Connecticut
- Name change after marriage in Florida
- Name change after marriage in Georgia
- Name change after marriage in Indiana
- Name change after marriage in Iowa
- Name change after marriage in Kansas
- Name change after marriage in Kentucky
- Name change after marriage in Louisiana
- Name change after marriage in Maryland
- Name change after marriage in Michigan
- Name change after marriage in Minnesota
- Name change after marriage in Mississippi
- Name change after marriage in Missouri
- Name change after marriage in Nebraska
- Name change after marriage in Nevada
- Name change after marriage in New Jersey
- Name change after marriage in New York
- Name change after marriage in North Carolina
- Name change after marriage in Ohio
- Name change after marriage in Oklahoma
- Name change after marriage in Oregon
- Name change after marriage in Pennsylvania
- Name change after marriage in South Carolina
- Name change after marriage in Tennessee
- Name change after marriage in Texas
- Name change after marriage in Utah
- Name change after marriage in Virginia
- Name change after marriage in Washington
- Name change after marriage in Wisconsin
Don't see your state?
You're not stuck. The federal steps are the same in every state, so start your free preview and you'll get the plan in the right order — Social Security, then your DMV, then your passport — plus the official sources for your state.
See your exact steps free
Answer a few quick questions and we'll tell you what to do first, second, and third for your exact situation — each step linked to the real .gov page. No account, no card.
Frequently asked questions
- Which states have verified name-change guidance?
- We publish .gov-verified DMV steps for 33 states so far, listed above. For every other state we route you to the official sources and the federal steps (Social Security, REAL ID, passport) that apply everywhere — we never present unverified state rules as confirmed.
- Does the name-change process differ by state?
- The federal steps (Social Security, passport, REAL ID rules) are the same everywhere, but each state DMV sets its own forms, fees, accepted documents, and whether you can change your name online or only in person. That state-specific step sits between Social Security and your passport.
- Do I change my name at the DMV or Social Security first?
- Social Security first, in every state. Your state DMV verifies your name and SSN against SSA's records, so updating SSA before the DMV prevents your license or REAL ID from being rejected on a mismatch.
- What if my state isn't listed?
- Start with the free preview — it gives you the correctly-sequenced federal steps that apply in every state, plus official sources for your state. We add states as we verify them against their official DMV pages.
Not legal advice · Not a government service · Not affiliated with any government agency.