Marriage and divorce
Name change after marriage: the checklist, in order
The tool totals the certified copies of the marriage certificate and the passport fee for the state of the wedding. Social Security is free.
Name change after marriage: what it costs
Estimated total
$13
| Certificate copies (3) | $13 |
| Social Security card | free |
| Passport | – |
Changing your name after marriage follows one order that avoids being turned away: first the certified marriage certificate, then Social Security, then the driver's license or state ID, then the passport, and only then banks, employer, insurers and everything else. The marriage certificate is the legal link between the old and the new name; order certified copies from the office that recorded the marriage, two or three being enough for most people, since several agencies only examine and return them. Social Security comes second because employers, the IRS and motor vehicle offices check names against its records; a new card with the same number is free, applied for online in some states or with form SS-5 and the certified certificate. The motor vehicle office of your state then issues a corrected license, at its own fee, and usually wants the Social Security record updated first. The passport changes last: free within a year of issue, otherwise through a renewal at $130 for an adult book. Nothing obliges anyone to change their name after marriage; the steps are the same for a hyphenated name, and a return to a former name after divorce uses the divorce decree instead.
Certified copy of a marriage certificate
3 copies from the state office
$54
| Where to order | state or county |
| First copy (state) | $24 |
| Note | State has marriages since 1962; county Register of Deeds also issues; state processing about 9 months (Oct 2026). |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
The checklist with its costs
| Step | Document | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified marriage certificate copies | Office that recorded the marriage | Per copy, see the tool |
| 2 | Social Security card | Social Security Administration | Free |
| 3 | Driver's license or state ID | State motor vehicle office | State fee |
| 4 | Passport | U.S. Department of State | Free within 1 year, else $130 |
| 5 | Bank, employer, payroll, insurers, voter registration | Each organization | Usually free |
Social Security, in practice
Bring or mail the completed SS-5 form, the certified marriage certificate, and proof of identity showing your old name, such as a driver's license, plus proof of citizenship if it is not already on file. The card keeps the same number. Wait until the update has reached the Social Security record before going to the motor vehicle office, which checks it.
Copies of the marriage certificate
Where the state vital records office sells marriage copies, its fee is shown by the tool below; elsewhere, the county that issued the license sets it. The marriage certificate copy page lists the office in each state.
Certified copy of a marriage certificate
3 copies from the state office
$54
| Where to order | state or county |
| First copy (state) | $24 |
| Note | State has marriages since 1962; county Register of Deeds also issues; state processing about 9 months (Oct 2026). |
Passport and travel
A first passport in the new name needs the certified birth certificate and the marriage certificate linking the two names: see birth certificate for a passport. After a divorce, the decree that restores a former name plays the role of the marriage certificate: see divorce certificate.