How To: Change Your Last Name
Congratulations! You’ve just gotten married and now you are ready to start life with your new husband or wife (and possibly even with a new last name!) While some people believe that legally you are required for all members of the family to have the same last name, this definitely isn’t the case. Many couples are choosing to keep their respective last names, to combine them into one, or hyphenate the two surnames. Whatever your decision is, we support it. However, if you are going down the route of changing your last name, there are a couple steps you will need to take:
Step One: Purchase a certified copy of your marriage license with your new name on it
Step Two: Head over to the local Social Security Office (with an appointment!). This must be your first government update! The turnaround time for your new SS card takes about 2 weeks. In the meantime, you may want to make an appointment for the DMV because…
Step Three: …DMV is your next step! You will need to bring your new Social Security card, the copy of your certified marriage license, as well as your old driver’s license. Again, turn around time is about 2-4 weeks.
Step Four: If you have a passport, go ahead and update it. You’ll have to re-file and provide copies of all required documents (including your certified marriage license). You can get this rushed ordered for a higher fee, if needed for a honeymoon. Otherwise, if you booked your travel under your maiden name, you can use your currently issued passport if traveling soon after your wedding day.
Step Five: Update your bank or financial institution(s). For this you will need a copy of your marriage license and all parties on the bank account present.
Step Six: Changing all the rest, which includes:
Credit card companies
Loans
Immigration documents
Lease agreements
Mortgage
Car title and registration
Insurance
Deeds
Voter registration
Utility companies
Doctors’ offices
Social media accounts (yay!)
Employers/Payroll
Post Office (if your address has changed, too)
