Best Name Change Services After Marriage: An Honest Comparison
There are five real services, one free tool, and DIY. They all deliver the same government forms; they differ in whether something arrives in the mail, whether a human answers email, and whether your Social Security number sits on someone's server. We compete in this list, so judge the table, not the adjectives.
The comparison
| Service | Price | Format | Best for | Your data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NewlyNamed (est. 2008 as MissNowMrs's sibling brand; 400k+ customers) | $29.95–$69.95 | Mailed box | A done-for-you box with prepaid envelopes; registry gift | Their servers |
| HitchSwitch (est. 2012) | $49.99–$129.99 | Print-at-home to mailed | Tiers with photos, concierge email, a 10,000-organization database | Their servers |
| Easy Name Change (est. 2008, AU/UK/CA/US) | $45–$79 | Print or printed | Multi-country coverage; 60-day refund | Their servers |
| MissNowMrs (est. 2007; 500k brides claimed) | $39.95–$179.95 | App + print or printed | Long track record; budget-planning extras at the top tier | Their servers |
| Name Change Plan Packet | Free (email) | Browser-generated PDFs | Filled SS-5 + passport form + letters tonight, nothing uploaded | Your browser only |
| DIY | $0 | Government sites | Tight budget, comfortable with forms | N/A |
Prices from each service's public pages, checked September 2026; they change. We may earn a commission from NewlyNamed; we earn nothing from the others.
How to choose
- Want a box in the mail with stamps and envelopes? NewlyNamed's mid tier is the cleanest price for that; HitchSwitch's Full Service is comparable with more add-ons.
- Want it done tonight and don't want to upload your SSN? The free packet. It leaves you with the same printed forms as a print-at-home kit.
- Outside the U.S.? Easy Name Change covers four countries; our UK, Australia and Canada guides and tools are free.
- Want a human? HitchSwitch Platinum and MissNowMrs Ultimate sell support; the government agencies also answer the phone for free.
What none of them do
File anything on your behalf, shorten the Social Security or passport timelines, or obtain a form you couldn't download yourself. Every service, including ours, is document preparation. For court petitions (a name not on any certificate), see whether you need a lawyer.
Skip the forms — get them filled in 10 minutes
The Name Change Plan Packet (free — your email is the only thing we ask for) asks you the questions once, then generates your completed official forms — SS-5, the right passport form — plus notification letters for your banks and employer, and your state's exact instructions. Built entirely in your browser: your details never touch our servers.
Get the free packet →Common questions
What is the best name change service?
For a mailed kit, NewlyNamed's pricing is the cleanest; for tiers and extras, HitchSwitch; for a free, private, instant option, the Name Change Plan packet. The forms are identical across all of them.
Are name change services legit?
Yes — they're document-preparation businesses, not government agencies, and the reputable ones say so. None can file for you.
Is there a free name change service?
The Name Change Plan packet generates the filled forms and letters free in your browser; government forms are free from the agencies directly.
Do these services work for divorce?
Most cover restoring a former name after divorce with the decree; check each. The free packet has a divorce mode.