Documents Needed for a Name Change, Agency by Agency
Five agencies, five slightly different document lists, and one document that appears on all of them. Here's what to bring where, so each visit is the last one.
The one document on every list
A certified copy of the marriage certificate or a certified divorce decree with a name-restoration clause (or a court order). Photocopies and keepsake certificates are rejected by every government office. Order three or more; see what counts as certified.
Social Security (Form SS-5)
- Completed SS-5 (the free packet fills it)
- Certified marriage certificate, decree or court order showing both names
- Photo ID — current driver's license or passport, old name is fine
- Non-citizens: current immigration document (green card, EAD or I-94)
Free. Documents returned. Wait 24–48 hours before the DMV.
Driver's license / state ID
- Certified marriage certificate or decree
- Current license
- The fee (by state)
- For REAL ID in the same visit: proof of identity (birth certificate or passport), proof of Social Security number, two proofs of residency, and the full name-change chain — see the chain checker
Passport
- DS-5504 (free, passport issued under a year ago) or DS-82 ($130) — the form finder picks it
- Your current passport (it's cancelled and returned)
- Certified marriage certificate or decree
- One new passport photo
- Fee by check or money order for DS-82
Employer, bank, everyone else
- Employer/HR: the updated Social Security card (or SSA receipt) so payroll matches; a copy of the certificate
- Banks and cards: new ID plus a copy of the certificate, in person for most banks
- Insurance, landlord, utilities: a copy of the certificate and the signed notification letter (the packet writes them)
- Voter registration: often done at the DMV visit or online with the new ID
Track them all in the tracker.
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
Do I need my birth certificate to change my name?
Not for Social Security or the passport. For a REAL ID license, yes — or a passport — as proof of identity, plus the documents linking the birth name to the current one.
Can I use my old-name driver's license as ID at Social Security?
Yes. SSA needs a current photo ID; the old name on it is expected.
Do banks need a certified copy?
Most accept a photocopy or scan with your new ID, but a few branches ask for the certified copy — bring it the first time.
What does HR actually need?
Proof that Social Security has the new name (the new card or receipt) so the W-2 matches, plus the name change on your I-9 if you're a non-citizen.