How to Change Your Name in the United States

Every legal name change in the U.S. runs on one of three documents — a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or a court order — and then through the same four agencies in the same order. Figure out which document you're holding and the rest is a checklist.

Route 1: marriage

The certificate lets either spouse take the other's surname, hyphenate, or (in many states) combine or move a maiden name to the middle. No court, no fee beyond certified copies. State guides cover the agency, fee and deadline for all 50 states; the plan builder orders your steps.

Route 2: divorce

A decree with a restoration clause returns a former name — no deadline, no new case. Without the clause, amend the decree or file a petition. Guide: getting your maiden name back.

Route 3: court petition

Everything else — a new name, a child's name, a first-name change. Filing fee ≈ $100–$450 by state, publication in some states, a background check in some, a signed order. Guides for Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nevada; costs for every state in the cost guide.

Then the same four steps

1. Social Security (free SS-5) — always first; wait 24–48 hours.
2. Driver's license at your state agency (fees and deadlines by state).
3. Passport — free within a year of issue, otherwise $130.
4. Everyone else: voter registration, employer, banks, insurance — the tracker lists 31 of them. The IRS updates itself from Social Security.

The free packet fills the SS-5, the passport form and the notification letters in your browser.