Introduction
1. Update your Social Security
Information. This will help avoid big mixups in the government. Some
companies charge as much as $30.00.
2. Assist in changing your driver's license information. You will
have to go to your department of motor vehicles and bring your I.D.
We'll help you find the one closest to you.
3. Update your passport information. We'll show you which forms you
need and where to send them.
4. Complete your change of address and name on both State and Federal
Taxes.
5. Change your name and/or address with the Post Office. If you're
new to an area, we'll show what forms you need and where to find the
closest postal location.
6. Get a new Voters Registration form. In some States, you can simply
download a form and mail it in.
7. Update your credit report. We'll print out the forms filled with
your information and all you have to do is send it in.
Step One
The first and most important step is to
obtain a certified or official copy of your marriage license from the
county office where your marriage license has been recorded or was
issued. It is best to wait 4 weeks after your wedding day before
sending in the request. In some counties an official copy will be
mailed to you and there will be no need to specially request it.
Check with your county office.
Once you receive the official copy, make a few additional xerox
copies to keep for your own records and for agencies, banks,
employers, or government offices that will request it.
Once you have copies of the license, proceed to step two.
Step Two
Now that you have received your certified
copy of the marriage license, we need some personal information so
that we can print out all the required:
1. Click
here to Download Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0
(required).
2. Once the Reader has been installed, you can download all the
documents.
3. Fill out the entries. It will record your details throughout the
rest of the government documents that you need, saving you valuable
time.
4. Print.
Step Three
The next step you need to take is to
notify the Social Security Administration of your name change. This
usually requires you to send out an original copy of your marriage
license and the SS-5
Form.
A certified copy of your marriage license must be sent with this form
since they do not accept copies. They will return the copy after
receiving your application.
If you don't want to send your marriage license through the mail or
would rather change your Social Security number in person, the button
below enables you to locate the nearest Social Security
Administration office based on your U.S. Postal Service zip code.
Enter your five-digit zip code and click the Locate button for
information and directions.
Step Four
After you have obtained your Social
Security Card, the next step is to notify the Department of Motor
Vehicles so that the necessary changes will be made on your driver's
license and motor vehicle registration title. You may also want to
notify them as to a name or address change on your state I.D. You
usually have to appear in person, so locate the one nearest to
you.
*If I change my name, do I have to notify
the Department of Licensing?
You must notify the Department of Licensing within 10 days of an
address change or legal name change. A name change must be done in
person, and requires legal documentation.
Step Five
Bank Accounts
If you wish to open a new joint account or change the name on your
existing account(s) then you will need to go to the branch where your
account is located and request the changes. They will generally
require a certified copy of your marriage license as proof before any
name change can be made. Sometimes a xerox copy of the license is
sufficient, and you may want to bring your Social Security card with
you. Banks usually require you to make the change in person.
Use the Bank
Record Name Change form.
Credit Cards
To change your name and address on your credit card accounts, you
need to send a letter requesting the change on your account and
accompany it with a xeroxed copy of your new driver's license and/or
marriage license to the address listed on the credit card
statement.
Use the Credit
Card Name Change form.
Step Six
Passport
To change your name on your existing passport, you will need to file
form DSP-19
to notify this division regarding a change. Be sure to send along the
original certified or official copy of your marriage license with the
form, otherwise the passport office will not make the necessary
changes.
If you do not have a passport or have to get a new one because your
old one has expired, you will need to fill out form
DSP-82.
If you are applying for a passport in person, print and fill out form
DSP-11
and find a passport agency near you by typing in your city in the box
below:
Step Seven
Insurance Policies
When notifying your insurance companies, you will be required to
present evidence of your recent marriage. A xerox copy of your
certified or official copy of the marriage license is usually
sufficient for this purpose. You may also want to enclose our form
letter to assist you in the process.
Use the Insurance
Policy Name Change Form .
Step Eight
IRS
You have to notify the IRS of your name change as well.
Form
8822 does this for you. Click here to
download the form. Fill out the information and send it out.
State Income
Many states also have a State Income Tax but do not have a standard
form to notify them of name changes. However, you can use the
State
Taxes Form.
Step Nine
If you are changing your address you may
wish to notify others on both the name and address change. Here are a
few suggestions:
Post Office
You can notify your Post Office, Friends and Family of your address
and name change by filling out the form they have provided.
Voter's Registration
You must re-register to vote whenever you move or if there is a name
change. The National Voter registration form is available for some
states.
The National Mail Voter
Registration Form
What it is:
The National Mail Voter Registration Form is the one
document that allows you to register to vote from anywhere in the
United States.
The National Form can be used to:
* - Register out-of-town tourist and
convention groups
* - Register people from surrounding States who work, shop, or
attend events in a central city
* - Conduct voter registration drives, especially at colleges
and universities
* - Register individuals at State agencies or other public
offices
Please Note the Following
Exceptions:
- New Hampshire town and city clerks will accept
this application only as a request for their own mail-in absentee
voter registration form
- North Dakota does not have voter registration
-Wisconsin town, village, and city clerks will accept this
application only as a request for their own mail-in registration
form
- Wyoming cannot accept this form under State law.
The following States will accept copies of this application printed
from the computer image on regular paper stock, signed by the
applicant and mailed in an envelope with the correct postage:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For the remainder of the States which do not accept copies of the
National Mail Voter Registration Form, you may obtain a State voter
registration form by a written request mailed to the address of the
State election office listed in the State Instructions.
In completing this application, be sure to follow the General
Instructions as well as the Application Instructions and specific
State Instructions for your State which include the address to use
for mailing the application.
Memberships and Associations
You might also want to notify any of the professional or social
memberships or associations in which you have been active. Use the
Club, Organization, and
Membership Form.
Employment Records
If you're planning on notifying your employer, use the
Workplace Change of Name and
Address Form .
College and Graduate Schools
You may also want to notify your College and Graduate Schools so they
can update their records. Use the School
Notification Form.
Credit Rating Companies
You can update your credit report information by notifying each of
the bureaus of name and address changes after updating the
information with banks and credit card agencies. After this is done,
you should notify Equifax, TRW. Use the Credit
Reporting Agency Notification Form.
Medical Records
Notify your past and present medical care agencies and physicians of
address changes. For this, use the Medical
Record Name Change Form .
Step Ten
Extras
This cannot cover all bride's notification needs and each State
requirements may vary. Each bride's situation is different. For
instance, if you own property recorded under your maiden name, or are
named in a will etc., you probably will need to contact your legal
counsel for the specific forms or procedures required to make the
appropriate changes. In the cases where legal notification and
procedures are necessary consult you attorney for his/her
professional advice.
After all of these things are complete, your job is done!
the blue highlighted forms can be veiwed through Acrobat 4.0
and printed as needed