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Name change after marriage in California: checklist and DMV steps
The order to change your name after marriage in California, and what the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) asks for, from its own pages. Each step links its source.
How to change your name after marriage in California
Get certified copies of your marriage certificate first. Then change your name with Social Security, then at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for your license or ID, then on your passport, then with your bank, employer and everything else.
The steps, in order
- Certified copies of your marriage certificate. Request a certified copy of a recorded Los Angeles County marriage record online through VitalChek, by mail, or at an in-person appointment; $19 per copy. (Source: lavote.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Social Security. You change your name with Social Security by requesting a replacement card. Depending on your situation you may be able to request it online; if not, you make an appointment at a local office. (Source: ssa.gov, checked October 26, 2026)
- Your California driver's license or ID. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): what its pages say is below.
- Your passport. The U.S. Department of State handles passports. Its site did not let us read it automatically when we checked, so open its passport pages for the form that fits your passport.
- Everything else. Bank and credit accounts, your employer, insurance, voter registration and the rest: the name change after marriage checklist lists them in order.
USAGov lists the agencies to tell after a name change, including Social Security, your state driver license office and the U.S. passport office, and says to use certified copies of documents such as a marriage certificate as proof. (Source: usa.gov, checked October 26, 2026)
Changing your name at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
From the agency’s own pages, last checked October 30, 2026. Open the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) page. Fees and rules change: confirm on that page before you go.
- What to do
- Tell SSA your new name, apply for a new DL/ID online, gather proof documents, then finish at a DMV field office. (Source: dmv.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Documents accepted as proof of the new name
- Non-REAL ID needs proof of your true full name; REAL ID needs identity, Social Security number and two California residency proofs. Prior name changes may need marriage or divorce papers. (Source: dmv.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Fee
- $37 for a Class C license replacement or change of DL/ID information. The name change page only says to pay the appropriate licensing fee. (Source: dmv.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- In person or online
- You can apply online, but the name change is only complete after an in-person visit to a DMV field office, with or without an appointment. (Source: dmv.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Social Security first
- DMV first verifies your information with SSA, so SSA must already have your new name or the application is denied. (Source: dmv.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Deadline
- No deadline for a name change is stated on the pages we read. Official page
Common questions
How do I change my name on my California driver's license after marriage?
Tell SSA your new name, apply for a new DL/ID online, gather proof documents, then finish at a DMV field office.
How much does it cost to change the name on a California license?
$37 for a Class C license replacement or change of DL/ID information. The name change page only says to pay the appropriate licensing fee.
What documents do I need to change my name at the California DMV?
Non-REAL ID needs proof of your true full name; REAL ID needs identity, Social Security number and two California residency proofs. Prior name changes may need marriage or divorce papers.
Do I need to update Social Security before the California DMV?
DMV first verifies your information with SSA, so SSA must already have your new name or the application is denied.
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