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Name change after marriage in Colorado: checklist and DMV steps
The order to change your name after marriage in Colorado, and what the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Revenue) asks for, from its own pages. Each step links its source.
How to change your name after marriage in Colorado
Get certified copies of your marriage certificate first. Then change your name with Social Security, then at the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Revenue) 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. El Paso County Recording Department: $0.25 per copy plus $1.00 per certified document, with a request form; state records can be requested online at CDPHE. (Source: clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com, 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 Colorado driver's license or ID. The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Revenue): 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 Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Revenue)
From the agency’s own pages, last checked October 30, 2026. Open the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Revenue) page. Fees and rules change: confirm on that page before you go.
- What to do
- Make an appointment at a driver license office. Social Security must already show the new name, and it must match a required document. (Source: dmv.colorado.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Documents accepted as proof of the new name
- Certified marriage, civil union, divorce or court order documents, a certified U.S. birth certificate, or certain USCIS documents, depending on your situation. (Source: dmv.colorado.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Fee
- Not stated on the pages we read. Check the agency page. Official page
- In person or online
- An in-person appointment at a driver license office is required; the page describes no online option for name changes. (Source: dmv.colorado.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Social Security first
- If you have a Social Security number, the name change must already be recorded with the Social Security Administration. (Source: dmv.colorado.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Deadline
- For a name change from marriage, divorce, civil union or similar, you must renew your credential with the new name within 30 days. (Source: dmv.colorado.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
Common questions
How do I change my name on my Colorado driver's license after marriage?
Make an appointment at a driver license office. Social Security must already show the new name, and it must match a required document.
What documents do I need to change my name at the Colorado DMV?
Certified marriage, civil union, divorce or court order documents, a certified U.S. birth certificate, or certain USCIS documents, depending on your situation.
Do I need to update Social Security before the Colorado DMV?
If you have a Social Security number, the name change must already be recorded with the Social Security Administration.
Is there a deadline to change my name on my Colorado license?
For a name change from marriage, divorce, civil union or similar, you must renew your credential with the new name within 30 days.
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