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Name change after marriage in District of Columbia: checklist and DMV steps
The order to change your name after marriage in District of Columbia, and what the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) asks for, from its own pages. Each step links its source.
How to change your name after marriage in District of Columbia
Get certified copies of your marriage certificate first. Then change your name with Social Security, then at the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC 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. Submit full names, maiden names and the marriage date. The fee is $10 per copy, paid through an online portal, and the copy is mailed. (Source: dccourts.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 District of Columbia driver's license or ID. The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC 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 District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)
From the agency’s own pages, last checked October 30, 2026. Open the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) page. Fees and rules change: confirm on that page before you go.
- What to do
- Update your name with Social Security first, then visit a DMV Service Center with your current DC license, permit or ID and an original name-change document. (Source: dmv.dc.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Documents accepted as proof of the new name
- Original certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or official US court change-of-name document (including adoption). Photocopies and scans are not accepted. (Source: dmv.dc.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Fee
- Duplicate driver license fee is $20 on the DMV fee table. The name-change page itself states no fee and the fee table lists no separate name-change fee. (Source: dmv.dc.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- In person or online
- Name change is done in person at a DMV Service Center; the page describes no online option for it. (Source: dmv.dc.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Social Security first
- Yes. You must change or correct your name with the Social Security Administration before the DMV change. (Source: dmv.dc.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 District of Columbia driver's license after marriage?
Update your name with Social Security first, then visit a DMV Service Center with your current DC license, permit or ID and an original name-change document.
How much does it cost to change the name on a District of Columbia license?
Duplicate driver license fee is $20 on the DMV fee table. The name-change page itself states no fee and the fee table lists no separate name-change fee.
What documents do I need to change my name at the District of Columbia DMV?
Original certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or official US court change-of-name document (including adoption). Photocopies and scans are not accepted.
Do I need to update Social Security before the District of Columbia DMV?
Yes. You must change or correct your name with the Social Security Administration before the DMV change.
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