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Name change after marriage in Pennsylvania: checklist and DMV steps
The order to change your name after marriage in Pennsylvania, and what the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services asks for, from its own pages. Each step links its source.
How to change your name after marriage in Pennsylvania
Get certified copies of your marriage certificate first. Then change your name with Social Security, then at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services 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. Philadelphia's license page lists extra certified copies at $15 each when you apply and $40 each afterward; its marriage records page lists $25 per certified copy. (Source: phila.gov, checked November 9, 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 Pennsylvania driver's license or ID. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services: 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 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services
From the agency’s own pages, last checked October 30, 2026. Open the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services page. Fees and rules change: confirm on that page before you go.
- What to do
- Bring legal documentation of the name change to a PennDOT Driver License Center, surrender your REAL ID, get a new photo and pay the replacement fee. (Source: pa.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Documents accepted as proof of the new name
- Certified marriage certificate from the county, court order granting a name change, adoption records, or amended certified birth certificate with raised seal. (Source: pa.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Fee
- $42.50 for a duplicate or replacement regular driver's license; $42.50 for a replacement ID card. (Source: pa.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- In person or online
- Go to a PennDOT Driver License Center; a new photo is taken. No online name change is described. (Source: pa.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Social Security first
- Update your name with the Social Security Administration first. (Source: pa.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 Pennsylvania driver's license after marriage?
Bring legal documentation of the name change to a PennDOT Driver License Center, surrender your REAL ID, get a new photo and pay the replacement fee.
How much does it cost to change the name on a Pennsylvania license?
$42.50 for a duplicate or replacement regular driver's license; $42.50 for a replacement ID card.
What documents do I need to change my name at the Pennsylvania DMV?
Certified marriage certificate from the county, court order granting a name change, adoption records, or amended certified birth certificate with raised seal.
Do I need to update Social Security before the Pennsylvania DMV?
Update your name with the Social Security Administration first.
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