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Name change after marriage in West Virginia: checklist and DMV steps
The order to change your name after marriage in West Virginia, and what the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles asks for, from its own pages. Each step links its source.
How to change your name after marriage in West Virginia
Get certified copies of your marriage certificate first. Then change your name with Social Security, then at the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles 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. $5 per certified copy of a marriage license. (Source: code.wvlegislature.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 West Virginia driver's license or ID. The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles: 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 West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
From the agency’s own pages, last checked October 30, 2026. Open the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles page. Fees and rules change: confirm on that page before you go.
- What to do
- For a REAL ID card, a legal name change requires name change proof and one proof of Social Security number. Call 1-800-642-9066 to confirm which documents. (Source: dmv.wv.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Documents accepted as proof of the new name
- Certified marriage certificate for each marriage (souvenir or minister's copies not accepted), amended birth certificate, court order, or certified divorce decree with name change. (Source: dmv.wv.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- Fee
- Duplicate license is $7.50, plus an additional $10 for a REAL ID card. (Source: dmv.wv.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
- In person or online
- Not stated on the pages we read. Check the agency page. Official page
- Social Security first
- The DMV checks every Social Security number with SSA, and your legal name must match SSA records, so fix any mismatch with SSA before applying. (Source: dmv.wv.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 West Virginia driver's license after marriage?
For a REAL ID card, a legal name change requires name change proof and one proof of Social Security number. Call 1-800-642-9066 to confirm which documents.
How much does it cost to change the name on a West Virginia license?
Duplicate license is $7.50, plus an additional $10 for a REAL ID card.
What documents do I need to change my name at the West Virginia DMV?
Certified marriage certificate for each marriage (souvenir or minister's copies not accepted), amended birth certificate, court order, or certified divorce decree with name change.
Do I need to update Social Security before the West Virginia DMV?
The DMV checks every Social Security number with SSA, and your legal name must match SSA records, so fix any mismatch with SSA before applying.
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