If you’ve recently gone through a legal name change process, it’s important to update your official documents to reflect your new name. Whether you’re updating your birth certificate after marriage, correcting an error, or making a legal name change, knowing how to change your name on your birth certificate is the first step.
After that, you’ll also need to update other essential records, such as changing your name on your Social Security cardand updating your passport after a name change. This guide will walk you through the entire process, ensuring that your identification and official documents remain valid and up to date.
How to Change Your Name on a Birth Certificate: Step-by-Step Guide
If you’ve changed your name via a court order, you can legally change your birth certificate name. If you’ve changed your name because you married, you can skip this step.
- Contact the office or court processing legal name changes in your area. Ask for direction for the proper forms or petitions for your state. Fill them out with the correct office and have them notarized. They will give you a court date.
- Appear in court. If the judge approves your request, you’ll receive a certified court order.
- Contact the Vital Records office in your state. This is typically a division of the state Department of Health. You will not be able to request a name change through Vital Records Online. However, you can request a replacement birth certificate with your new name.
- You will likely have to submit a certified copy of your birth certificate, your photo ID, and your name change court order.
Unfortunately, the process for changing your birth certificate name can vary a great deal from state to state.
How to Change a Birth Certificate After Adoption: What You Need to Know
If you’ve adopted a child who is less than 1 year old, you may be able to legally change your child’s birth name via a court order. This means that you must contact a lawyer and submit a process according to your state’s regulations. This may be costly and may not be successful.
Updating Your Birth Certificate After Marriage: Legal Process & Requirements
Most states will not update your birth certificate because you are married, unless it comes with an accompanying court order.
Visiting the Social Security Office
Once you have a marriage license or a copy of your birth certificate and court order showing your legal change of name, you must begin by replacing your social security card.
You will need:
- Current Birth Certificate
- Driver’s License, Identity Card, or U.S. Passport (in some cases other documents may suffice)
- Marriage License or Court Order of Name Change
First, fill out and print the application for a replacement social security card. Then, mail the application or make an appointment with your local Social Security Office.
How to Update Your Driver’s License After a Name Change
Once you’ve changed your name, you’ll have to update it on your driver’s license, car title, and registration. You’ll have to do this in person at your local Department of Motor Vehicles.
You’ll need the following vital records:
- Updated social security card with your new name
- Certified birth certificate with your new name
- Marriage license or Court Order of Name Change
You may also be able to change your voter registration while at the DMV.
Updating Your Passport After a Name Change: Required Documents & Process
Once you have certified vital records such as your birth certificate, marriage license, and social security card in your new name, it’s a fairly simple process to update your passport. However, the process and difficulty will change depending on how long you’ve had your passport.
If Less Than One Year:
Submit Form DS-5504 along with your valid passport, your original or certified vital record such as a marriage certificate or court order, and a color passport photo.
If More Than One Year:
Submit Form DS-82 along with your valid passport, your original or certified vital records such as a marriage certificate or court order, and a color passport photo.
Alternatively, if you do not have an existing passport, submit Form DS-11 with evidence of U.S. citizenship. For example, you can submit a copy of your birth certificate, your original certified vital records, a color passport, a valid ID, and a copy of that ID.
Submit your form to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155
Updating Your Name Elsewhere
Once you’ve updated your legal documents, it’s a simple matter to request and update changes to other necessary documents. The following includes a short checklist you should go through. Keep in mind you will need a copy of your birth certificate, photo ID, and possibly your marriage license or court order of name change to make these updates.
Employer – Update W2s, 401k, health insurance, life insurance, employee benefits, email, business cards, etc. Notify any unions, boards, or professional licensing or Barring organizations of your name change.
Finances – Visit your local bank with your government-issued photo ID, birth certificate, and reason for name change. Update all of your accounts including checking, checks, bank cards, credit cards, assets (property titles, deeds, trusts, IRAs, 401k) and debts.
Home – Update your home deed, rental contract, homeowners’ association or management agency, and utilities to reflect your new name.
Other – You may want to contact your healthcare providers (mental and physical), update your will, and any memberships you are a part of.
What to Do If You Don’t Have Original Identifying Documents for a Name Change
If you’ve changed your name and want to update your records, start with a copy of your original birth certificate. Unfortunately, if you’ve lost or never had it, you will have to order a copy of your birth certificate first.
Use the birth certificate application form on VRO to quickly and easily order your copy. We will handle the steps to request your vital records, including your birth certificate or marriage certificate. That way you can prove your new identity and arrange to change your name across all your government and personal IDs. You can begin filling out the form by filling out your original birth name and then your new name separately.