Changing Your Name After Marriage
Changing your name is entirely optional. Here’s how the process works if you decide to do it.
It’s Entirely Your Decision
Some spouses have strong feelings about names, so it’s worth talking it through before the wedding to avoid surprises. Whatever you decide, the process for legally changing your name starts with your certified marriage certificate.
Steps to Change Your Name
Get your marriage certificate
- Officiants generally have up to 10 days to return the completed license
- Certified copies are typically available about two weeks after the ceremony
- Order copies from the county where the license was issued
Update your records
- Start with Social Security, then your driver’s license
- Update your passport, bank accounts, and employer records
- Keep a few certified copies on hand for various agencies
Steps for Changing Your Name After Marriage in North Carolina
North Carolina does not require a court order to take your spouse’s surname, hyphenate, or combine names after marriage. Your certified marriage certificate is the legal document that authorizes the change. The work is in updating every agency and account, and the order matters because each one wants to see the previous one.
- Get certified copies of your marriage certificate. Order two or three from the Register of Deeds in the county that issued your marriage license, usually $10 each. Some agencies keep a copy.
- Social Security Administration first. File Form SS-5 with your certified marriage certificate and proof of identity, by mail or at a local office. There is no fee. Your Social Security number does not change; the name on the record does. Wait until the SSA update posts, usually about two days, before going to the DMV, because the DMV verifies your name against the SSA database.
- NCDMV driver’s license. Visit a driver license office in person with your current license, your certified marriage certificate and your Social Security card or a document showing your SSN. A duplicate license with the new name is about $14. Update your vehicle title and registration at the same time.
- Passport. If your passport was issued within the last year, use Form DS-5504 at no charge. Otherwise use Form DS-82 (renewal by mail, if eligible) or DS-11, with the applicable fee, and include your certified marriage certificate. Do not book international travel in your new name until the new passport arrives.
- Voter registration. Update through the NCDMV at the time of your license change, or file a new voter registration form with your county board of elections.
- Employer, payroll and benefits. Give HR a copy of your new Social Security card so your W-2 matches SSA records. Update health insurance, retirement accounts and beneficiary designations.
- Banks, credit cards, loans and credit bureaus. Each institution has its own process; most require the new driver’s license and marriage certificate. Your credit history follows your Social Security number, and the bureaus update your name from the creditors’ reports.
- Everything else. Utilities, lease or mortgage, insurance policies, professional licenses, the post office, your physicians, your children’s schools, and your estate planning documents. Add a note to your will or trust if your name appears there; the documents remain valid, but updating avoids confusion later.
Name Change Costs
| Item | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Certified marriage certificate (each) | $10 |
| Social Security card | Free |
| NC driver’s license duplicate | $14 |
| Passport (within one year of issue) | Free |
| Passport renewal or new application | $130 book, plus execution fee if DS-11 |
| Vehicle title correction | About $20 |
Fees change; confirm current amounts with each agency. Names after a divorce work differently: a spouse may resume a former name by requesting it in the divorce judgment or by applying to the clerk of court afterward. See Six Steps to File for Divorce.
Name Change FAQs
Do I have to change my name after marriage?
No. Changing your name is completely optional, and many people choose to keep their name.
Can I hyphenate both names?
Yes, hyphenating is a common option if you want to reflect both names.
How long does the process usually take?
It varies by agency, but most people can complete the core updates (Social Security, driver’s license) within a few weeks of receiving their certified marriage certificate.
Can my husband take my last name?
Yes. North Carolina’s process is the same for either spouse: the certified marriage certificate authorizes the change with the Social Security Administration and the DMV. Either spouse may take the other’s surname or a hyphenated combination.
Can I change my first or middle name at the same time?
Not with the marriage certificate alone. The marriage-based process covers your surname; you may adopt your former surname as a middle name in most agencies’ practice, but a change to your first name or an entirely new name requires a petition to the clerk of superior court under Chapter 101, with a background check and notice requirements.
What if I change my mind later and want my maiden name back while still married?
You can petition the clerk of superior court for a name change under G.S. 101-2. The process requires publication of notice, a criminal background check and a hearing, and a person may generally obtain only one such change.
Do I need to notify the IRS?
No separate notice is required. The IRS matches your return to Social Security records, so as long as your SSA record is updated before you file, your return will process. Filing under a name that does not match SSA records is a common cause of rejected e-filed returns.
Related Reading
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Managing Partner and Co-Founder, McIlveen Family Law Firm. Angela is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law, certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and an experienced family law trial attorney who represents clients across North Carolina. She personally reviewed this page for legal accuracy.
