How much does a name change cost?
Every figure below comes from the state's own fee schedule, statute, or published form. Last full verification: August 2026.
Pick your state for the full government-fee breakdown.
What these numbers cover
This page covers the usual route after a marriage or divorce. You take your certified marriage certificate or divorce decree to Social Security first, then to your state's licensing agency, and update everything else after that.
It does not cover a name change ordered by a court, where you file a petition with a county or state court. Court filing fees differ from one court to the next, and we have not collected them. Ask the clerk of the court where you would file.
Federal costs, the same in every state
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): free.
- Passport correction (Form DS-5504): free when the passport was issued less than a year ago.
- Passport renewal by mail (Form DS-82): $130.
- Passport in person (Form DS-11): $165, which is the $130 application fee plus a $35 execution fee.
Source: travel.state.gov/passportfees and ssa.gov.
License-update fees and deadlines, all 51 jurisdictions
The license fee is the state-specific piece. Certificate copies run $10–$30 each in most states (a few charge less, and some counties charge more).
What the table shows
- 30states print one dollar figure for updating a driver's license. The lowest is $3 (North Dakota), the highest is $37 (California), and the median is $18.38, halfway between $16.75 (North Carolina) and $20 (District of Columbia), the two middle states.
- 2 states list the update as free: Georgia and New Hampshire.
- 3 states give a range (Arkansas, Hawaii and Idaho), and 16 give no single figure because the fee depends on your situation or the state names no amount. Those rows link to the state page instead of printing a guess.
- 15 states set a legal deadline to update the license, from 10 to 60 days.
Every number above is counted from the rows below. Click a state to jump to its row.
Download this table as a CSV file
| State | License update fee | Update deadline | SSA wait before DMV | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama# | $36.25 | none set | 24–48 hours | alea.gov | August 2026 |
| Alaska# | Varies, see state page | 30 daysAS 28.05.071 | 24–48 hours | dmv.alaska.gov | August 2026 |
| Arizona# | $12 | 10 daysA.R.S. § 28-448(A) | at least 2 business days | azdot.gov | August 2026 |
| Arkansas# | $5–$10 | none set | 24–48 hours | dfa.arkansas.gov | August 2026 |
| California# | $37 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.ca.gov | August 2026 |
| Colorado# | Varies, see state page | 30 daysC.R.S. § 42-2-119(1)(a) | 24–48 hours | dmv.colorado.gov | August 2026 |
| Connecticut# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | portal.ct.gov | August 2026 |
| Delaware# | Standard fee, see state page | 30 daysDelaware DMV: general information, changing your name | 48–72 hours | dmv.de.gov | August 2026 |
| District of Columbia# | $20 | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.dc.gov | August 2026 |
| Florida# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | flhsmv.gov | August 2026 |
| Georgia# | Free | 60 daysGeorgia DDS: license FAQs | 24–48 hours | dds.georgia.gov | August 2026 |
| Hawaii# | $6–$10 | none set | 24–48 hours | hidot.hawaii.gov | August 2026 |
| Idaho# | $20–$30 | none set | 24–48 hours | itd.idaho.gov | August 2026 |
| Illinois# | $5 (driver's license) | 30 days625 ILCS 5/6-116(b) | 24–48 hours | ilsos.gov | August 2026 |
| Indiana# | $9 | 30 daysIndiana BMV: amending your license or ID card | 24–48 hours | secure.in.gov | August 2026 |
| Iowa# | $10 | none set | 24–48 hours | iowadot.gov | August 2026 |
| Kansas# | $16 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | ksrevenue.gov | August 2026 |
| Kentucky# | $15 | none set | 24–48 hours | drive.ky.gov | August 2026 |
| Louisiana# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | expresslane.la.gov | August 2026 |
| Maine# | Varies, see state page | 30 days29-A M.R.S. § 1407 | 24–48 hours | maine.gov | August 2026 |
| Maryland# | $30 | none set | at least 72 hours | mva.maryland.gov | August 2026 |
| Massachusetts# | $25 | none set | 24–48 hours | mass.gov | August 2026 |
| Michigan# | $9 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | michigan.gov | August 2026 |
| Minnesota# | $26 | 30 daysMinn. Stat. § 171.11 | 24–48 hours | dps.mn.gov | August 2026 |
| Mississippi# | Standard fee, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov | August 2026 |
| Missouri# | Standard fee, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | dor.mo.gov | August 2026 |
| Montana# | $10.30 | none set | 24–48 hours | mvdmt.gov | August 2026 |
| Nebraska# | Standard fee, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.nebraska.gov | August 2026 |
| Nevada# | $8.50 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.nv.gov | August 2026 |
| New Hampshire# | Free | 30 daysRSA 263:9 | 24–48 hours | dmv.nh.gov | August 2026 |
| New Jersey# | $11 | none set | 24–48 hours | nj.gov | August 2026 |
| New Mexico# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | mvd.newmexico.gov | August 2026 |
| New York# | $12.50 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.ny.gov | August 2026 |
| North Carolina# | $16.75 | 60 daysN.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7.1(b) | 24–48 hours | ncdot.gov | August 2026 |
| North Dakota# | $3 | 10 daysN.D.C.C. § 39-06-20 | 24–48 hours | dot.nd.gov | August 2026 |
| Ohio# | $29 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | bmv.ohio.gov | August 2026 |
| Oklahoma# | $25 | none set | 24–48 hours | oklahoma.gov | August 2026 |
| Oregon# | $30 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | oregon.gov | August 2026 |
| Pennsylvania# | Standard fee, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | pa.gov | August 2026 |
| Rhode Island# | $28.50 | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.ri.gov | August 2026 |
| South Carolina# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.sc.gov | August 2026 |
| South Dakota# | $20 | none set | 24–48 hours | sd.gov | August 2026 |
| Tennessee# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | tn.gov | August 2026 |
| Texas# | $11 | 30 daysTex. Transp. Code § 521.054 | 24–48 hours | dps.texas.gov | August 2026 |
| Utah# | Standard fee, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | dld.utah.gov | August 2026 |
| Vermont# | $29 | 30 days23 V.S.A. § 205 | 24–48 hours | dmv.vermont.gov | August 2026 |
| Virginia# | $20 | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.virginia.gov | August 2026 |
| Washington# | $20 | 10 daysRCW 46.20.205 | 24–48 hours | dol.wa.gov | August 2026 |
| West Virginia# | Varies, see state page | none set | 24–48 hours | dmv.wv.gov | August 2026 |
| Wisconsin# | $14 (driver's license) | none set | 24–48 hours | wisconsindot.gov | August 2026 |
| Wyoming# | $35 | none set | 24–48 hours | dot.state.wy.us | August 2026 |
Fees are abbreviated here; each state page carries the full wording, the documents to bring, and the official links. Where an ID card costs a different amount, the table shows the driver's license fee. Where the fee depends on your situation (an office surcharge, REAL ID, the length of the credential) or the state gives no amount, the cell links to that state's page instead of printing a guess.
How we built the table
- The license fee
- Each fee comes from the state licensing agency's own page about changing the name on a license, linked in the Source column. A figure appears only where that page gives one fee for a driver's license. Where an ID card costs a different amount, the table shows the license fee.
- Fees that depend on the situation
- Some states add an office surcharge or a REAL ID price, or set the fee by how long the new license lasts. Others name no amount. Those rows say so and link to the state page.
- Deadlines
- Where a statute sets the deadline, the row names it and links to the official text. Where we found only the agency's own page, the row links that page. We re-read each cited page against the passage we recorded, most recently in October 2026.
- The Social Security wait
- Most states ask you to wait 24 to 48 hours after a Social Security update before you visit the DMV. A few ask for longer, and each row shows that state's own figure.
- Certificate copies
- Not in the table. The office that issues your marriage certificate sets its price, and prices differ by county, so we show the usual $10 to $30 per copy and link each state page to the issuing office.
- Not included
- Court filing fees and newspaper publication costs for a name change ordered by a court. We have not collected them.
- The Checked column
- The month we last verified that state's record against its official pages. The latest in this table is August 2026.
Found a mistake? Email help@getnamewright.com with the state and the page that says otherwise. How we verify.
How to cite this page
NameWright, “How Much Does a Name Change Cost? By State,” getnamewright.com/name-change-cost. Data last checked August 2026.
To point to one state, link to its row, for example getnamewright.com/name-change-cost#indiana.
Recently verified changes
Fees and rules move, and most lists online never catch up. These are changes and common errors we verified at the source during our most recent full pass.
South Dakota: Name-change fee raised to $20 by a 2025 session law
Verified August 2026SDCL 32-12-16, as amended by SL 2025 ch 120, now reads: "The fee for a duplicate license, a name change, or an address change is twenty dollars." Many sites still list the old $15.
Source: SDCL 32-12-16 (South Dakota Legislature)Utah: Marriage certificate fee is $25, not the widely quoted $18
Verified August 2026The state fee schedule and the June 2026 request form both put the search including the first certified copy at $25.00, with additional copies $10 each in the same order.
Source: Utah Vital Records fee scheduleColorado: A name change is a $34 renewal, and older fee quotes are stale
Verified August 2026Colorado's own rule says to renew the credential with the new name; the current schedule lists the license renewal at $34.00 (a duplicate between renewals is $12.30). Figures around $28-31 circulating online predate the current schedule.
Source: Colorado DMV state fee scheduleOregon: Replacement license rose from $26 to $30
Verified August 2026The DMV's driver licensing fee schedule lists a replacement Class C license at $30.00; a replacement ID card is $40.00.
Source: Oregon DMV driver licensing feesMontana: Replacement fee is $10.30, lower than most sites quote
Verified August 2026The MVD licensing fee schedule lists Replacement (Any Age) at $10.30 for every license class and for ID cards. The $16.12 figure still quoted around the web is stale.
Source: Montana MVD licensing feesLouisiana: A name-change duplicate is $5 plus a small office fee, not $17-25
Verified August 2026The OMV fee document puts the duplicate/change transaction at $5.00 plus a $0-$8 local office service fee. The higher figures quoted elsewhere describe a different transaction; a change within 90 days of expiration is processed as a renewal instead.
Source: Louisiana OMV, duplicate/replacement cardsLouisiana: The state registry only holds Orleans Parish marriage records
Verified August 2026Certified marriage copies from the state Vital Records Registry cover Orleans Parish licenses only, at $5.00 per copy plus a $0.50 state charge on mail and online orders. For any other parish, order from the Clerk of Court in the parish that issued the license. Several guides state this exactly backwards.
Source: Louisiana Dept. of Health, marriage recordsArkansas: The statutory duplicate fee is $5, commonly quoted as $10
Verified August 2026Ark. Code 27-16-806 sets the duplicate or substitute license fee at five dollars. Offices may add card costs, but the statute's figure is $5.
Source: Ark. Code 27-16-806 (2025)Illinois: You have 30 days after a name change, not 10
Verified August 2026625 ILCS 5/6-116(b): a corrected card is required within 30 days of a legal name change. The 10-day rule in subsection (a) applies to address changes, and the two are routinely transposed online.
Source: 625 ILCS 5/6-116Vermont: The name-change form is now VL-021, and the clock is 30 days
Verified August 2026The DMV's name-change page names the Name/Address Change Form #VL-021 (older guides cite VL-040) and states that you are required by law to notify the DMV within 30 days of a name change.
Source: Vermont DMV, driver's license name changePennsylvania: DL-80 is the license form; MV-41A is for vehicle titles
Verified August 2026PennDOT's page names form DL-80 for a driver's license name change. MV-41A, which some checklists include, corrects the name on a vehicle title, not a license.
Source: PennDOT, change a driver's license nameVirginia: Virginia no longer publishes an SSA sync-hour figure
Verified August 2026The DMV's name-change page now says only that you must process your change with the Social Security Administration first. The 72-hour figure older guides attribute to Virginia no longer appears on the site; the usual 24-48 hour sync guidance applies.
Source: Virginia DMV, start name change
Our method: read the statute, the fee schedule, or the state agency's own form, never a summary of one. How we verify
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