Arizona Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Arizona, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
Checked against official Arizona and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The correct order in Arizona
Follow this sequence in Arizona:
- 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Clerk of the Superior Court in the Arizona county where the marriage license was issued (Arizona marriage records are kept at the county level, not by the state Dept. of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records, which handles only birth/death records).
- 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
- 3. Wait at least 2 business days for the SSA record to sync (Arizona asks for longer than most states).
- 4. Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD): update your license (about $12 (confirm with the agency)).
- 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
- 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.
Mind the clock: Arizona asks you to update your license within 10 days of your legal name change, so don't park this step for later. The law: A.R.S. § 28-448(A).
Every Arizona step, in the right order
This page covers name change checklist. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Arizona, so nothing gets done out of order.
Arizona documents to gather
- Certified Arizona marriage certificate/license (or other legal name-change document)
- Current Arizona driver license or ID card
- Proof name was already updated with the Social Security Administration
- Identity/proof-of-residency documents if replacing a REAL ID-compliant license
- Payment for the $12 replacement license/ID fee
Good to know for Arizona: Example given is Maricopa County (largest AZ county, clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov); certified copy costs about $35.50-$43.50 depending on request method. Residents must request from the specific county Clerk of Superior Court where their license was issued, not a single statewide office.
What a name change costs in Arizona
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies, at typical prices): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD)): about $12 (confirm with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
Most people spend roughly $42–$267 in Arizona: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.
Arizona FAQs
Sources
We checked the details on this page against the official sources below in August 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything you are about to act on at the agency's own page. The legal citations were last re-read against their sources in October 2026. How we verify.
- State agencyArizona: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyArizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyArizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD): appointments
- The lawA.R.S. § 28-448(A)Notify the department within 10 days after a change of name.
- The lawA.R.S. § 16-120Registration must be received before midnight on the 29th day before the election.
- FederalSocial Security Administration: change your name
- FederalSocial Security Administration: Form SS-5
- FederalU.S. Department of State: change or correct a passport
NameWright is not a government agency and this is not legal advice. We prepare your paperwork; you file it.
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