Change your name in Arkansas
The exact steps, documents, and official Arkansas links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Office of Driver ServicesLicense update fee
Around $5-$10; the statutory duplicate fee is $5 (Ark. Code 27-16-806, checked 2026-08) and offices may add card costs. New license issued same day
Marriage certificate
Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records (Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205)Voter deadline
Arkansas does not offer online voter registration updates. To report a name change, complete the name-change portion of the voter registration application and submit it to your county clerk. The state's pages give no separate cutoff for a name change, so send it well before an election. New registrations are due 30 days before an election, and a move to a new county has its own cutoff of 4 days before an election.
To see how Arkansas's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Arkansas government sites. How we verify
What Arkansas asks you to bring
Documents for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Office of Driver Services
- Current Arkansas driver license or ID card
- Certified marriage certificate (or court order/divorce decree) proving legal name change
- Proof of Social Security Number
- Proof of Arkansas residency (may be requested for REAL ID compliance)
- Completed Affidavit of Legal Name Change form (if applicable)
Online or in person
Arkansas does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Office of Driver Services is required.
REAL ID in Arkansas
Name changes must be done in person at a DFA Revenue Office; not available online or by mail. Bring proof of SSN and, for REAL ID, proof of residency/identity documents as required by the Revenue Office.
Ordering your Arkansas marriage certificate
Order online, by mail, by phone (866-209-9482), or walk-in. Fee is $10 per copy (online orders add a $5 processing fee plus $1.85 identity verification fee and optional expedited shipping). Processing 7-14 business days plus shipping; same-day service available for walk-ins arriving by 4:00 PM with required ID.
Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records (Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205)Updating your Arkansas voter registration
Arkansas does not take a name change online, so you will need to file a paper registration form. Arkansas does not offer online voter registration updates. To report a name change, complete the name-change portion of the voter registration application and submit it to your county clerk. The state's pages give no separate cutoff for a name change, so send it well before an election. New registrations are due 30 days before an election, and a move to a new county has its own cutoff of 4 days before an election.
Update your registrationArkansas step-by-step guides
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 agencyArkansas: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyArkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Office of Driver Services: name change on a license or ID
- State agencyArkansas official voter registration page
- State agencyArkansas Secretary of State: voter registration informationThe state's page: submit your application no later than 30 days before an 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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