How to Change Your Name After Marriage in California
Here's exactly how to change your name after marriage in California: the right documents, the right order, and the official California links you'll need.
Checked against official California and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The California order of operations
The winning sequence in California is: certified marriage certificate → Social Security (free, first) → wait 24–48 hours → California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) → passport → notify everyone. Each step verifies against the one before it, so order matters.
Every California step, in the right order
This page covers name change after marriage. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for California, so nothing gets done out of order.
Step 1: Your certified marriage certificate
Order 3–5 certified copies from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH-VR). Photocopies aren't accepted.
Step 2–4: Social Security, then the DMV
File the free SS-5 with Social Security first, wait 24–48 hours, then update your license at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) (typically $37 license / $40 ID (change of info)). Bring:
- Certified copy of marriage certificate showing new name
- Updated Social Security card/record (change with SSA before visiting DMV)
- Current California driver's license or ID card
- Proof of true full name (marriage certificate suffices for non-REAL ID)
- For REAL ID upgrade: proof of identity + SSN + two proofs of CA residency (e.g., utility bill, bank statement)
Step 5–6: Passport, voter registration & everyone else
Update your passport, then your California voter registration (Register/update online or by mail at least 15 days before an election. Within 15 days of an election (including on Election Day), you must use Same Day Voter Registration in person at your county elections office or a polling/vote center.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.
California 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 agencyCalifornia Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH-VR): certified copies
- State agencyCalifornia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyCalifornia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): appointments
- State agencyCalifornia official voter registration page
- State agencyCalifornia Secretary of State: registering to voteThe state's page: register at least 15 days before Election Day; after that, conditional registration is available.
- 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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