Voter Registration Name Change in California

A voter registration name change in California is free and usually takes about five minutes. You can usually update online through the official California voter registration page.

Update your registration after your California driver's license shows your new name, since most registration forms ask for your current license number and the name on it.

Under the National Voter Registration Act ("motor voter"), updating your license at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) usually offers to update your voter registration at the same time. Say yes and you may not need a separate step at all.

One warning: don't assume it worked. Confirmation can lag by weeks, and a mismatch between your ID and the poll book is exactly the kind of surprise you don't want on election day. Verify on the official California page a couple of weeks after your DMV visit.

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. Source: California Secretary of State: registering to vote. Update well ahead of any upcoming election so your registration reflects your new name at the polls.

If an election is close and you've missed the update window, call your county election office. In many places you can still vote under your former name with your current registration, and some states offer same-day corrections. The rules vary, so ask before you skip voting.

• Your California driver's license or state ID (ideally already showing your new name)
• Your current residential address
• The last four digits of your Social Security number (some forms)

There is no fee to update voter registration in any state. This step is also a good prompt to update your name with your county property records and jury-duty notices, which pull from the same rolls.