Change your name in Colorado
The exact steps, documents, and official Colorado links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)License update fee
$34 license renewal fee (Colorado processes a name change as a renewal; a duplicate between renewals is $12.30). Per the state fee schedule, checked 2026-08
Marriage certificate
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Vital Records SectionVoter deadline
You may register or update your registration online at GoVoteColorado.gov (or by mail/at a voter registration agency) through the 8th day before Election Day to be guaranteed a mailed ballot; after that you must register/update in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center through Election Day itself. Per the Secretary of State's Voter Registration FAQ, a legal NAME change on an existing registration specifically must be submitted via a signed paper form (mailed, faxed, emailed, or delivered in person to your county clerk and recorder) - name changes are not one of the fields editable purely online.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Colorado government sites. How we verify
Book a DMV appointmentWhat Colorado asks you to bring
Documents for the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (or state verification) or divorce decree/court order
- Current Colorado driver's license, permit, or state ID card
- Updated Social Security card / proof SSA record already reflects the new name
- Proof of Colorado residency (two documents) if also upgrading to a REAL ID-compliant credential
- Completed DMV name-change application at the office visit
Online or in person
Colorado does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required.
REAL ID in Colorado
Colorado does not allow online name changes on a license/ID; you must visit a DMV office (appointment strongly recommended via mydmv.colorado.gov). Report the change within 30 days of the marriage. If also upgrading to a REAL ID-compliant credential at the same visit, additional proof of identity, SSN, and two documents proving Colorado residency are required.
Ordering your Colorado marriage certificate
Colorado marriage licenses are issued and held by county clerk and recorder offices, so the issuing county is often the fastest source; CDPHE offers statewide marriage/civil-union verifications by mail, in-person appointment, or via authorized online vendors linked from the CDPHE page.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Vital Records SectionUpdating your Colorado voter registration
Colorado does not offer an online update, so you will need to file a paper form. You may register or update your registration online at GoVoteColorado.gov (or by mail/at a voter registration agency) through the 8th day before Election Day to be guaranteed a mailed ballot; after that you must register/update in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center through Election Day itself. Per the Secretary of State's Voter Registration FAQ, a legal NAME change on an existing registration specifically must be submitted via a signed paper form (mailed, faxed, emailed, or delivered in person to your county clerk and recorder) - name changes are not one of the fields editable purely online.
Update your registrationColorado step-by-step guides
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