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. Colorado law also lets a registered voter with a legal name change update the name on Election Day by giving the state's form to an election judge.
To see how Colorado's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Colorado government sites. How we verify
Book your DMV appointment (required)What 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 take a name change online, so you will need to file a paper registration 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. Colorado law also lets a registered voter with a legal name change update the name on Election Day by giving the state's form to an election judge.
Update your registrationColorado 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 agencyColorado: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyColorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyColorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV): appointments
- The lawC.R.S. § 42-2-119(1)(a)Notify the department within 30 days of a name change, and apply in person to renew the license (2024 official printout).
- State agencyColorado official voter registration page
- The lawC.R.S. § 1-2-201Applications must be submitted on or before the 8th day before the election (2024 official printout).
- 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.
Ready to change your name in Colorado?
Build your free, personalized checklist, sequenced correctly for your state.