How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Connecticut

The winning sequence in Connecticut is: certified marriage certificate → Social Security (free, first) → wait 24–48 hours → Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (CT DMV) → passport → notify everyone. Each step verifies against the one before it, so order matters.

Order 3–5 certified copies from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Vital Records Office (or the town clerk/vital records office where the marriage occurred). Photocopies aren't accepted.

Good to know for Connecticut: Order online via VitalChek (additional service fees apply), or mail a completed application to the State Vital Records Office (410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134) or to the town where the marriage took place. Requester must be at least 18.

File the free SS-5 with Social Security first, wait 24–48 hours, then update your license at the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (CT DMV) (typically an amount that depends on your situation (confirm with the agency)). Bring:

• Completed Change of Name Request (Form E-78)
• Current Connecticut driver's license or non-driver ID
• Certified marriage certificate (original, not a photocopy or religious certificate)
• Updated Social Security card/confirmation of SSA name change (recommended before DMV visit)
• $30 fee payment (plus up to $8 convenience fee at express offices)

Update your passport, then your Connecticut voter registration (Pre-election voter registration cutoff is 18 days before Election Day; same-day registration is also available on Election Day itself. Name/address updates can be made online, by mail, in person with the local Registrar of Voters, or through the DMV.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.