Change your name in Delaware
The exact steps, documents, and official Delaware links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)License update fee
Standard duplicate/replacement license fee applies (exact amount not published on this page; contact DMV at 302-744-2506)
Marriage certificate
Delaware Office of Vital Statistics, Division of Public Health (Jesse S. Cooper Building, Dover)Voter deadline
Delaware lets you register or update at your polling place on Election Day itself, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and state law says registration deadlines do not apply to changes of name. Updates can also be made online at ivote.de.gov, by mail, phone or in person.
To see how Delaware's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Delaware government sites. How we verify
What Delaware asks you to bring
Documents for the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Current driver license or state ID
- Original or certified copy of marriage certificate (or divorce decree/legal name change document)
- Proof from the Social Security Administration confirming the name change (update SSA records first, wait 48-72 hours)
- Payment for license replacement fee
Online or in person
Delaware does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required.
REAL ID in Delaware
Must update Social Security Administration records first and wait 48-72 hours before visiting DMV; bring current license, certified marriage certificate/divorce decree/legal name change document, and SSA proof of update. Must be done within 30 days of legal name change, in person at one of four DMV offices (Wilmington, New Castle, Dover, Georgetown).
Ordering your Delaware marriage certificate
Certified marriage certificates ($25/copy, payable to Office of Vital Statistics) can be ordered in person at three county offices (New Castle, Kent, Sussex), by mail, or online via third-party vendors GoCertificates.com or VitalChek (additional fees apply for online orders).
Delaware Office of Vital Statistics, Division of Public Health (Jesse S. Cooper Building, Dover)Updating your Delaware voter registration
Delaware lets you update your registration online. Delaware lets you register or update at your polling place on Election Day itself, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and state law says registration deadlines do not apply to changes of name. Updates can also be made online at ivote.de.gov, by mail, phone or in person.
Update your registrationDelaware 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 agencyDelaware: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyDelaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyDelaware official voter registration page
- The law15 Del. C. § 2036The last date to register is the day of the election, at your polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- The law15 Del. C. § 2048(d)Deadlines for registering to vote do not apply to changes of name.
- 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 Delaware?
Build your free, personalized checklist, sequenced correctly for your state.