Delaware Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Delaware, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
Checked against official Delaware and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The correct order in Delaware
Follow this sequence in Delaware:
- 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics, Division of Public Health (Jesse S. Cooper Building, Dover).
- 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
- 3. Wait 48–72 hours for the SSA record to sync (Delaware asks for longer than most states).
- 4. Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV): update your license (the standard license fee (confirm the amount with the agency)).
- 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
- 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.
Mind the clock: Delaware asks you to update your license within 30 days of your legal name change, so don't park this step for later. Source: Delaware DMV: general information, changing your name.
Every Delaware step, in the right order
This page covers name change checklist. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Delaware, so nothing gets done out of order.
Delaware documents to gather
- 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
Good to know for Delaware: 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).
What a name change costs in Delaware
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies, at typical prices): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)): the standard license fee (confirm the amount with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
The Delaware DMV charges its standard license fee, which isn't included here. Not counting it, most people spend roughly $30 to $255, depending on certificate copies and whether they renew a passport.
Delaware FAQs
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.
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