Change your name in District of Columbia
The exact steps, documents, and official District of Columbia links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)License update fee
$20 (duplicate driver license or non-driver ID card fee, per DC DMV fee schedule)
Voter deadline
Online and mail voter registration updates (including name changes) must be received by DC Board of Elections no later than the 21st day before an election. After that deadline, updates can still be made in person during early voting or on Election Day at any Vote Center.
To see how District of Columbia's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official District of Columbia government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat District of Columbia asks you to bring
Documents for the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)
- Current DC driver's license, learner permit, or non-driver ID card (original, no photocopies)
- Certified marriage certificate showing the name change (original, no photocopies/scans)
- Proof of updated Social Security Administration record (required first if credential is REAL ID)
- Additional original proof of identity, SSN, and DC residency documents (required only if current credential is NOT already a REAL ID)
Online or in person
District of Columbia does not accept the license name change online. A visit to District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) is required.
REAL ID in District of Columbia
If the credential is a REAL ID (has the star), you must update your name with the Social Security Administration BEFORE visiting DC DMV. Non-REAL ID holders must bring additional original source documents proving identity, SSN, and DC residency.
Updating your District of Columbia voter registration
District of Columbia lets you update your registration online. Online and mail voter registration updates (including name changes) must be received by DC Board of Elections no later than the 21st day before an election. After that deadline, updates can still be made in person during early voting or on Election Day at any Vote Center.
Update your registrationDistrict of Columbia 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 agencyDistrict of Columbia: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyDistrict of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyDistrict of Columbia official voter registration page
- The lawD.C. Code § 1-1001.07(g)Applications must be received by the 21st day before an election; same-day registration is available at Vote Centers.
- 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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