How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Florida

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

Order 3–5 certified copies from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. Photocopies aren't accepted.

Good to know for Florida: Order online via VitalChek (contracted vendor) with a credit card, or by mail/in person directly at the Bureau of Vital Statistics (1217 N Pearl St., Jacksonville, FL 32202). State fee is $5 for the first certified copy (includes required search fee) and $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time when ordering directly from the state; VitalChek adds its own processing fee on top. Records available for FL marriages from June 1, 1927 to present; allow ~60 days after the ceremony before the record is available.

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

• Original or certified copy of marriage certificate (photocopies not accepted; must be recognized by the State of Florida, not a church-issued certificate)
• Current Florida driver license or ID card
• Proof of Social Security number
• Proof of Florida residency (two documents, e.g. utility bill, bank statement)
• Proof of citizenship or lawful presence (e.g. birth certificate or U.S. passport)

Update your passport, then your Florida voter registration (Florida's registration books close 29 days before each election, but updates to a voter's name are still allowed after that for the upcoming election. You can update online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, by mail, or in person; do it early if you can.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.