Change your name in Kentucky
The exact steps, documents, and official Kentucky links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE)License update fee
$15.00 (in-person only; a myDrive pre-application can be started online but the name change transaction itself must be completed at a Driver Licensing Regional Office)
Marriage certificate
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesVoter deadline
Online and mail voter registration updates (including name changes) must be submitted at least 29 days before Election Day; for the 2026 General Election the online deadline is October 5, 2026. After the deadline, rolls are frozen until after the election.
To see how Kentucky's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Kentucky government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Kentucky asks you to bring
Documents for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE)
- Certified Kentucky marriage certificate
- Social Security card updated with new name (SSA update must be done first, then wait 24-48 hours for KYTC to verify against SSA records)
- Current/expired Kentucky driver's license or ID card
- Proof of Kentucky residency (e.g., utility bill, especially if updating to REAL ID)
- Completed application (TC 94-192 renewal/replacement form, if applicable)
Online or in person
Kentucky does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE) is required.
REAL ID in Kentucky
If upgrading to or renewing a REAL ID-compliant credential at the same time, proof of Kentucky residency (e.g., utility bill) is also required in addition to the name-change documents.
Ordering your Kentucky marriage certificate
Marriage records from June 1958 to present are held by the state Office of Vital Statistics; records can be ordered by mail (check/money order to Kentucky State Treasurer) or online/expedited via the state's linked VitalChek ordering option. For marriages before June 1958, the county clerk where the license was issued is the only source.
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesUpdating your Kentucky voter registration
Kentucky lets you update your registration online. Online and mail voter registration updates (including name changes) must be submitted at least 29 days before Election Day; for the 2026 General Election the online deadline is October 5, 2026. After the deadline, rolls are frozen until after the election.
Update your registrationKentucky 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 agencyKentucky: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyKentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyKentucky official voter registration page
- The lawKRS 116.045Registration is closed from the 4th Tuesday before a primary or general election.
- 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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