Kentucky Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Kentucky, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
Checked against official Kentucky and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The correct order in Kentucky
Follow this sequence in Kentucky:
- 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
- 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
- 3. Wait 24–48 hours for the SSA record to sync.
- 4. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE): update your license (about $15 (confirm with the agency)).
- 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
- 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.
Every Kentucky step, in the right order
This page covers name change checklist. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Kentucky, so nothing gets done out of order.
Kentucky documents to gather
- 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)
Good to know for Kentucky: 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.
What a name change costs in Kentucky
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies, at typical prices): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing (DRIVE)): about $15 (confirm with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
Most people spend roughly $45–$270 in Kentucky: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.
Kentucky 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 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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