Maine · Name change checklist
Maine Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Maine, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
The correct order in Maine
Follow this sequence in Maine:
- 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Data, Research and Vital Statistics (DRVS), Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC).
- 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
- 3. Wait 24–48 hours for the SSA record to sync.
- 4. Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), Department of the Secretary of State: update your license ($5–$55 (varies; confirm with the agency)).
- 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
- 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.
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Maine documents to gather
- Certified marriage certificate (or divorce decree/court order showing name change)
- Current Maine driver's license or state ID
- Completed BMV application/request for duplicate license with new name and signature
- Proof of Maine residency (required for REAL ID)
- Social Security card updated with new name (recommended to update first, per SSA)
What a name change costs in Maine
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), Department of the Secretary of State): $5–$55 (varies; confirm with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
Most people spend roughly $35–$310 in Maine: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.
Maine FAQs
Most people spend roughly $35–$310 in Maine: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies. The government forms themselves are free or low-cost; there is no fee to update Social Security.
Most people finish the government steps (Social Security, license, passport) in about 4–6 weeks in Maine, then the remaining accounts over 2–3 months.
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