Maryland Name Change Checklist After Marriage

Follow this sequence in Maryland:

• 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Division of Vital Records, Maryland Department of Health.
• 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
• 3. Wait 24–48 hours for the SSA record to sync.
• 4. MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA): update your license (about $30 (confirm with the agency)).
• 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
• 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.

• Certified copy of marriage certificate (or divorce decree/court order), original/certified, not a photocopy
• Updated Social Security card / proof of SSA name change (update SSA first, wait 72 hours)
• Current Maryland driver's license or state ID
• Proof of Maryland residency (required for REAL ID-compliant credential)
• Completed MVA name/address change request (form used at branch visit)

Good to know for Maryland: Certified copies available only for marriages on/after Jan 1, 2007 (earlier marriages: contact the circuit court in the county of marriage or the Maryland State Archives). Order online via VitalChek (additional service fee), by mail with check/money order, or in person by appointment; mail requests go to Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036.

• Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
• Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
• Driver's license update (MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA)): about $30 (confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $60–$285 in Maryland: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.