Maryland Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Maryland, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
Checked against official Maryland and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The correct order in Maryland
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 at least 72 hours for the SSA record to sync (Maryland asks for longer than most states).
- 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.
Every Maryland step, in the right order
This page covers name change checklist. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Maryland, so nothing gets done out of order.
Maryland documents to gather
- 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.
What a name change costs in Maryland
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies, at typical prices): $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.
Maryland 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 agencyDivision of Vital Records, Maryland Department of Health: certified copies
- State agencyMDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyMaryland official voter registration page
- The lawMd. Code, Election Law § 3-302Registration and changes to registration records close on the 21st day before an 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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