How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Massachusetts

The winning sequence in Massachusetts is: certified marriage certificate → Social Security (free, first) → wait 24–48 hours → Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) → passport → notify everyone. Each step verifies against the one before it, so order matters.

Order 3–5 certified copies from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Photocopies aren't accepted.

Good to know for Massachusetts: State copies are ordered through the RVRS via Mass.gov; alternatively, order directly from the city/town clerk where the marriage was registered (e.g. Boston or Cambridge city clerk).

File the free SS-5 with Social Security first, wait 24–48 hours, then update your license at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) (typically $25 (Driver's License/ID Amendment Fee)). Bring:

• Certified marriage certificate (proof of legal name change)
• Current Massachusetts driver's license or ID card
• Proof of Social Security Number (SSA card, W-2, or 1099)
• Completed RMV license/ID application form
• Proof of residency (only if address also changed)

Update your passport, then your Massachusetts voter registration (Registration/update/party-change deadline is 10 days before any election or town meeting; online submissions must be completed by midnight on the deadline date. Online update requires an existing MA driver's license or state ID.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.