Change your name in Minnesota
The exact steps, documents, and official Minnesota links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS)License update fee
$26 (duplicate/replacement fee, all license classes)
Marriage certificate
Minnesota Dept. of Health, Office of Vital Records (marriage/divorce records themselves are actually maintained at the county level, not by MDH)Voter deadline
Online registration/update deadline is 11:59 p.m., 21 days before Election Day; paper registration deadline is 5 p.m., 21 days before Election Day. After that, voters can still register/update in person at their polling place or at an early voting/absentee location up through Election Day (same-day registration is allowed in Minnesota).
To see how Minnesota's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Minnesota government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Minnesota asks you to bring
Documents for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS)
- Current Minnesota driver's license or ID card
- Certified marriage certificate (or marriage license with certified recorded marriage date)
- Proof of updated name with the Social Security Administration (name/SSN must match SSA records)
- Certified divorce decree or court order (only if name change is from divorce/court order instead of marriage)
- Proof of residency/citizenship documents if applying for or upgrading to a REAL ID
Online or in person
Minnesota does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) is required.
REAL ID in Minnesota
DVS verifies your name and SSN against Social Security Administration records, so update your name with the SSA before visiting DVS to avoid a mismatch rejection; you must renew or replace your license/ID within 30 days of the legal name change.
Ordering your Minnesota marriage certificate
Minnesota Dept. of Health does not record marriages/divorces itself. Certified marriage certificates must be ordered from the county office (Court Administrator/Recorder) that issued the marriage license; fees and ordering methods (online/mail/in person) vary by county. The state's searchable Minnesota Official Marriage System (moms.mn.gov) can help locate which county holds the record.
Minnesota Dept. of Health, Office of Vital Records (marriage/divorce records themselves are actually maintained at the county level, not by MDH)Updating your Minnesota voter registration
Minnesota lets you update your registration online. Online registration/update deadline is 11:59 p.m., 21 days before Election Day; paper registration deadline is 5 p.m., 21 days before Election Day. After that, voters can still register/update in person at their polling place or at an early voting/absentee location up through Election Day (same-day registration is allowed in Minnesota).
Update your registrationMinnesota step-by-step guides
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 agencyMinnesota: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyMinnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS): name change on a license or ID
- The lawMinn. Stat. § 171.11Apply for a duplicate license within 30 days of a name change, by marriage or otherwise.
- State agencyMinnesota official voter registration page
- The lawMinn. Stat. § 201.061Registration or updates are due by 5 p.m. on the 21st day before an election; election-day registration is also allowed.
- 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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