Mississippi Name Change Checklist After Marriage
Everything you need to change your name in Mississippi, in the exact order that keeps you from getting turned away. Build your personalized version free.
Checked against official Mississippi and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The correct order in Mississippi
Follow this sequence in Mississippi:
- 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records & Statistics.
- 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
- 3. Wait 24–48 hours for the SSA record to sync.
- 4. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau: update your license (the standard license fee (confirm the amount with the agency)).
- 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
- 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.
Every Mississippi step, in the right order
This page covers name change checklist. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Mississippi, so nothing gets done out of order.
Mississippi documents to gather
- Certified/original marriage license (only original or certified copies accepted, no photocopies)
- Current Mississippi driver's license or ID card
- Original or certified birth certificate
- Social Security card
- Two proofs of Mississippi residency
Good to know for Mississippi: Certified marriage certificates cost $17 (search + first copy; $6 each additional copy at same time). Order online/by phone through VitalChek (state-authorized vendor, https://www.vitalchek.com/vital-records/mississippi), by mail with a cashier's check/money order, or in person at the Ridgeland office (222 Marketridge Drive). Records for July 1938-Dec 1941 marriages are held by the county Circuit Clerk instead of MSDH.
What a name change costs in Mississippi
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies, at typical prices): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau): the standard license fee (confirm the amount with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
The Mississippi DMV charges its standard license fee, which isn't included here. Not counting it, most people spend roughly $30 to $255, depending on certificate copies and whether they renew a passport.
Mississippi 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 agencyMississippi: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyMississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau: name change on a license or ID
- State agencyMississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau: appointments
- State agencyMississippi official voter registration page
- State agencyMississippi Secretary of State: mail-in voter registration applicationThe state's application: postmarked or hand delivered no later than 30 days 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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