Mississippi Name Change Checklist After Marriage

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 (a standard replacement-license fee (not published; confirm with the agency)).
• 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
• 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.

• 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.

• Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
• Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
• Driver's license update (Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau): a standard replacement-license fee (not published; confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Your total in Mississippi depends mostly on the DMV fee and whether you update a passport. Skipping the passport keeps it under about $100 for most people; a paid passport renewal adds $130–$165.