Change your name in Montana
The exact steps, documents, and official Montana links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), a division of the Montana Department of JusticeLicense update fee
$10.30 replacement fee, any age, license or ID (per the MVD licensing fee schedule, checked 2026-08)
Voter deadline
Regular voter registration (including name updates) closes 30 days before an election. During the final 30 days, "late registration" is allowed, but the voter must appear in person at the county election office to register/update and obtain a ballot, until noon the day before the election (until noon on Election Day for federal elections); no online update and no absentee ballot during that late window.
To see how Montana's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Montana government sites. How we verify
Book your DMV appointment (required)What Montana asks you to bring
Documents for the Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), a division of the Montana Department of Justice
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (issued by county Clerk of District Court)
- Current Montana driver license or state ID
- Proof that name was already updated with Social Security Administration (MVD verifies electronically; must wait 24-48 hours after SSA update)
- Payment for the $10.30 replacement fee (MVD fee schedule, checked 2026-08)
- If also upgrading to REAL ID: proof of SSN and two documents proving Montana residency
Online or in person
Montana does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), a division of the Montana Department of Justice is required.
REAL ID in Montana
A name change itself does not require full REAL ID document re-verification, but if upgrading to a REAL ID-compliant card at the same visit, MVD requires proof of identity, SSN, and two proofs of Montana residency in addition to the certified marriage certificate.
Ordering your Montana marriage certificate
Marriage/divorce certificates in Montana are issued only by the county Clerk of District Court where the license was filed, not by the state. If the county is unknown, the state Vital Records office offers an index search ($10, covers up to 5 years) to help locate it; VitalChek and VitalRecordsOnline are the only approved third-party ordering vendors.
Clerk of District Court in the Montana county where the marriage license was filed (the state DPHHS Office of Vital Records holds only an index and does not issue certified copies itself)Updating your Montana voter registration
Montana does not take a name change online, so you will need to file a paper registration form. Regular voter registration (including name updates) closes 30 days before an election. During the final 30 days, "late registration" is allowed, but the voter must appear in person at the county election office to register/update and obtain a ballot, until noon the day before the election (until noon on Election Day for federal elections); no online update and no absentee ballot during that late window.
Update your registrationMontana 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 agencyMontana: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyMontana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), a division of the Montana Department of Justice: name change on a license or ID
- State agencyMontana official voter registration page
- The lawMCA 13-2-304Late registration is accepted until noon the day before the election (until noon on Election Day for federal elections).
- The lawMCA 13-2-301Regular registration closes 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.
Ready to change your name in Montana?
Build your free, personalized checklist, sequenced correctly for your state.