New York Name Change Forms: Every Form and Where to File It

A name change in New York runs through federal forms and New York agencies at the same time. Here is the whole set, and where each one actually comes from.

• Certified marriage certificate or divorce decree. Not a form you fill in, but the document everything else depends on. Order certified copies from the New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Certification Unit (Albany), for marriages outside NYC; NYC marriages are handled separately by the NYC Office of the City Clerk. Get two or three, since several agencies each want to see one.
• Form SS-5 (Social Security card). One national form, identical in every state, and always free. Download it straight from the SSA (PDF), or see it filled out field by field.
• Your New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) license application. This is the New York-specific piece. The agency supplies the form, and most locations hand it to you at the counter or post it on their site rather than publishing a standalone name-change form. Start from the official New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) page.
• A passport form, if you hold a passport: DS-5504 (free, passport under a year old), DS-82 (renew by mail), or DS-11 (in person). Which one is yours is a short test: compare all three.
• Voter registration update. Free, and often handled for you at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV). Details on the New York voter registration page.

Watch for sites charging a fee to "provide" the SS-5 or the passport forms. Every one of them is a free download from the government, linked above.

Filling in the form is half of it. New York also wants supporting documents at the counter:

• Completed Application for Permit, Driver License or Non-Driver ID Card (Form MV-44)
• Current driver license, permit, or non-driver ID card
• Original or certified copy of U.S. marriage certificate (or divorce decree/court order if applicable)
• Updated Social Security card / SSN on file matching the new name
• 6 points of proof of identity and date of birth if no acceptable current photo document is available

REAL ID note: Standard-document name changes can sometimes be handled by mail if you already have an SSN on file, have updated it with the Social Security Administration, and need no other changes. Enhanced License/ID or REAL ID name changes require an in-person DMV office visit (a new photo must be taken). The name on the new DMV document must exactly match your Social Security card.

Good to know for New York: NYS DOH Vital Records (Albany) issues marriage certificates for marriages outside New York City ($30 per copy by mail; the issuing town or city clerk can also provide copies, often faster). Marriages performed in NYC are ordered from the NYC Office of the City Clerk instead.

Many New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) locations let you skip the line by booking ahead: book a New York appointment.

Two of these go in the mail, and they do not go to the same place.

Form SS-5. Take or mail it to a local Social Security office. There is no central address for the SS-5, so use the SSA office locator to find the one that serves you.

Passport forms. This is where New York matters, because routine DS-82 service is split by state. New York is one of six states routed to the Texas processing center.

DS-82, routine service from New York
National Passport Processing Center
PO Box 640155
Irving, TX 75064-0155

Routine service (no fee)
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90107
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0107

Expedited service uses different addresses again and costs extra, and the instructions ask you to write "Expedite" on the outside of the envelope. Use a trackable mailing service: that envelope holds your passport and your certified certificate.

• Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
• Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
• Driver's license update (New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV)): $5–$12.50 (varies; confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $35–$268 in New York: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.

The forms themselves cost nothing. What you pay for is certified copies, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything New York does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.