Change your name in North Carolina
The exact steps, documents, and official North Carolina links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV)License update fee
Approx. $16.75 for a duplicate license with new name (standard duplicate fee; not explicitly listed on the official name-change page itself)
Marriage certificate
NC Vital Records (NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health) or the county Register of Deeds where the marriage license was issuedVoter deadline
Name-change updates cannot be made through the online voter registration tool; must submit by mail (or in person) via a voter registration/change form to the county board of elections. Registration changes are due by 25 days before Election Day; those who miss the deadline may update their name in person during the early voting period when voting.
To see how North Carolina's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official North Carolina government sites. How we verify
What North Carolina asks you to bring
Documents for the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV)
- Certified marriage certificate or license (original court/Register of Deeds documentation of the name change)
- Notarized DL-101 form (obtained at a DMV office)
- Current/existing driver's license or state ID
- Updated Social Security Administration record (verified electronically by NCDMV via the SSA Online Verification System)
- Proof of NC residency and legal presence documents required for REAL ID compliance if not already on file
Online or in person
North Carolina does not accept the license name change online. A visit to North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) is required.
REAL ID in North Carolina
Must notify NCDMV within 60 days of the name change. Bring a notarized DL-101 form plus court/Register of Deeds documentation. NCDMV verifies the change via the Social Security Online Verification System, so visit a Social Security Administration office 24-36 hours before the DMV visit to update your SSA record first.
Ordering your North Carolina marriage certificate
Certificates for marriages 1962-present can be ordered online/phone/mail via VitalChek (state fee $24 plus VitalChek processing fee ~$13.95), or same-day in person at the county Register of Deeds office where the license was issued.
NC Vital Records (NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health) or the county Register of Deeds where the marriage license was issuedUpdating your North Carolina voter registration
North Carolina does not take a name change online, so you will need to file a paper registration form. Name-change updates cannot be made through the online voter registration tool; must submit by mail (or in person) via a voter registration/change form to the county board of elections. Registration changes are due by 25 days before Election Day; those who miss the deadline may update their name in person during the early voting period when voting.
Update your registrationNorth Carolina 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 agencyNorth Carolina: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyNorth Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV): name change on a license or ID
- The lawN.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7.1(b)Notify the Division within 60 days after a name change and get a duplicate license with the new name.
- State agencyNorth Carolina official voter registration page
- The lawN.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-82.6(d)Mailed applications must be postmarked at least 25 days before the election.
- The lawN.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-82.16(a)A name change must be reported no later than the last day for applying to register.
- 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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