North Carolina Name Change Checklist After Marriage

Follow this sequence in North Carolina:

• 1. Certified marriage certificate: order copies from the 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 issued.
• 2. Social Security (SS-5): free, and always first.
• 3. Wait 24–48 hours for the SSA record to sync.
• 4. North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV): update your license (about $16.75 (confirm with the agency)).
• 5. Passport: DS-82, DS-11, or DS-5504.
• 6. Voter registration & everyone else: bank, employer, insurers.

• 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

Good to know for North Carolina: 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.

• Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
• Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
• Driver's license update (North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV)): about $16.75 (confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $47–$272 in North Carolina: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.