Change your name in North Dakota
The exact steps, documents, and official North Dakota links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT)License update fee
$3.00 for a name-change duplicate license (if not renewing at the same time); a new photo is also required
Marriage certificate
County Clerk of Court / County Recorder (varies by county); marriage records are issued at the county level, not by the state Dept. of Health and Human ServicesVoter deadline
North Dakota is the only U.S. state with no voter registration. There is no registration or name-update deadline; voters just need a valid, current form of ID (showing current legal name/address) when voting, and must have resided in ND for at least 30 days before Election Day.
To see how North Dakota's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official North Dakota government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat North Dakota asks you to bring
Documents for the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT)
- Certified marriage certificate (or divorce decree / court order with seal showing new legal name)
- Current North Dakota driver's license or state ID
- Valid proof of identity/residency documents if REAL ID compliance is being obtained at the same visit
- Payment for the $3.00 name-change duplicate fee
Online or in person
North Dakota does not accept the license name change online. A visit to North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is required.
REAL ID in North Dakota
Must visit any ND Driver License site in person within 10 days of the name change; bring certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the new legal name. For a REAL ID-compliant credential, additional proof of identity/residency documents are required per NDDOT's REAL ID checklist.
Updating your North Dakota voter registration
North Dakota is the only state with no voter registration, so there is no voter record to update. You bring a valid ID to vote. If your driver's license still shows your old name, update it in person at an NDDOT driver license site with certified documents.
Update your registrationNorth Dakota 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 Dakota: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyNorth Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT): name change on a license or ID
- The lawN.D.C.C. § 39-06-20Notify the director within 10 days of a name change, by marriage or otherwise.
- State agencyNorth Dakota official voter registration page
- The lawN.D.C.C. § 16.1-01-05.1North Dakota does not require voter registration; voters must have lived in the precinct 30 days (§ 16.1-01-04).
- 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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