Change your name in Pennsylvania
The exact steps, documents, and official Pennsylvania links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle ServicesLicense update fee
No separate fee for the name change itself; standard replacement card fee applies if a new physical card is issued (address changes can be done online free, but name changes require an in-person visit and issuance of a new card).
Voter deadline
Name-change updates can be submitted online, by mail, or in person anytime. Changes submitted more than 15 days before an election take effect for that election; changes submitted 15 days or less before an election take effect starting with the next election.
To see how Pennsylvania's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Pennsylvania government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Pennsylvania asks you to bring
Documents for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (from the county Clerk of Orphans' Court, not a decorative copy)
- Current Pennsylvania driver's license or photo ID
- Completed form DL-80 (Application to Renew/Replace/Change/Correct a Non-Commercial Driver's License)
- Proof of Social Security number update (recommended to update SSA record first)
- Two proofs of PA residency and additional identity documents if upgrading to/maintaining a REAL ID-compliant license
Online or in person
Pennsylvania does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services is required.
REAL ID in Pennsylvania
If you hold or want a REAL ID-compliant license, PennDOT requires additional proof of identity/residency after a name change; see the separate "Changing Your Name on a REAL ID" guidance page (pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services/real-id/name-changes-real-id).
Ordering your Pennsylvania marriage certificate
Pennsylvania does not issue marriage certificates at the state level. Certified copies must be ordered directly from the Clerk of Orphans' Court in the specific county where the marriage license was issued; the linked pacourts.us page is the official statewide directory of all 67 county Clerk of Orphans' Court offices with their contact information.
County Clerk of Orphans' Court / Register of Wills (in the county where the marriage license was issued); NOT the PA Department of Health, which only handles birth and death recordsUpdating your Pennsylvania voter registration
Pennsylvania lets you update your registration online. Name-change updates can be submitted online, by mail, or in person anytime. Changes submitted more than 15 days before an election take effect for that election; changes submitted 15 days or less before an election take effect starting with the next election.
Update your registrationPennsylvania 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 agencyPennsylvania: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyPennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services: name change on a license or ID
- State agencyPennsylvania official voter registration page
- The lawPennsylvania Election Code § 1231 (Act 77 of 2019)A valid registration application must be received not later than 15 days before the 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.
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