Change your name in Rhode Island
The exact steps, documents, and official Rhode Island links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV)License update fee
$28.50 (duplicate/updated license)
Marriage certificate
Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records (Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd., Cranston, RI 02920)Voter deadline
Voter registration updates (including name changes) must be submitted at least 30 days before an election. Note: if you update your name at the RI DMV, your voter record is typically updated automatically as well.
To see how Rhode Island's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Rhode Island government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Rhode Island asks you to bring
Documents for the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV)
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (or court order) showing new name
- Current Rhode Island driver's license/ID
- Completed and signed LI-1 License/ID/Permit Application
- Proof that name was already updated with Social Security Administration (SSA change must be processed at least 24 hours prior)
- Proof of RI residency and identity documents if renewing as REAL ID
Online or in person
Rhode Island does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV) is required.
REAL ID in Rhode Island
Must update name with Social Security Administration first; allow 24 hours for SSA change to propagate before DMV will process. Name change is in-person only at an RI DMV branch (not AAA offices); bring current license and signed LI-1 License/ID/Permit Application plus proof of name change.
Ordering your Rhode Island marriage certificate
Certified copies of a marriage certificate can be ordered from the state Center for Vital Records (in person, by mail with the "Application for a Certified Copy of a Marriage or Civil Union Record," or online via VitalChek), or from the city/town clerk where the marriage was recorded. State fee is approximately $22 (walk-in) / $25 (mail), $18 for additional copies; processing by mail runs 6-8 weeks. Valid photo ID required.
Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records (Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd., Cranston, RI 02920)Updating your Rhode Island voter registration
Rhode Island lets you update your registration online. Voter registration updates (including name changes) must be submitted at least 30 days before an election. Note: if you update your name at the RI DMV, your voter record is typically updated automatically as well.
Update your registrationRhode Island 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 agencyRhode Island: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyRhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyRhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV): appointments
- State agencyRhode Island official voter registration page
- The lawR.I. Gen. Laws § 17-9.1-3(a)Registration closes 30 days before an 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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