South Carolina Name Change Forms: Every Form and Where to File It

A name change in South Carolina runs through federal forms and South Carolina agencies at the same time. Here is the whole set, and where each one actually comes from.

• Certified marriage certificate or divorce decree. Not a form you fill in, but the document everything else depends on. Order certified copies from the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH), Vital Records Section, Columbia, SC. Get two or three, since several agencies each want to see one.
• Form SS-5 (Social Security card). One national form, identical in every state, and always free. Download it straight from the SSA (PDF), or see it filled out field by field.
• Your South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) license application. This is the South Carolina-specific piece. The agency supplies the form, and most locations hand it to you at the counter or post it on their site rather than publishing a standalone name-change form. Start from the official South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) page.
• A passport form, if you hold a passport: DS-5504 (free, passport under a year old), DS-82 (renew by mail), or DS-11 (in person). Which one is yours is a short test: compare all three.
• Voter registration update. Free, and often handled for you at the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). Details on the South Carolina voter registration page.

Watch for sites charging a fee to "provide" the SS-5 or the passport forms. Every one of them is a free download from the government, linked above.

Filling in the form is half of it. South Carolina also wants supporting documents at the counter:

• Certified marriage certificate (or divorce decree/family court order)
• Completed SCDMV Form 4057 (Application for Name and/or Address Change)
• Completed SCDMV Form 447-NC (Application for Beginner's Permit, Driver's License, or ID Card)
• Proof of Social Security Administration name update (must update with SSA at least 48 hours before visiting SCDMV)
• Current driver's license/ID and proof of residency (for REAL ID)

REAL ID note: Name changes cannot be done online or by mail; must be done in person at an SCDMV branch. Must wait at least 48 hours after updating name with SSA before visiting SCDMV. Only one name-change opportunity is allowed at marriage without a court order for further changes.

Good to know for South Carolina: State fee $12 standard (4 weeks) or $17 expedited (5-7 business days) via VitalChek, plus VitalChek service charge (~$12.85); $3 for additional copies. Covers marriages July 1950-December 2023; earlier/later records require the county Probate Court. In-person office pickup temporarily unavailable as of 6/19/2025.

Many South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) locations let you skip the line by booking ahead: book a South Carolina appointment.

Two of these go in the mail, and they do not go to the same place.

Form SS-5. Take or mail it to a local Social Security office. There is no central address for the SS-5, so use the SSA office locator to find the one that serves you.

Passport forms. This is where South Carolina matters, because routine DS-82 service is split by state. South Carolina is routed to the Pennsylvania processing center.

DS-82, routine service from South Carolina
National Passport Processing Center
PO Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155

Routine service (no fee)
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90107
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0107

Expedited service uses different addresses again and costs extra, and the instructions ask you to write "Expedite" on the outside of the envelope. Use a trackable mailing service: that envelope holds your passport and your certified certificate.

• Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
• Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
• Driver's license update (South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV)): $10–$25 (varies; confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $40–$280 in South Carolina: on the low end if you skip the passport, on the high end with a full passport renewal and extra certificate copies.

The forms themselves cost nothing. What you pay for is certified copies, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything South Carolina does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.