How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Tennessee
Here's exactly how to change your name after marriage in Tennessee: the right documents, the right order, and the official Tennessee links you'll need.
Checked against official Tennessee and federal sources in August 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The Tennessee order of operations
The winning sequence in Tennessee is: certified marriage certificate → Social Security (free, first) → wait 24–48 hours → Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division → passport → notify everyone. Each step verifies against the one before it, so order matters.
Every Tennessee step, in the right order
This page covers name change after marriage. Your free checklist puts it with the other agencies, sequenced for Tennessee, so nothing gets done out of order.
Step 1: Your certified marriage certificate
Order 3–5 certified copies from the Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. Photocopies aren't accepted.
Good to know for Tennessee: Certified copy of marriage certificate costs $15 per copy; can be ordered online via VitalChek, by mail (Tennessee Vital Records, Andrew Johnson Tower, 1st Floor, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243), or in person. Requires a signed application and a valid government-issued photo ID; mail requests take about 4 weeks.
Step 2–4: Social Security, then the DMV
File the free SS-5 with Social Security first, wait 24–48 hours, then update your license at the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division (typically an amount that depends on your situation (confirm with the agency)). Bring:
- Certified copy of marriage certificate from Tennessee Vital Records or county clerk (original or certified copy only, no photocopies/faxes)
- Current Tennessee driver's license or ID
- Proof that Social Security Administration record has been updated with new name (recommended before DMV visit)
- Proof of Tennessee residency (utility bill, lease, etc.) if updating for REAL ID compliance
- Completed in-person application at a Driver Services Center (no separate form needed to bring, but bring proof of identity/citizenship if upgrading to REAL ID)
Step 5–6: Passport, voter registration & everyone else
Update your passport, then your Tennessee voter registration (A name change on your existing registration needs a signed form received by your county election commission office at least 5 days before the election. A new registration, including after a move to a different county, must be complete at least 30 days before the election.), and finally your bank, employer, and insurers.
Tennessee FAQs
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 agencyTennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records: certified copies
- State agencyTennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division: name change on a license or ID
- State agencyTennessee official voter registration page
- State agencyTennessee Secretary of State: how to update your voter registrationThe state's page: a name change needs a signed form received 5 days before the election; new registrations close 30 days before.
- 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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