Tennessee Name Change Forms: Every Form and Where to File It

A name change in Tennessee runs through federal forms and Tennessee 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 Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. 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 Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division license application. This is the Tennessee-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 Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division 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 Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division. Details on the Tennessee 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. Tennessee also wants supporting documents at the counter:

• 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)

REAL ID note: Tennessee Driver Services requires an in-person visit to a Driver Services Center for any name change; documents must be originals or certified copies (no faxes/photocopies). Making an appointment is recommended.

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.

Many Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division locations let you skip the line by booking ahead: book a Tennessee 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 Tennessee matters, because routine DS-82 service is split by state. Tennessee is routed to the Pennsylvania processing center.

DS-82, routine service from Tennessee
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 (Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division): $8–$28 (varies; confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $38–$283 in Tennessee: 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 Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Driver Services Division fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything Tennessee does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.