Change your name in Vermont
The exact steps, documents, and official Vermont links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)License update fee
Standard license fee applies (name changes require issuance of a corrected license); reported around $29 for a regular renewal-equivalent card. Confirm exact current fee on the DMV fee schedule when applying in person.
Marriage certificate
Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Section (in partnership with Vermont.gov/VSARA online ordering service)Voter deadline
Vermont has same-day voter registration: eligible persons may register or update registration (including a name change) online, by mail, at the town/city clerk's office, or in person up to and including Election Day itself.
To see how Vermont's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Vermont government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Vermont asks you to bring
Documents for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Original or certified copy of marriage license/certificate (or civil union certificate, or court order showing new name)
- Completed Name/Address Change Form (DMV form #VL-021, per the DMV name-change page, checked 2026-08)
- Updated Social Security Administration record reflecting new name (required before DMV can process a REAL ID-compliant license/ID)
- Current Vermont driver's license or ID card
- Valid photo ID or other proof of identity if also updating voter registration for the first time
Online or in person
Vermont does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required.
REAL ID in Vermont
Vermont law requires you to notify the DMV within 30 days of a name change (per the DMV's own page, checked 2026-08). For REAL ID-compliant licenses/IDs, Vermont DMV must verify name and date of birth via Social Security Online Verification (SSOLV); you must update your record with the Social Security Administration before DMV can process the name change.
Ordering your Vermont marriage certificate
Certified marriage certificate costs $12.00 per copy when ordered online through Vermont.gov (optional $14.50 expedited shipping); standard mail delivery takes about 5-7 business days. Copies can also be ordered by mail from the Vital Records Section (P.O. Box 70, 108 Cherry Street, Burlington, VT 05402-0070) or in person at the Town/City Clerk where the marriage was recorded.
Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Section (in partnership with Vermont.gov/VSARA online ordering service)Updating your Vermont voter registration
Vermont lets you update your registration online. Vermont has same-day voter registration: eligible persons may register or update registration (including a name change) online, by mail, at the town/city clerk's office, or in person up to and including Election Day itself.
Update your registrationVermont 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 agencyVermont: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyVermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): name change on a license or ID
- The law23 V.S.A. § 205Notify the Commissioner in writing within 30 days of a change of legal name.
- State agencyVermont official voter registration page
- The law17 V.S.A. § 2144(b)No pre-election cutoff: you can apply at the polling place on Election Day.
- 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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