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

A name change in Virginia runs through federal forms and Virginia 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 Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records (VDH-OVR). 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 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) license application. This is the Virginia-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 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) 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 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Details on the Virginia 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. Virginia also wants supporting documents at the counter:

• Certified copy of marriage certificate (or divorce decree/court order) showing the name change
• Updated Social Security card / confirmation that SSA records reflect new name (required before DMV visit)
• Current Virginia driver's license or ID card to surrender
• Completed online DMV name-change transaction confirmation
• Proof of residency if REAL ID compliance is being updated

REAL ID note: You must first update your name with the Social Security Administration (allow 72 hours for SSA records to update) before starting the DMV name change; bring certified proof of name change and current photo ID to the in-person visit.

Good to know for Virginia: Marriage certificates (records since 1936) can be ordered online through VDH's online system, by mail to the Office of Vital Records (PO Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000), or in person; certified copies also available from the circuit court clerk in the city/county where the license was issued. Fee is $15.00 per certified copy (effective July 1, 2026).

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

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

Form SS-5. Virginia is one of the states where the SSA supports a fully online marriage name change, so you may not need to mail anything at all. Start at my Social Security. If you would rather use paper, take or mail the SS-5 to a local office: find your nearest one.

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

DS-82, routine service from Virginia
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 (Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)): about $20 (confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $50–$275 in Virginia: 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 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything Virginia does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.