Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card in Virginia

In Virginia, as everywhere in the U.S., your Social Security record is the anchor many agencies check against. If you visit the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before the SSA has processed your change, the names won't match and you'll be turned away. That's why Form SS-5 is always step one.

The SS-5 is completely free. Never pay a third party just to file it. You can mail the signed form with your original documents (they're mailed back), or take it to a local Social Security office, where the SSA asks you to make an appointment.

Virginia is on the Social Security Administration's list of states for its online marriage name change. The rule turns on where your marriage certificate is from: if you were married in Virginia, you may be able to request your new card through a my Social Security account. You'll answer a few screening questions and use a driver's license or state ID; there is nothing to mail. Wait at least 30 days after the wedding so the state can update its records.

If the screening says you don't qualify, or you were married somewhere else, or you're changing your name after a divorce, use the paper SS-5 and make an appointment at a local office instead. The SSA last published its state list in August 2024 and says it will grow, so its own screening has the final word.

To update your Social Security card you'll generally need:

• A certified copy of your marriage certificate (order yours from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records (VDH-OVR))
• Proof of identity (your current Virginia driver's license or ID)
• A completed Form SS-5

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).

Your new card arrives in about 5–10 business days, but your record updates within roughly 24–48 hours, and that's what unblocks your Virginia driver's license. Read the Virginia DMV name change steps next, and mind the sync wait.