Washington Name Change Forms: Every Form and Where to File It
There is no single Washington name change form. There are four or five, they come from three different places, and this page links each one directly.
Official link
Download Form SS-5 (free, ssa.gov)Every form you need in Washington
A name change in Washington runs through federal forms and Washington 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 Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics. 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 Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) license application. This is the Washington-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 Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) 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 Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). Details on the Washington 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.
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Documents the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) asks for
Filling in the form is half of it. Washington also wants supporting documents at the counter:
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (county-auditor copy if recently married, or state DOH copy)
- Updated Social Security card / confirmation that SSA records reflect new name
- Current Washington driver's license or ID card
- Proof of Washington residency (for REAL ID compliant credentials)
- Payment for the $20 name-change fee
REAL ID note: Must first update your name with the Social Security Administration and wait for it to reflect in SSA records before DOL can process the name change; notify DOL within 10 days per RCW 46.20.205. In-person visit required (appointment recommended); a new photo is taken.
Good to know for Washington: Fee starts at $25 per certified copy. Order online/phone via VitalChek (3-7 business days) or by mail to DOH Center for Health Statistics (6-8 weeks). Marriages within the last ~5 months may not yet be in the state system; get a county-certified copy from the county auditor where the license was obtained instead.
Many Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) locations let you skip the line by booking ahead: book a Washington appointment.
Where to send each form
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 Washington matters, because routine DS-82 service is split by state. Washington is routed to the Pennsylvania processing center.
DS-82, routine service from Washington
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.
What these forms cost in Washington
- Certified marriage certificate (3 copies): $30–$90
- Social Security card (Form SS-5): Free
- Driver's license update (Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL)): about $20 (confirm with the agency)
- Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
- Voter registration: Free
Most people spend roughly $50–$275 in Washington: 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 Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything Washington does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.
Washington FAQs
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