Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card in West Virginia

In West Virginia, as everywhere in the U.S., your Social Security record is the anchor many agencies check against. If you visit the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (WV 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.

West Virginia is not on the Social Security Administration's list of states for its online marriage name change, which turns on where your marriage certificate is from. If you were married in one of the participating states (the SSA last published that list in August 2024), you may still be able to do it online from West Virginia. Otherwise you'll file the paper SS-5 with your documents.

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

• A certified copy of your marriage certificate (order yours from the West Virginia Vital Registration Office (WV Department of Health), 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301; certified copies also available from the County Clerk in the county where the marriage license was issued)
• Proof of identity (your current West Virginia driver's license or ID)
• A completed Form SS-5

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 West Virginia driver's license. Read the West Virginia DMV name change steps next, and mind the sync wait.