Change your name in Wisconsin
The exact steps, documents, and official Wisconsin links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV)License update fee
$14 for a duplicate driver license, $16 for a duplicate state ID card
Marriage certificate
Wisconsin Vital Records Office (Wisconsin Department of Health Services)Voter deadline
You can register or update your registration online (via MyVote) or by mail up to 20 days before an election. In-person updates at the municipal clerk's office are allowed until the Friday before the election, or at the polling place on Election Day itself.
To see how Wisconsin's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official Wisconsin government sites. How we verify
DMV appointment optionsWhat Wisconsin asks you to bring
Documents for the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV)
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (proof of name change)
- Updated Social Security card / confirmation SSA processed the name change
- Current Wisconsin driver's license or state ID (to surrender)
- Completed form MV3001 (license) or MV3004 (ID card)
- Proof of residency document if required (e.g., utility bill, lease)
Online or in person
Wisconsin does not accept the license name change online. A visit to Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV) is required.
REAL ID in Wisconsin
Name changes cannot be done online or by mail in Wisconsin; an in-person visit to a DMV service center is always required, with proof of identity and proof of name change. You must first update your name with the Social Security Administration and wait about 48 hours before the DMV can verify it.
Ordering your Wisconsin marriage certificate
Certified marriage certificates cost $20 for the first copy ($3 each additional copy of the same record). Order online/by phone via VitalChek (fee applies), by mail (10 business days) to Wisconsin Vital Records Office, PO Box 309, Madison, WI 53701, or through the county Register of Deeds where the marriage license was issued.
Wisconsin Vital Records Office (Wisconsin Department of Health Services)Updating your Wisconsin voter registration
Wisconsin lets you update your registration online. You can register or update your registration online (via MyVote) or by mail up to 20 days before an election. In-person updates at the municipal clerk's office are allowed until the Friday before the election, or at the polling place on Election Day itself.
Update your registrationWisconsin 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 agencyWisconsin: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencyWisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV): name change on a license or ID
- State agencyWisconsin official voter registration page
- The lawWis. Stat. § 6.28(1)(a)Registration closes on the 3rd Wednesday before the election (late in-person registration is allowed under § 6.29).
- 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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