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

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

• 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)

REAL ID note: 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.

Good to know for Wisconsin: 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.

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

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

Form SS-5. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin matters, because routine DS-82 service is split by state. Wisconsin is routed to the Pennsylvania processing center.

DS-82, routine service from Wisconsin
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 (Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV)): $14–$16 (varies; confirm with the agency)
• Passport (only if you update it): Free–$165
• Voter registration: Free

Most people spend roughly $44–$271 in Wisconsin: 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 Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV) fee, and a passport renewal if you need one. Passport pricing changes independently of anything Wisconsin does, so check the current State Department fee schedule on the day you file.