Name change after marriage in Arizona

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Marriage certificate

• In Arizona, marriage records are kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the marriage took place.⁷
• The Bureau of Vital Records at the Arizona Department of Health Services does not provide marriage records.⁷
• Arizona law gives the person who performs a wedding 30 days to endorse the marriage license and return it to the Superior Court clerk, who records it.⁹
• Arizona Revised Statutes section 12-284 sets the Superior Court clerk’s fee for a certified copy or abstract of a marriage application or license at $30.¹⁰
• An Arizona Superior Court clerk may issue an abstract of marriage instead of a reproduction of the recorded marriage license.¹⁰

Driver's license

• Arizona law requires a driver whose name changes to notify the Department of Transportation within ten days, giving the former and new names.¹
• An Arizona name-change notice from a licensed driver also gives the date of birth and the number of each license the person holds.¹
• Arizona takes an address change by phone or electronically, but a name change only in person or in writing.¹
• Breaking the Arizona name-change notice rule is a civil traffic violation.¹
• The Arizona MVD requirements sheet says a person whose name differs from the primary document must first change the name with the Social Security Administration.²
• Arizona law directs the Department of Transportation to verify that the Social Security number an applicant gives is valid and assigned to that applicant.³
• The Arizona MVD lists a marriage license or certificate as an accepted document for a last-name change.²
• Every document shown to the Arizona MVD must be an original or a copy certified by the issuing agency, in English.²
• The Arizona MVD may ask anyone who comes in person for a duplicate license to pass a vision screening.³
• Arizona statute leaves the fee for a duplicate driver license to the ADOT director instead of fixing an amount in law.⁴
• For an Arizona Travel ID, any document that shows a different name must come with legal proof of the change, such as a marriage certificate.⁵
• The Arizona MVD says a Travel ID can take up to two weeks to arrive by mail.⁵

Voter registration

• An Arizona voter who takes a new name through marriage or a court order must re-register and list the former legal name on the new registration.¹¹
• An Arizona voter can also fix the name on the voter record by giving the new name while casting a provisional ballot at the assigned polling place.¹¹
• The Arizona Secretary of State lists a legal name change among the reasons to update voter information.¹²
• Arizona voters who hold an MVD driver license or non-operating ID card can update their voter registration online through AZMVDNow.¹²
• An Arizona voter updating a name does not resubmit proof of citizenship if it was included with the original registration.¹²
• After an update, the Arizona Secretary of State says an updated voter registration card arrives by mail within 4 to 6 weeks.¹²
• Arizona’s online voter registration deadline is 29 days before Election Day.¹³
• Arizona law lets an eligible person register to vote at the same time and place as a driver license application or renewal.¹⁴
• The Arizona Department of Transportation must deliver each completed voter registration to the county recorder within five days.¹⁴

Social Security

• The Social Security Administration recommends updating your Social Security record before you go to your state motor vehicle office.⁶
• Social Security suggests waiting until the state has recorded the marriage, which takes about 30 days in most cases.⁶
• For proof of identity, Social Security prefers a U.S. driver license and also accepts a state ID card or a U.S. passport.⁶
• Social Security treats a marriage certificate as the ideal proof of both the new legal name and the marriage.⁶
• Social Security accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency, never photocopies or notarized copies.⁶
• Social Security does not charge for a card with the new name.⁸
• Once Social Security completes the request, the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days.¹⁵
• People who cannot use Social Security’s online services fill in the paper Form SS-5 and show the required documents.¹⁶

Passport

• USAGov says to report a name change to the U.S. Department of State as soon as possible to get an updated passport.¹⁷
• Form DS-5504 covers a name change by marriage when the passport was issued less than one year ago and the name changed within that year.¹⁸
• The U.S. Department of State charges no fee for Form DS-5504 unless the applicant asks for expedited service or 1–2 day delivery.¹⁸
• Form DS-82, the mail-in passport renewal, accepts a married name when the applicant sends certified proof such as a certified copy of the marriage certificate.¹⁹
• Renewing with Form DS-82 requires sending the most recent passport, issued when the applicant was at least 16 and less than 15 years ago.¹⁹
• An applicant who cannot document the name change with a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order must apply on Form DS-11 instead.¹⁹
• Form DS-11 is filed in person at a passport acceptance facility, at a passport agency by appointment, or at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.²⁰

Voter registration

• A voter registration can be updated online through vote.gov or by mail with the National Mail Voter Registration Form.¹⁷

Agencies

• USAGov advises telling Social Security early because other agencies learn of name changes through the SSA.¹⁷
• Every name on a federal tax return must match Social Security records.¹⁷

• Form SS-5 filled in from your answersYou print it, sign it and bring it to Social Security with your documents. The form itself is free on ssa.gov.
• The passport application for your case, filled inPicked from your answers about your current passport; the State Department’s fees are paid to the State Department. The application also needs a recent color photo, which the kit doesn’t include: U.S. passport photo rules, and a photo from a selfie.
• The Arizona checklistThe steps above in order, with the deadline, the fee and the official page for each one.
• Notification lettersFor your bank, employer, insurer and other accounts, with your old and new names.

The kit does not file anything for you and is not legal advice. Government fees, like the license fee and the county copy of your marriage record, are paid directly to each office.