Name change after marriage in Arkansas

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Marriage certificate

• The Arkansas Department of Health charges $10.00 for each copy of a marriage record.⁴
• Online orders of an Arkansas marriage record add a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity check, plus any faster shipping the buyer picks.⁴
• When no Arkansas marriage record is found, the Department of Health keeps $10.00 as a search fee required by state law.⁴
• Arkansas online marriage record orders usually take 7 to 14 business days after approval, not counting shipping.⁴
• Arkansas marriage record orders sent by mail need 10 to 14 days of processing on top of mail time.⁴
• At the Arkansas Department of Health’s vital records office in Little Rock, most eligible requests made by 4:00 p.m. with the right ID are filled the same day.⁴

Driver's license

• The Arkansas DFA says a license renewal needs no documents unless the name has changed or the driver wants a REAL ID, and every visit includes a vision exam and a photo.¹
• Arkansas revenue offices list name change documents among the extra papers a license or state ID transaction may require.¹
• The Arkansas Office of Driver Services’ Affidavit of Legal Name Change is meant only for drivers whose linking documents between names are missing.²
• The Arkansas name change affidavit asks for each marriage and divorce, the name on the Social Security card and the name requested on the license.²
• For a REAL ID, the Arkansas DFA counts a marriage certificate as proof of identity and requires a Social Security card.³

Voter registration

• The Arkansas Secretary of State tells newlyweds to report a married name by filling in the name change portion of the voter registration application.⁷
• Voter registration in Arkansas is done on a paper application.⁸
• Arkansas voter applications are available from county clerks, the Secretary of State Elections Division, revenue or DMV offices and public libraries.⁸
• An Arkansas voter application must be submitted or postmarked at least 30 days before the election it is meant for.⁸
• Once the county clerk processes an Arkansas application, a personalized voter card arrives by mail, which can take several weeks.⁸

Social Security

• The Social Security Administration recommends updating your Social Security record before you go to your state motor vehicle office.⁵
• Social Security suggests waiting until the state has recorded the marriage, which takes about 30 days in most cases.⁵
• For proof of identity, Social Security prefers a U.S. driver license and also accepts a state ID card or a U.S. passport.⁵
• Social Security treats a marriage certificate as the ideal proof of both the new legal name and the marriage.⁵
• Social Security accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency, never photocopies or notarized copies.⁵
• Social Security does not charge for a card with the new name.⁶
• Once Social Security completes the request, the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days.⁹
• People who cannot use Social Security’s online services fill in the paper Form SS-5 and show the required documents.¹⁰

Passport

• USAGov says to report a name change to the U.S. Department of State as soon as possible to get an updated passport.¹¹
• 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.¹²
• 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.¹²
• 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.¹³
• 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.¹³
• 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.¹³
• 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.¹⁴

Voter registration

• A voter registration can be updated online through vote.gov or by mail with the National Mail Voter Registration Form.¹¹

Agencies

• USAGov advises telling Social Security early because other agencies learn of name changes through the SSA.¹¹
• Every name on a federal tax return must match Social Security records.¹¹

• 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 Arkansas 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.