Name change after marriage in Connecticut

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Marriage certificate

• In Connecticut a marriage license is filed with the vital records office of the town where the wedding took place, and once filed it becomes the marriage certificate.⁴
• A certified Connecticut marriage certificate can be ordered from the town of the marriage, the town where either spouse lived at the time, or the State Vital Records Office.⁴
• A certified copy of a Connecticut marriage certificate costs $20.00, whether it comes from the state or from a town.²
• The Connecticut State Vital Records Office takes payment only by postal money order made out to the Treasurer, State of CT, and refuses personal checks.²
• For a Connecticut wedding less than four months old, the copy request goes to the town where the marriage took place, not to the state office.²
• Anyone 18 or older may buy a Connecticut marriage certificate, but the version showing the spouses’ Social Security numbers goes only to the spouses.⁴

Driver's license

• The Connecticut DMV changes the name on a driver license or non-driver ID only by appointment, at DMV hub offices or DMV express offices.¹
• The Connecticut DMV makes filing the name change with Social Security the first step and notes the update can take up to 48 hours.¹
• Connecticut charges a $30 fee to change the name on a driver license or non-driver ID card.¹
• Connecticut DMV express offices, including AAA and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branches, may add a convenience fee of up to $8 per transaction.¹
• The Connecticut DMV wants original documents and a completed Change of Name Request (Form E-78); photocopies and religious marriage certificates are refused.¹
• After a Connecticut name change the old card is surrendered and a Temporary Paper Card is issued.¹
• A Connecticut driver can change the name on a license and on a vehicle registration (Form B-301) at the same DMV appointment.¹

Voter registration

• Every Connecticut DMV license or ID service, whether new, renewal or duplicate, comes with the chance to register to vote or update voter information.⁶
• Connecticut voters can also update their information at any time by mailing the Secretary of the State’s form to the local registrar of voters.⁶
• A Connecticut voter application sent through the DMV takes effect only after the registrar of voters in the voter’s town approves it.⁶
• Connecticut registrars of voters send a confirmation notice about three weeks after an application or update.⁶
• Every Connecticut town offers same-day voter registration during early voting and on Election Day for eligible residents.⁷

Social Security

• The Social Security Administration recommends updating your Social Security record before you go to your state motor vehicle office.³
• Social Security suggests waiting until the state has recorded the marriage, which takes about 30 days in most cases.³
• For proof of identity, Social Security prefers a U.S. driver license and also accepts a state ID card or a U.S. passport.³
• Social Security treats a marriage certificate as the ideal proof of both the new legal name and the marriage.³
• Social Security accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency, never photocopies or notarized copies.³
• Social Security does not charge for a card with the new name.⁵
• Once Social Security completes the request, the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days.⁸
• People who cannot use Social Security’s online services fill in the paper Form SS-5 and show the required documents.⁹

Passport

• USAGov says to report a name change to the U.S. Department of State as soon as possible to get an updated passport.¹⁰
• 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.¹¹
• 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.¹¹
• 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.¹²
• 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.¹²
• 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.¹²
• 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.¹³

Voter registration

• A voter registration can be updated online through vote.gov or by mail with the National Mail Voter Registration Form.¹⁰

Agencies

• USAGov advises telling Social Security early because other agencies learn of name changes through the SSA.¹⁰
• Every name on a federal tax return must match Social Security records.¹⁰

• 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 Connecticut 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.