Name change after marriage in Florida

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Marriage certificate

• The Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics issues marriage certificates for marriages recorded by a clerk of court from June 6, 1927, to the present.¹¹
• A Florida marriage license takes about 60 days to travel from the clerk of court to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, so newlyweds who need proof sooner ask the clerk in the county that issued it.¹¹
• By mail or at the Jacksonville walk-in counter, the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics charges $5 for a one-year search that includes one certified copy, and $4 for each extra copy.¹¹
• Ordered online through VitalChek, the first Florida marriage certificate costs $15, which bundles the search and rush fees, plus a $7 VitalChek processing fee.¹¹
• Mailed requests for Florida marriage certificates from 1970 onward normally take 3 to 5 business days to process, not counting shipping.¹¹
• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles points newlyweds to the clerk of court in the county where the marriage was filed for certified copies.⁸
• The Miami-Dade Clerk charges $9 for the first certified copy of a marriage record and $7 for each additional copy.¹³
• The Broward County Clerk of Courts charges $5.00 for the first copy of a marriage license and $3.00 for each additional copy.¹⁴
• The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court charges $3.00 for a certified copy of a marriage license.¹⁵

Driver's license

• Section 322.19 of the Florida Statutes requires anyone who changes their legal name to get a replacement driver license or ID card within 30 days.¹
• Florida issues the replacement license for a name change only after the original license is surrendered and the fee is paid.²
• Florida law sets the fee for a replacement driver license at $25.³
• The fee schedule of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles lists a replacement license at $25, the same amount the statute sets.⁴
• Florida veterans who have shown proof of veteran status do not pay the $6.25 tax collector service fee on a replacement license.⁴
• A Florida county tax collector that issues driver licenses adds a $6.25 service fee, charged no more than once per visit.⁵
• Missing the 30-day deadline in Section 322.19 carries a $30 penalty in Florida, the amount set for nonmoving traffic violations.⁶
• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles changes a name on a license only after Social Security has it, and asks drivers to wait 24 to 48 hours after the SSA update.⁷
• Every Florida name change on a driver license or ID card is completed in person at a local office; only address changes can be done online through MyDMV Portal.⁷
• Florida drivers must bring the original or a certified copy of the marriage certificate; the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles does not take photocopies.⁸
• Church-issued marriage certificates are not accepted for a name change at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.⁸
• A Florida driver whose valid U.S. passport already shows the new name does not have to bring additional name-change documents to link it to the license.⁸
• Under REAL ID, Florida skips the residential address documents at later renewals only while the information on the card stays the same, and a new name counts as a change.⁸
• Florida checks the new name against the Social Security electronic system before it issues a driver license or ID card.⁸
• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wants a new name on both the driver license and the vehicle title and registration within 30 days.⁷
• A new name on a Florida driver license carries over to an electronic vehicle title automatically, but a printed title shows the old name until a new one is requested on Form HSMV 82040.⁷
• Florida lets a printed vehicle title keep the old name, because the state ownership record changes when the driver license does.⁷
• After a name change, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues a new vehicle registration when the owner files Form HSMV 82101.⁷
• Under the randomized numbering Florida adopted for licenses, a driver license number that has already been reissued changes again only when the holder’s last name changes.⁹

Passport

• 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.¹⁶
• The State Department fee for renewing a passport book on Form DS-82 is $130.¹⁷

Voter registration

• Section 97.1031 of the Florida Statutes tells a voter whose name changes by marriage to notify the Supervisor of Elections with a voter registration application.¹⁸
• The Florida Division of Elections accepts a name update through any registration channel, including RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov and tax collector offices that issue driver licenses.¹⁹
• Florida voters who received a new driver license or ID number after registering are asked to contact their Supervisor of Elections so the voter record carries the latest number.¹⁹
• After a Florida voter record is updated, the county Supervisor of Elections mails a new voter information card.¹⁹
• A Florida voter whose name changed by marriage may still vote at the polls after completing a Change of Name affirmation.²⁰

Social Security

• The Social Security Administration recommends updating your Social Security record before you go to your state motor vehicle office.¹⁰
• Social Security suggests waiting until the state has recorded the marriage, which takes about 30 days in most cases.¹⁰
• For proof of identity, Social Security prefers a U.S. driver license and also accepts a state ID card or a U.S. passport.¹⁰
• Social Security treats a marriage certificate as the ideal proof of both the new legal name and the marriage.¹⁰
• Social Security accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency, never photocopies or notarized copies.¹⁰
• Social Security does not charge for a card with the new name.¹²
• Once Social Security completes the request, the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days.²¹
• People who cannot use Social Security’s online services fill in the paper Form SS-5 and show the required documents.²²

Passport

• USAGov says to report a name change to the U.S. Department of State as soon as possible to get an updated passport.²³
• 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.¹⁶
• 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.¹⁶
• 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.²⁴
• 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.²⁴
• 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.²⁴
• 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.²⁵

Voter registration

• A voter registration can be updated online through vote.gov or by mail with the National Mail Voter Registration Form.²³

Agencies

• USAGov advises telling Social Security early because other agencies learn of name changes through the SSA.²³
• Every name on a federal tax return must match Social Security records.²³

• 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 Florida 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.