Name change after marriage in Hawaii

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Marriage certificate

• The Hawaii State Department of Health charges $10 for the first certified copy of a marriage certificate and $4 for each extra copy on the same application.⁴
• Hawaii adds a $2.50 general administration fee to each application for up to five copies, and another $2.50 for each further group of five.⁴
• Online orders for Hawaii certificates go through vitrec.ehawaii.gov, where the applicant uploads a government-issued ID and pays by debit or credit card only.⁴
• Mailed orders to the Hawaii Department of Health must be paid by cashier’s check, certified check or money order made out to the State Department of Health.⁴
• Hawaii issues certified marriage certificates only to applicants with a direct and tangible interest in the record, such as the spouses named on it.⁴
• The Hawaii Department of Health says certificate orders usually take up to 4 to 6 weeks.⁴

Driver's license

• Hawaii driver licenses are issued by county DMV offices, which the Hawaii Department of Transportation lists for Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii County and Kauai.¹
• Any change to the name printed on a Hawaii license must be proven with documents in person, and the license is then reissued with the new details.¹
• To link a birth name to a married name, the Hawaii Department of Transportation asks for an original or certified copy of the certificate of marriage.¹
• Hawaii county DMV offices take only valid originals or certified copies as proof, never notarized copies or faxes.¹
• Hawaii applicants cannot mail documents to a county DMV for review ahead of their office visit.¹
• On Kauai, a change to anything printed on a license is handled as a duplicate, available at any driver licensing office on the island.²
• Hawaii County handles a name change on a license in person, and every document brought must be free of lamination, tears or holes.³
• For a name change, Hawaii County takes a certified marriage certificate, original or certified, along with a printed license application and the current license.³
• Hawaii County charges $6.00 for a name-change duplicate license, and the new card keeps the old expiration date.³
• Hawaii County suggests that drivers within six months of expiration renew the license instead of buying a duplicate.³
• The County of Kauai charges duplicate license fees from its own county fee chart.²

Voter registration

• Hawaii’s Office of Elections requires registered voters to update their registration after a name change.⁷
• A Hawaii voter who fills out a driver license or state ID application at a DMV has the new name copied to the voter record automatically, unless they decline.⁷
• Registering or updating online in Hawaii requires a Hawaii driver license or state ID and a Social Security number.⁷
• Hawaii’s paper Voter Registration Application covers name changes as well as new registrations, address changes and signature updates.⁷
• A paper Hawaii registration form is due at the County Elections Division by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth day before each election.⁷
• Every registered Hawaii voter gets a mail ballot packet at the mailing address on file, which is why the Office of Elections asks people to keep the record current.⁷

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.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 Hawaii 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.