Name change after marriage in Missouri

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Marriage certificate

• In Missouri, a certified copy of the original marriage certificate is available only from the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained.⁴
• The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issues a Certified Statement Relating to Marriage that lists only the two spouses, the wedding date and the county of record.⁴
• Missouri’s Bureau of Vital Records holds no marriage certificates at all, only statements, and statewide marriage reporting started on July 1, 1948.⁴
• The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records charges a $15 search fee per marriage record it searches for.⁴
• Each Missouri county office sets its own price for marriage records, so the cost of a certified copy differs by county.⁴
• Every application mailed to the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records has to be notarized.⁴
• A Missouri resident who married abroad must first record the foreign marriage license with the Recorder of Deeds in their home county, which can then issue the certified copy.¹

Driver's license

• The Missouri Department of Revenue changes a name through a duplicate license: the driver brings proof of identity, Social Security number, Missouri residency and the legal name change to a license office and pays for the duplicate.¹
• Because the Missouri license office must capture a new signature, it may take a new photo as well.¹
• A Missouri license that expires within 6 months (184 days) can be renewed early at the same visit instead of being duplicated.¹
• Missouri accepts a marriage license as name-change proof only as an original certified document with the stamp or raised seal of the issuing office; church or chapel certificates, photocopies and faxes are refused.¹
• Someone who has changed names more than once may have to show Missouri a separate document for each change.¹
• The Missouri Department of Revenue fee chart prices a duplicate Class F driver license at $16.50 for a 3-year license and $25.50 for a 6-year license.²

Voter registration

• Missouri uses the same voter registration application to record a new name as to register a first-time voter, and it can be filed online, by mail or in person.⁶
• A Missouri voter registration form sent by mail has to be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday before the election.⁶
• A blank Missouri registration form requested by mail takes 3 to 5 business days to arrive.⁶

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.⁷
• People who cannot use Social Security’s online services fill in the paper Form SS-5 and show the required documents.⁸

Passport

• USAGov says to report a name change to the U.S. Department of State as soon as possible to get an updated passport.⁹
• 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.¹⁰
• 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.¹⁰
• 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.¹¹
• 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.¹¹
• 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.¹¹
• 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.¹²

Voter registration

• A voter registration can be updated online through vote.gov or by mail with the National Mail Voter Registration Form.⁹

Agencies

• USAGov advises telling Social Security early because other agencies learn of name changes through the SSA.⁹
• Every name on a federal tax return must match Social Security records.⁹

• 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 Missouri 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.