Name change after marriage in New Hampshire

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Marriage certificate

• New Hampshire’s 234 city and town clerks, along with the state Division of Vital Records Administration, issue certified marriage certificates to people with a direct and tangible interest.²
• A certified New Hampshire vital record costs a $15 search fee, owed even if no record is found, plus any card processing charge.²
• Each extra copy of the same New Hampshire record, ordered at the same time, costs $10.²
• Anyone asking for a certified New Hampshire record must show photo identification such as a driver’s license or passport.²

Driver's license

• New Hampshire law (RSA 263:9) requires a driver who changes names to notify the DMV in writing within 30 days.¹
• The New Hampshire DMV handles a name change only by appointment, in person, with a signed Record Change Request (DSMV 30), the current license and legal proof such as a marriage certificate.¹
• New Hampshire issues the replacement license for a name change at no charge, with a new photo and signature, in exchange for the current license.¹
• At the New Hampshire DMV office the driver gets a 60-day temporary paper license, and the permanent card follows by mail.¹
• The New Hampshire DMV does not accept name changes by mail.¹

Voter registration

• In New Hampshire, voter registration happens on a form provided by the town or city clerk or the supervisors of the checklist, with proof of identity, age, citizenship and domicile.⁵
• A New Hampshire voter whose name changed by marriage and who uses a document in the former name must also show proof of the change linking both names.⁶
• New Hampshire election guidance says a marriage certificate will usually serve as that proof, and a change made in New Hampshire may be confirmed through the statewide voter database.⁶
• Before a New Hampshire state election, the last chance to register is the supervisors of the checklist session held 6 to 13 days before; registration is also open at the polls on Election Day.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.⁴
• 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 New Hampshire 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.