Name change after marriage in Rhode Island

Tick the steps as you go: the checklist is saved in this browser only.

Marriage certificate

• A Rhode Island marriage from 2022 onward can be certified by any city or town hall in the state.⁴
• For a Rhode Island marriage before 2022, the copy comes from the city or town hall where the couple lived or where the wedding took place.⁴
• Rhode Island marriage certificates can also be ordered online through VitalChek or at the State Office of Vital Records in Cranston, which takes appointments.⁴
• Rhode Island marriage records are confidential and are released only to listed requesters, among them an adult named on the record, a child or a spouse.⁴
• Anyone requesting a Rhode Island vital record must show a valid government-issued photo ID.⁴
• A certificate issued by a Rhode Island city or town cannot be apostilled; for an apostille, the record must come from the State Office of Vital Records.⁴

Driver's license

• Rhode Island DMV requires the name change to be made with Social Security first and allows 24 hours for it to reach the DMV.¹
• A married surname goes on a Rhode Island license at a DMV branch; AAA offices handle only middle-name updates and address changes, and only for members.¹
• For a name change, Rhode Island DMV asks for the current license, a signed License/ID/Permit Application and one document showing the correct name.¹
• The documents Rhode Island accepts as proof of the new name are listed on page three of the License/ID/Permit Application, Form LI-1.¹
• The Rhode Island DMV fee schedule lists $28.50 to update a license.²
• Every Rhode Island DMV fee includes a $3.50 technology surcharge, and paying by card adds a third-party service fee of at least $1.55.²

Voter registration

• The Rhode Island Department of State tells voters to update their registration record when they change their name.⁶
• Rhode Island DMV forms double as voter registration: unless the customer opts out, an eligible customer is registered or updated while filling them in.⁶
• Editing a Rhode Island voter record online requires the voter’s Rhode Island driver’s license or state ID.⁶
• A paper Rhode Island voter registration form can be mailed or carried to the local board of canvassers.⁶
• After an update, the Rhode Island board of canvassers mails an acknowledgement notice; a voter who has not received it within three weeks should call the board.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 Rhode Island 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.