NAME CHANGE GUIDE
Taking the name change plunge ?
Breathe easy for now - this is one planning detail which has to wait until after the wedding.
Whether you're following tradition and taking your husband's name, hyphenating, or making any other change you want legally recognized, here are the steps you'll need to follow. (Of course, these same steps apply to him if he's changing his name too.) The good news is that this is not yet another task you need to accomplish before the wedding. Until you receive your signed and sealed marriage license back from the county clerk, you won't be able to begin the official name change process. You can start in advance on minor things like changing magazine subscriptions and ordering new checks with your married name. Given that fact, be sure to book all airline tickets for the honeymoon under your maiden name - all airlines now require a photo I.D. which matches the name on the ticket.
Make sure you fill out a form requesting a copy of your marriage license be sent by mail after it has been processed, which typically takes about a month after the signed license was filed following your ceremony.
With official marriage license in hand, the first step of recording your name change is with the Social Security Administration. Obtaining a Social Security card showing your new name (your number won't change) is free and fairly easy. You can download the required form, SS-5, along with instructions, from this page of the administration's website. CLICK HERE
Mail or bring the completed form, along with the documents specified in the instructions included with the form, to your local SSA office. The administration will return your documents in a couple of weeks by your new Social Security card.
Motor Vehicle and Driver's License
In order to change your name on a motor vehicle registration, you will need to apply for a new title in your new name.
For more information in Missouri CLICK HERE. Your local license office also has the forms and information to assist you.
Once that's done you've essentially established your official identity with your new name, but there are still many more, less crucial changes to make. Some of the following simply need to be notified about the change; others will require official proof, so don't file that marriage license and Social Security card away just yet.
Breathe easy for now - this is one planning detail which has to wait until after the wedding.
Whether you're following tradition and taking your husband's name, hyphenating, or making any other change you want legally recognized, here are the steps you'll need to follow. (Of course, these same steps apply to him if he's changing his name too.) The good news is that this is not yet another task you need to accomplish before the wedding. Until you receive your signed and sealed marriage license back from the county clerk, you won't be able to begin the official name change process. You can start in advance on minor things like changing magazine subscriptions and ordering new checks with your married name. Given that fact, be sure to book all airline tickets for the honeymoon under your maiden name - all airlines now require a photo I.D. which matches the name on the ticket.
Make sure you fill out a form requesting a copy of your marriage license be sent by mail after it has been processed, which typically takes about a month after the signed license was filed following your ceremony.
With official marriage license in hand, the first step of recording your name change is with the Social Security Administration. Obtaining a Social Security card showing your new name (your number won't change) is free and fairly easy. You can download the required form, SS-5, along with instructions, from this page of the administration's website. CLICK HERE
Mail or bring the completed form, along with the documents specified in the instructions included with the form, to your local SSA office. The administration will return your documents in a couple of weeks by your new Social Security card.
In order to change your name on a motor vehicle registration, you will need to apply for a new title in your new name.
For more information in Missouri CLICK HERE. Your local license office also has the forms and information to assist you.
Once that's done you've essentially established your official identity with your new name, but there are still many more, less crucial changes to make. Some of the following simply need to be notified about the change; others will require official proof, so don't file that marriage license and Social Security card away just yet.
- Don't forget to change your name with:
- Your Employer
- The Bank
- Mortgage Company
- Your Passport
- Property Titles or Leases
- Credit Card Companies
- Investment Accounts, Including 401(K)
- Car Registration and Insurance
- Utility Companies
- Insurance Policies (life insurance as well as health and dental)
- Your Doctors and the Dentist
- Memberships (health club, alumni assn.)
- Voter Registration
- Magazine Subscriptions
One major organization you don't need to notify about the change is the Internal Revenue Service - the Social Security Administration will automatically tell the IRS about your new name (creepy, huh?). Don't worry if your W-2s or other forms still list your maiden name; simply cross it out and write in your married name when you file.
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