Unpopular opinion: changing your name is NOT THAT HARD. A few weeks ago, I had someone reach out and ask me for help with changing their last name, so I decided to write a post to help all the newlyweds out.
To note: I got married in Alabama, and while some of the details in this post will be specific for Alabama, a lot of this info can be applied to any state!
Contents
1. Get Married
Okay, this one is probably pretty obvious…but before you change your name you have to get legally married. If you don’t already know, saying “I do” doesn’t magically let the state know that you are married. You have to get a marriage certificate signed by the appropriate people and then give it to the courthouse.
In the state of Alabama, this means printing off your marriage certificate online, having you, your new husband, and a notary sign it and taking it to the probate court at the courthouse. It is important to note that as of September 2019, you need a NOTARY, not an officiant, which means that unless your officiant also happens to be a notary you need another individual to sign your certificate. Once you take your certificate to the courthouse, they will give you a certified copy. It costs $2 for each extra copy, and I highly suggest getting at least one!
2. Go to the Social Security Administration
Alright. Now you have your certified marriage certificate in hand. What next?! Your next step is going to the Social Security Office to get your name legally changed. You will need to bring your old social security card, this form, and your passport. If you do not have a passport, you will need to bring a birth certificate and a driver’s license.
I highly suggest going right when they open in the morning or right when they open after lunch. Personally, I went right after lunch and was in and out in under 30 minutes!
During the COVID pandemic, offices are closed. They have recently opened back up, but are by appointment only. Check here to see if your SSA office is open (because things are always changing) and to make your appointment! If your office closes again, you will be able to change your name by mailing in the form I linked above and your marriage certificate!
3. Go to the DMV
Okay! Now you have probably never gone anywhere and been able to show your social security card for your ID…so the next step is to update your driver’s license! Some people will tell you that you have to wait a couple of weeks for your new social security card to take to the DMV. NEWSFLASH you don’t!! When you change your name at the SSA, you will get a proof of name change paper that you can take directly to the DMV! That means you can do all this at the SAME TIME and not have to wait weeks and weeks to get the ball rolling.
4. Make a list
Woohoo! You have an ID with your new last name!! Looks awesome right?! Alright now here is what you are going to do next. Sit down. Are you sitting? Cool. Open notes on your phone. Got it open? Great. Create a checklist.
Okay, so you are ready to create a checklist that will be easily accessible! What are you going to put on this checklist you ask? Literally every single thing that has your name on it. You will forget some things and that is okay, but as you discover new things that need your name changed you just add it to the list!
Here are some items to get your wheels spinning:
- Main Credit Card
- Passport
- Global Entry or TSA precheck
- Health Insurance
- Other Credit Cards
- Bank
- Social Media
- Voter registration
- Southwest Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- American Airlines
- Other airlines
- Sorority Alumni
- College Alumni
- Life Insurance
- Rental Insurance
- Ring Insurance – PS if you don’t have insurance on your ring ya need it
- iPhone loan – if you are part of the apple upgrade program..that is a loan!
- Nursing license
- Amazon
- Venmo
- Medical ID
- Lease
- Deed
- Mortgage
- Car Title
- Car Insurance
- Student loans
- 401k
5. Break it down
So now you are looking at this list thinking “Ashley….I thought you said this was EASY!!” It is! The trick is to identify how much time you have to commit to changing your name every week and set a weekly ATTAINABLE goal. For me, my goal was to change my name on 5 things a week. That meant that at the beginning of the week I picked out 5 items I thought were most important to do that week. If I got them all done at the beginning of the week then I did not force myself to do anymore! Keeping it to just those 5 helped me not stress or worry about it! In about 2 months you will have everything done without stressing!
Some helpful tips
Passport: This takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks to come back. Make sure you don’t need your passport for at least 6 weeks when you send it off! You also have to send off your certified marriage certificate which is why I suggest having more than one copy so that you can do other name changing things at the same time!
Southwest: This is the MOST random tip but if you girls have to change your name on your Southwest Rapid Rewards account, do it on…..TWITTER. Legit just message the Southwest Airlines Twitter page and tell them you want to change your name! I had the whole thing done SUPER fast.
Doctors: Always bring a copy of your marriage certificate with you to your doctor’s office! You never know if they might need it and it’s so much easier if you already have it on hand!
Hooray!! You did it! Your name is changed! Now go enjoy being called a Mrs!