To change your name after marriage in Florida, you need one document — a certified copy of your marriage certificate — and you work through the agencies in a specific order: Social Security first, then your Florida driver license within 30 days of the wedding, then everything else. No court petition, no judge, no attorney.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Name and Address Changes The order matters because each agency verifies against the one before it, and skipping ahead usually means a rejected application and a return trip.
What the Marriage Certificate Lets You Change
Florida treats marriage as legal grounds for an administrative name change. Through the certificate alone, you can take your spouse’s last name or hyphenate both surnames. Anything beyond that — a brand-new last name unrelated to either spouse, or changes to your first or middle name — falls outside what marriage covers and requires a separate name-change petition in circuit court under Florida Statutes Chapter 68. If your plan fits the surname or hyphenation options, the marriage certificate is all you need at every stop.
Order Certified Copies of Your Marriage Certificate
Everything downstream depends on this document. A certified copy comes from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the marriage license was issued and carries an official seal. Photocopies are not accepted at any government agency, and you will hand this document over — sometimes temporarily surrendering it — at multiple offices. Order two or three copies at the start. Fees vary by county, generally $5 to $10 per copy.
Update Your Social Security Card First
The Social Security Administration has to know your new name before any other agency will accept the change. Your SSA record is what the Florida DMV and the IRS check against.
Complete Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card.2Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card Form SS-5 Submit it with your certified marriage certificate and a current photo ID either in person at a local SSA office or by mail. In person, staff verify your originals and hand them back on the spot. By mail, the SSA returns your originals after processing, meaning you are without your marriage certificate and driver’s license for a few weeks — worth planning around if you need those documents for your next update.
In-person applications typically produce a new card in 7 to 10 business days. Mail-in requests take roughly two to four weeks because the SSA batches them.3Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take to Get a Social Security Card? Your Social Security number does not change; only the name on the card does.
If you do not have a valid driver’s license photo ID that matches your identity paperwork, the SSA accepts a U.S. passport, or a current employee ID, school ID, or health insurance card showing your name and date of birth or a photo.4Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
Update Your Florida Driver License Within 30 Days
Florida requires you to update your driver license or ID card within 30 days of a legal name change.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Name and Address Changes The clock starts on your wedding date, not when you get around to it. This step must be done in person, because the state needs a new photo and signature.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – Driver Licenses and ID Cards
Bring:
- Your certified marriage certificate
- Your current driver’s license
- Your new Social Security card, or a receipt showing the SSA application is in progress
- Two documents proving your Florida residential address, such as a utility bill dated within the last 60 days, a lease agreement, a mortgage statement, or a deed6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. U.S. Citizen
All documents must be originals or certified copies. The replacement fee is $25.7Florida Senate. Florida Code Title XXIII Chapter 322 Section 322.21 – License Fees; Procedure for Handling and Collecting Fees You will leave with a temporary paper license valid while your permanent card is printed and mailed, usually two to three weeks later. Many offices operate by appointment, so scheduling through the FLHSMV portal in advance can save a long wait.
Update Your U.S. Passport
If you have a passport, update it before booking international travel. The process depends on how recently your current passport was issued.
If your passport was issued less than one year ago and your name changed within that same year, mail Form DS-5504 with your current passport, a certified marriage certificate, and one passport photo. There is no fee unless you want expedited processing, which adds $60.8U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
If more than a year has passed since either the passport was issued or your name changed, you renew instead. Most people renew by mail using Form DS-82 for $130. If your passport is too old to renew by mail or was damaged, you apply in person with Form DS-11 for $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee.9U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks; expedited is two to three weeks for an added $60. Mail transit adds up to two weeks on each end.8U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
Update Your Vehicle Title and Registration
Florida also gives you 30 days to update the name on your vehicle title and registration.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Name and Address Changes There is a quirk here worth knowing. When you update your driver license, your electronic title record updates automatically to reflect the new name. The printed title, though — the physical paper you would need to sell or trade the vehicle — still shows your old name until you apply for a new one.
To get a corrected printed title, submit HSMV Form 82040 (Application for Certificate of Title) with your marriage certificate at your county tax collector’s office. The duplicate title fee is $75.25, plus $2.50 if you want a paper title printed.10Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees Request an updated registration card using HSMV Form 82101.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Name and Address Changes If you are not planning to sell the vehicle soon, the automatic electronic title update may be enough for now, but correcting the paper title avoids a scramble later.
Update Your Voter Registration
Your name on the voter rolls needs to match the name on your ID at the polls. Florida’s uniform voter registration application handles name changes, and you can complete it online at RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov if you have your Florida driver license number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.11The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 97.052 – Uniform Statewide Voter Registration Application Without those numbers, the site will prefill the application for you to print and mail to your county Supervisor of Elections. Do this well before any upcoming election.
Notify Your Employer and File Taxes Under the New Name
Two forms need updating with your employer. Submit a new W-4 to payroll so your tax documents match SSA records. Your employer should also update the name fields in Supplement B of your Form I-9. Federal guidance says this update should happen as soon as the employer learns of the change, and they may ask to see your marriage certificate as supporting documentation.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Recording Changes of Name and Other Identity Information for Current Employees
The IRS does not require a separate filing for a name change. Once the SSA updates your record, the IRS database follows. When you file your next return, use your new name exactly as it appears on your Social Security card. A mismatch between your return and your SSA record can hold up your refund, and it is one of the most common processing delays people do not see coming.13Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues If you married close to tax season, make sure the SSA update is complete before you file.
Update Financial Accounts and Insurance
Banks, credit cards, and insurance carriers all ask for roughly the same thing: your updated government-issued ID and a certified marriage certificate. Some institutions also want to see your new Social Security card. A marriage license alone may not be accepted unless it doubles as a certificate, meaning it includes the marriage date, witness signatures, or a notary seal.
Bank accounts generally require a branch visit with the ID and marriage certificate. Credit card issuers and insurance companies often handle name changes by phone or through their online portals, though most will still want a copy of the marriage certificate uploaded or mailed. Prioritize your auto and health insurance, because a name mismatch between your insurance card and your driver license can create friction during claims or traffic stops. Mortgage companies and investment accounts typically require written requests with notarized signatures, so check each institution’s specific requirements.
Update Professional Licenses
If you hold a Florida professional license — nursing, teaching, real estate, cosmetology, engineering, anything regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation — update that record too. Submit a written name-change request with your marriage certificate, updated driver’s license, or new Social Security card to the department’s licensing office in Tallahassee.14Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code Ann R 61-6-021 – Licensee Name Change Florida’s administrative code accepts originals, certified copies, or duplicates of certified copies.
There is no statutory deadline for this update the way there is for your driver license, but practicing under a name that does not match your license can cause problems during audits, renewals, or employer background checks. Fees vary by board and are generally modest; many boards charge nothing for a simple name correction. Handle this once your driver license and Social Security card are squared away, so you have clean documents to submit.