To change your name on an Alabama driver’s license, update your record with the Social Security Administration first, then visit an ALEA Driver License Office or a county probate/licensing office in person with your legal name-change document, your current license, and $31.25 for a duplicate. Alabama gives you 30 days from the legal name change to notify the Driver License Division, so do not sit on it.
Start With Social Security
ALEA checks the name on your application against the Social Security Administration’s database. If the two do not match, the examiner will turn you away at the counter.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Forms
Update the SSA by filing Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Card) with your local Social Security office, along with your name-change document and proof of identity. You can apply in person or by mail, and the SSA typically mails a replacement card within 5 to 10 business days.2Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security Give the update a couple of days to propagate through the electronic verification system before you go to the licensing office.
Bring the Right Legal Document
ALEA accepts different documents depending on how your name changed. Bring the original or a certified copy — not a photocopy:1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Forms
- Marriage: a certified marriage certificate issued by a government office.
- Divorce: a divorce decree that includes a provision restoring your former name.
- Court-ordered change: a court order or name-change decree signed by a judge.
- Adoption: an adoption decree from a court of record.
ALEA’s accepted secondary documents include divorce decrees, adoption decrees, name-change decrees, and marriage licenses.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. License and ID Cards If you do not have the document, request a certified copy from the probate court or vital records office in the county where the event was recorded.
Also bring your current Alabama driver’s license.
You Have 30 Days
Alabama’s administrative code requires you to notify the Driver License Division within 30 days of a name change.4Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 760-X-1-.07 – Suspension and Revocation of Driver License Under the Point System Driving with a license that does not match your legal name can also create problems during traffic stops and when you need ID for banking or travel.
Where to Go and What to Expect
You have two options for the in-person visit: an ALEA Driver License Office or a county probate/licensing office that handles driver’s license services.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Forms ALEA offices offer online appointment scheduling through their website, which can spare you a long wait.5Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Offices Probate offices in many counties handle the same transaction, and wait times there are sometimes shorter.
At the counter, the examiner verifies your identity, reviews your name-change document, and confirms that Social Security has your new name on file. You surrender the old license, sit for a new photograph, and pay the fee. You will leave with a temporary paper permit to carry until the plastic card arrives.
Fee and When the Card Arrives
A name change is issued as a duplicate license and costs $31.25.6Shelby County, AL – Official Website. Drivers License and ID Renewals and Replacements If your license is also due for renewal, combine the two transactions and pay only the $36.25 renewal fee instead of both.7Montgomery County Probate Court. Montgomery County Probate Court – Drivers Licenses
The permanent hard-plastic license is mailed to the residential address on file and usually arrives within 7 to 10 days.8Shelby County, AL – Official Website. State Drivers License Examiners Office Keep the temporary paper permit with you when you drive. If nothing arrives after a couple of weeks, call ALEA to check the mailing status and confirm your address was entered correctly.
If You Want the STAR ID (Gold Star)
A standard name-change visit does not automatically produce a STAR ID. If you want the STAR ID (Alabama’s REAL ID-compliant license), the documentation bar is higher: when the name on your identity document differs from your current legal name, you must present certified documents covering every link in the chain. A birth certificate showing your maiden name, for example, has to be paired with a marriage certificate that bridges to your current name.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Document List
STAR ID applicants also need two documents verifying their residential address, such as utility bills or bank statements. If those documents are in a spouse’s or parent’s name, bring a marriage certificate or birth certificate to establish the connection.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Document List Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, a standard license without the gold star is no longer accepted for boarding domestic flights or entering secure federal facilities.10Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID A name-change visit is a natural time to upgrade.
If You Are Not a U.S. Citizen
Non-citizens follow the same process but must also present immigration documents at the counter: a valid foreign passport with an acceptable visa or a resident alien card, Social Security number verification (or an SSA letter confirming non-eligibility), and an immigration document authorizing presence in the United States for more than 160 days.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. License and ID Cards Employment authorization cards, valid I-94 arrival/departure records, and I-797 notices of action from the Department of Homeland Security are among the accepted supporting documents.
Update Your Vehicle Title and Voter Registration Too
Your license does not carry the name change over to your other records. If you own a vehicle, the title must be presented separately to a licensing official to have the name corrected, along with your updated license, the name-change document, the current title, and proof of insurance; financed vehicles also require the title from the lienholder and a signed letter on lienholder letterhead.11Shelby County, AL – Official Website. FAQ – Titles Out-of-state titles require a VIN inspection at the office.12Shelby County, AL – Official Website. If My Name Has Changed
Voter registration is also separate. Update it online through the Alabama Secretary of State’s website, mail in the Alabama Voter Registration Form, or call the Elections Division at 1-800-274-8683 to have a form sent to you.13Alabama Secretary of State. Register to Vote / Update Your Information A new Voter Identification Card follows once your county Board of Registrars processes the change. Handle it before the next election so nothing gets flagged at the polling place.