Hey party people!  How’s your Friday going?  Did you have to spend 35 minutes waiting at the bank to change your name?  No?  Well I did, so lucky you!

So we discussed the whole “name change” thing yesterday (I got some interesting responses — thanks for sharing!)  Today, I’ll walk you through how to change your name (if you’ve decided to change your name — y’know, it’s personal.  No judgment.  I’m just here to help!)  The general info is applicable to all US states (I’m pretty sure, but don’t quote me on that…) but I’ll be linking specifically to California sites since that’s where I live, and therefore where I changed my name.  Cool?  Cool.

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1.  First, get your a$% married!  No sense in trying to change your name before that, they’ll just laugh you out of the Social Security Administration office.  (No, they’ll probably look at you with that dead look in their eyes and just yell, “Next!”)  Wait for your official marriage certificate to come in the mail (ours came quick, about 2 weeks after we got married, but it varies depending on the county you’re going through), then you can get started!

2.  Social Security Administration: This must be your first stop on the name change tour.  It will likely also be the worst.  (Have you guys ever been to an SSA office?  It’s a little terrifying.  Although, I went to the one in Oakland so… that might have something to do with it.)  This page has info for changing your name with the SSA, and here’s where you can find the SSA office closest to you. 

• Bring: Photo ID, your marriage certificate (the original, not a copy), and this form (filled out ahead of time).

3. DMV:  That’s right, you get to hit all the hot spots when you change your name!  The DMV must be the second place you go on the name change tour.  Change your name on your driver’s license and vehicle registration.  You can also update your voter registration here — they’ll give you the form with the license application (or maybe it’s on the back?  I can’t remember.)

• Bring: Your current license, your vehicle’s pink slip, and this form (fill out the top, Section F & Section H).  They will give you the license application form at the DMV to fill out (it’s not on the website).
• TIPS: You must wait a few days after changing your name with the SSA for it to update in the system before going to the DMV.  They WILL make you take a new picture for your license, so make sure you don’t go looking all a hot mess.  And, if at all possible — make an appointment!  I somehow had the sense to make an appointment with the DMV and was in and out in less than 20 minutes.  The non-appointment line was out the door when I went!

At this point, it’s sort of your discretion what you take care of next — here’s the order I went in though.

4.  Passport:  Go get an updated passport picture taken (since you got all put-together for your license photo, why not do this the same day?)  They take these anywhere photos are processed.  Fill out this form, then mail it off with your new photo, your old passport, and an original copy of your marriage certificate**.

**Yes, you need to send an official copy of your marriage certificate.  So, keep in mind that if you only got one copy of your marriage certificate (like us), this means that you won’t have your marriage certificate for a few weeks.  The passport agency will return the marriage certificate to you in the mail, along with your old passport — but it comes separate from (and often later than) your new passport.  For reference, I dropped mine in the mail on January 17, and got it back in the mail yesterday, February 9.

5. Bank: I actually changed my name here last, but I’m putting it up here because it’s important.  I bank with Bank of America, and they require you to go into a branch to change your name, and you need to have your original marriage certificate with you, along with a photo ID with your new name on it.  That’s right, you can’t update your bank info until you’ve gotten your updated license or passport back in the mail.  I had mailed off our original marriage certificate with my passport stuff, so I had to wait until I got it back in the mail before updating with B of A.

• TIPS: Ask your bank to make your name an AKA on your account (ex: Chelsea MaidenName AKA Chelsea MarriedName), rather than just transferring everything into your new name.  This way, if you get any checks addressed to your old name, you’ll still be able to cash them.  Also, if you hold any credit cards through your bank, ask them to update your name on those at the same time.

6. Insurance & Credit Cards:  These were surprisingly easy to update.  I simply contacted our insurance broker and notified him of the change (make sure you update your car insurance policy, renters insurance, home insurance, and any umbrella policies you have — ahem, like your ring insurance policy).  For your credit cards, you just call the 800 number listed on the back of your cards and update over the phone.  None of mine required a letter or a copy of the marriage certificate or anything.  (Kind of explains why identity theft is such a pervasive problem, hmm?)

• TIPS: If you’re going to add your spouse as an authorized user to any of your credit cards, do this when you change your name on your card so they can mail you both cards together.

7.  Human Resources at Work: Contact your HR manager and get your tax info, 401K, and any health insurance policies (if applicable) updated.  Your company will likely require a copy of your new license and Social Security card for their records, but can probably start the process of changing your name before if you haven’t gotten these in the mail yet.  Make sure that your company also updates your email address, email signature, any name placards you have, and your business cards.

8.  Memberships & Rewards Programs: This includes places like Costco (you have to go to their membership counter with your new license in hand — they’ll also update your picture), hotel and airline miles programs.

• TIPS: Updating your name on your airline miles rewards programs is surprisingly kind of a hassle, and can be much slower than even the government agencies.  You must send a letter notating the change, with your membership number, along with a copy of your marriage certificate; so, make sure you make a few extra copies before you drop the original into the mail to update your passport!  Here are the templates for the letters I sent.  In the meantime, you can’t use your rewards number for any flights you book in your new name, so make sure you keep track of them and add them back to your account after your name has been updated.

9.  Online Presence: Personal email addresses (I didn’t update mine because it was just too much of a hassle), online profiles (places you shop online, etc.), Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, GChat… the list never ends.

10.  Miscellaneous:  Let’s not forget about your outgoing voicemail messages, magazine subscriptions (I didn’t do this because I didn’t really see the point), any professional networks or associations you belong to (oh hey, California BAR Association — for this, log onto your CA BAR profile and click the link for “change my name or status” — fill out the form and mail in), as well as any other official entities you deal with (like Direct Loans, who handles your ungodly amount of law school debt).

Alright, that’s it I think!  10 easy steps from going from Miss MaidenName to Mrs. MarriedName.  How fancy.  Honestly, it’s a bit of a hassle to take care of everything, but you can get through the worst of it in just a couple days (and all of it in less than a month).

Note:  It’s very strange to get used to a new name (I still can’t quite figure out my signature…); I heard it described once as being like an itchy sweater — not terrible, just something you’re always aware of that feels like it doesn’t fit quite right.  My personal plan of action was to get everything migrated over into my married name as soon as possible so I could start my new life and (hopefully) adapt to it that much sooner.

If you guys have questions or anything else to share, feel free to post a comment!

xo, Chelsea MarriedName