DMV Name Change After Marriage: What to Bring, Every State's Fee and Deadline
Last reviewed: August 30, 2026 · Not legal advice · Fees marked ≈ are compiled from official sources and should be confirmed on the linked page
The DMV is step three, not step one. Every state verifies your new name against the Social Security database before it prints a license, so the visit fails if you haven't done the SS-5 first. Get that right and the DMV step is a single in-person visit with three documents.
Before you go
- Change your name with Social Security and wait 24–48 hours for the record to propagate.
- Have a certified copy of the marriage certificate — not the keepsake.
- Bring your current license and, if you're upgrading to REAL ID at the same visit, the REAL ID document set (identity, Social Security number, two proofs of address, and the name-change chain).
Every state's fee and deadline
The table is generated from our state data; fees marked ≈ are compiled from official pages and pending re-verification. Click a state for the full guide with the certificate source and a plan builder.
| State | Fee | Deadline | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ≈ $36.25 for a duplicate license | ≈ Alabama expects updates within 30 days | ALEA Driver License Division |
| Alaska | ≈ $15 for a duplicate license | ≈ Alaska expects updates within 30 days | Alaska DMV |
| Arizona | ≈ $12 for a duplicate license | ≈ Arizona expects updates within 10 days | Arizona MVD |
| Arkansas | ≈ $10 for a duplicate license | ≈ Arkansas expects updates within 30 days | Arkansas DFA Revenue Office |
| California | $37 for a driver's license change, $40 for an ID card | ≈ California expects the DMV to be notified within 10 days | California DMV |
| Colorado | ≈ $12–$13 for a duplicate license | ≈ Colorado expects updates within 30 days | Colorado DMV driver license office |
| Connecticut | $30 for the name change, plus up to $8 convenience fee at AAA or credit-union express locations | ≈ no fixed deadline is stated for names; Connecticut expects address changes within 48 hours and treats the name change as urgent | Connecticut DMV hub or express office |
| Delaware | ≈ $20 for a duplicate license | ≈ Delaware expects updates within 30 days | Delaware DMV |
| District of Columbia | ≈ $20 for a duplicate license | ≈ DC expects updates within 30 days | DC DMV service center |
| Florida | ≈ $25 for the replacement license, plus a service fee of about $6.25 at tax collector offices | Florida law requires the replacement license within 30 days of the name change | Florida tax collector's office or FLHSMV service center |
| Georgia | free for the first name or address change in the term of your license; $10 for any change after that | ≈ Georgia expects license updates within 60 days of a change; if you're within 150 days of expiration, DDS makes you renew instead of updating | Georgia Department of Driver Services |
| Hawaii | ≈ $6 for a duplicate license | ≈ Hawaii expects updates within 30 days | your county driver licensing office |
| Idaho | ≈ $15 for a duplicate license | ≈ Idaho expects updates within 30 days | Idaho DMV |
| Illinois | $5 for a corrected license or ID | Illinois requires you to notify the Secretary of State within 10 days of a name change | Illinois Secretary of State driver services facility |
| Indiana | ≈ around $9–$15 for an amended credential | ≈ Indiana expects you to update your credential within 30 days of a legal name change | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles |
| Iowa | $10 for the name change | ≈ Iowa expects updates within 30 days | Iowa DOT driver's license service center |
| Kansas | ≈ about $16 ($8 duplicate fee plus $8 photo fee) | ≈ Kansas expects updates within 10 days | Kansas driver's license office |
| Kentucky | $15 for the name change | ≈ Kentucky expects updates within 10 days | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Driver Licensing Regional Office |
| Louisiana | $13 (4-year) or $17 (6-year) for the duplicate license, plus a local fee of up to $4–$8 | ≈ Louisiana expects updates within 10 days | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles |
| Maine | ≈ $5 for a duplicate license | ≈ Maine expects updates within 30 days | Maine BMV |
| Maryland | ≈ $20 for a corrected license | ≈ Maryland expects updates within 30 days | Maryland MVA |
| Massachusetts | ≈ $25 for an amended license | ≈ Massachusetts requires the RMV to be notified within 30 days | Massachusetts RMV Service Center |
| Michigan | ≈ $9 for a corrected license or state ID | ≈ Michigan expects you to report a name change within 10 days | Michigan Secretary of State office |
| Minnesota | ≈ $15–$21 for a duplicate license | ≈ Minnesota law requires the DVS to be notified within 30 days | Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services |
| Mississippi | $11 for a duplicate license or ID | ≈ no fixed statutory deadline is commonly enforced; update before renewal or any REAL ID upgrade | Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau |
| Missouri | ≈ $10–$20 depending on license type | ≈ no fixed statutory deadline is commonly enforced, but your license name must match SSA records before renewal or a REAL ID upgrade | Missouri Department of Revenue |
| Montana | ≈ $10 for a duplicate license | ≈ Montana expects updates within 10 days | Montana MVD driver license station |
| Nebraska | ≈ roughly $15–$20 for a replacement license | ≈ Nebraska expects updates within 60 days of the change | Nebraska DMV |
| Nevada | ≈ $9.25 for a duplicate license | ≈ Nevada expects updates within 30 days | Nevada DMV |
| New Hampshire | ≈ $3 for a duplicate license | ≈ New Hampshire expects updates within 30 days | New Hampshire DMV |
| New Jersey | ≈ $11 for a duplicate license with the corrected name | ≈ New Jersey requires you to notify the MVC within 2 weeks of a legal name change | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission |
| New Mexico | ≈ $18 for a duplicate license | ≈ New Mexico expects updates within 10 days | New Mexico MVD |
| New York | ≈ $12.50 for an amended license | ≈ New York law requires the DMV to be notified within 10 days | New York DMV |
| North Carolina | ≈ $14 for a duplicate license | ≈ North Carolina law requires the change within 60 days | NCDMV driver license office |
| North Dakota | ≈ $8 for a duplicate license | ≈ North Dakota expects updates within 10 days | North Dakota DOT driver license site |
| Ohio | ≈ $25.75 for a replacement license | ≈ Ohio expects updates within 10 days | Ohio BMV deputy registrar agency |
| Oklahoma | ≈ around $25 for a replacement license | ≈ Oklahoma expects license updates within 10 days of the change | Service Oklahoma |
| Oregon | ≈ $30 for a replacement license | ≈ Oregon expects updates within 30 days | Oregon DMV |
| Pennsylvania | ≈ no fee to record the name change by mail on form DL-80; a new photo card, if you want one, is the regular duplicate fee | ≈ Pennsylvania law requires the change within 15 days | PennDOT Driver License Center |
| Rhode Island | ≈ $27.50 for a duplicate license | ≈ Rhode Island expects updates within 10 days | Rhode Island DMV |
| South Carolina | ≈ $10 for a duplicate license | ≈ South Carolina law requires the change within 10 days | SCDMV |
| South Dakota | ≈ $15 for a duplicate license | ≈ South Dakota expects updates within 10 days | South Dakota DPS driver licensing office |
| Tennessee | $8–$16 duplicate fee, depending on your license type and how many duplicates you've had | ≈ no fixed statutory deadline is commonly enforced; update before renewal or a REAL ID upgrade | Tennessee Driver Services Center |
| Texas | $11 for the replacement license or ID | ≈ Texas requires the change within 30 days | Texas DPS driver license office |
| Utah | ≈ $23 for a duplicate license | ≈ Utah expects updates within 10 days | Utah Driver License Division |
| Vermont | ≈ $20 for a duplicate license | ≈ Vermont expects updates within 30 days | Vermont DMV |
| Virginia | ≈ $20 for a replacement license | ≈ Virginia expects updates within 30 days | Virginia DMV customer service center |
| Washington | ≈ $20 for a replacement license | ≈ Washington expects updates within 10 days | Washington DOL driver licensing office |
| West Virginia | ≈ $12.50 for a duplicate license | ≈ West Virginia law requires the change within 20 days | West Virginia DMV regional office |
| Wisconsin | ≈ around $14 for a duplicate license with the new name | ≈ Wisconsin requires address changes within 10 days; update the name at the same visit or promptly after your SSA record changes | Wisconsin DMV |
| Wyoming | ≈ $10 for a duplicate license | ≈ Wyoming expects updates within 10 days | WYDOT Driver Services |
What the visit looks like
In person in almost every state (Pennsylvania is the notable by-mail exception). You'll leave with a temporary paper license and the card follows by mail in 1–4 weeks. Vehicle title and registration are often the same agency or the county office — ask whether the name change on the title can be done in the same visit; it's usually a separate small fee.
Skip the forms — get them filled in 10 minutes
The Name Change Plan Packet (free — your email is the only thing we ask for) asks you the questions once, then generates your completed official forms — SS-5, the right passport form — plus notification letters for your banks and employer, and your state's exact instructions. Built entirely in your browser: your details never touch our servers.
Get the free packet →Prefer a mailed box with prepaid envelopes? NewlyNamed does that from ~$30 (affiliate link). DIY with our free guides costs only government fees.
Common questions
Do I need to change my name with Social Security before the DMV?
Yes, in every state. The DMV verifies the new name against SSA electronically; a same-day attempt fails at the counter.
Can I change my name at the DMV online?
Almost never. Address changes are often online; name changes require the certified certificate in person. Pennsylvania accepts the DL-80 form by mail.
Is there a deadline?
Most states expect the update within 10–60 days of the change (see the table); enforcement varies, but a mismatched license causes problems with REAL ID, banks and travel.
What if my license is about to expire?
Renew with the new name in the same visit — most states charge the renewal fee instead of the duplicate fee, so you don't pay twice.