The easy way: Use our name change notification kit to get personalized and ready to send name change notifications for your companies. In many cases you can simply attach your marriage certificate or court order and send! There’s also going to be places where you need to log in to your account, visit a branch or call. Our company checklist explains each company’s process so you don’t waste time researching. 

Start here

The hard way: Yep. More lists. Start by doing an audit of all the places you may need to notify. This could be anywhere from 8 to over 50. Contact each one or research online to get their name change procedure. You may need to request a form.

Note all the requirements in your checklist – post and email addresses, proof documents, links to forms, important URLs, office opening hours and the steps.

Next, get busy writing letters and emails, completing forms and hammering the photocopier. Allow 20 minutes per company. If you have 25 companies then that’s 8 hours you could have saved with an Easy Name Change kit.

No matter which way you go, most banks and all state DMV’s need you to visit in person. Most people choose to also attend the SSA in person to save mailing original identification documents.

Customers need to arrange their proof of name change before they can use our kit.

If you’re married, then you probably already have your marriage certificate and there’s no extra filing to claim your name!

If you’re already divorced you should have requested an order to restore your former name. If not you may be able to use your divorce decree to change names.

If you’re legally changing names it’s recommended you petition the court and receive your name change order before purchasing a kit. Check if you live in a state where we provide the name change petition and instructions in your kit, then you can request the petition and get your notifications all in our kit for one low price.

All name changes need to start with the SSA. Allow 2 working days for changes to be visible to other agencies, then visit your state DMV. They only allow a name that is an exact match with the SSA, so be sure you choose a name compliant with your state DMV before making any changes. Once you receive photo ID in your new name you can go onto change names with banks and credit unions. Then there are all the remaining companies, which can be anywhere from 5 to over 40 extra places!

While each state is a little different, the majority of newlyweds can take any of these names by simply showing their marriage certificate:

• You can drop your surname and take your spouse’s
• You can add your spouse’s surname to your own. Names can appear in either order and can be separated by either a space or hyphen.
• You can move your birth surname to become a middle surname. Read more

A legal name change is needed if you:

• Want to change any part of your given name/s (other than moving your maiden name to become your middle name)
• Want a surname other than yours or your spouse’s
• Want to blend a part of each surname together to make a new name (except residents married in California)

If changing names from divorce you’re only allowed to revert to your former name. You’ll need a legal name change if you want a name other than your married name or an earlier name.

Most companies won’t write back to confirm your name was changed. Check that your new name appears when you next log into your account or receive correspondence. Most companies update your name within a few days of receiving your request, but some can take weeks (passport) or months (replacement green card )