Comparison
How Change Your Name compares.
Every service here will save you time over doing it all yourself. The differences are in what actually gets filled out for you, and what happens to your data.
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| What you get | Change Your Name (us) | NameChangePacket (us) | HitchSwitch | NewlyNamed | MissNowMrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (one-time) | Free – $49 | $39 / $59 / $129 | $39.99 – $49.99 | $49 print-at-home / $99 box | $39.95 |
| Federal forms filled for you (SS-5, passport, voter) | Yes, and we pick the right passport form for you (DS-11, DS-82, or DS-5504) | Yes from the $59 tier (federal forms only) | — | Yes: SS-5, DS-82, voter | — |
| State DMV form filled for you | Yes: the actual form, every box filled, in 21 named states; official form + step-by-step instructions everywhere else | No. You get an “answer key” to copy onto the state form yourself | — | No. Says in writing it does not pre-fill state forms | — |
| Forms regenerated at download (always-current editions) | Yes, 28 government forms auto-filled | — | — | — | — |
| Packet printed & mailed to your door | Not yet. The Kit is download-and-print, with every mailing address included | No, digital only | — | Yes, a $99 box with prepaid envelopes | — |
| Divorce and court-order name changes | Yes, both, as their own paths with the decree or order as the proving document | Yes | — | Yes, in every package | Marriage only |
| SSN handling | Never stored. Stays on your device, used in memory only at PDF fill, so your SS-5 still comes out filled | Never collected, so the SSN boxes stay blank for you to hand-write | — | Never asked, so the SSN boxes stay blank for you to hand-write | Optional |
— means the service doesn't advertise this, or we couldn't verify it from their public materials. Check with them directly. We don't quote competitor review counts or ratings because we can't verify them. All of these services, ours included, are self-help form preparation: no service can legally file government identity documents (Social Security, passport, DMV) on your behalf, since they require your own signature and certified documents.
What about doing it yourself, or a cheap checklist app?
Doing it yourself is free, and every form we fill is a public government document you can download. What you spend instead is the research: which of three passport forms applies to you, whether your state's DMV has a form at all, which office wants a certified copy and which takes a photocopy, what each envelope needs and where it goes, and in what order so one step doesn't undo another. Our free checklist gives you that order and the list for nothing, so start there if you'd rather do the filling yourself.
A few-dollar checklist app tells you what to do. The $49 Kit does the doing: your details typed into every form, the right passport form picked, your state's DMV form filled in the states that have one, letters written for your employer, bank, and landlord, and the addresses checked against the agencies. If a reminder list is all you need, the free tier already is one.
Want to see what your own checklist looks like? The guide tier is free, no card and no SSN.
Start freeLooking for your state's exact steps and fees? Free state-by-state guides.