How to change your name after marriage in Virginia
Just married and holding a Virginia license? You don't need a court order — your certified marriage certificate is the legal document. What you do need is the right order, because every agency checks your name against the one before it. Here's the sequence, with Virginia's actual fees and rules.
Step 1
Social Security card (Form SS-5) — free
Always first. The DMV, the passport agency, and the IRS all verify your new name against Social Security's records, so nothing else can go through until this does. File Form SS-5 with your certified marriage certificate — it's free and takes about 7–14 days. Don't file a tax return under your new name until it completes.
Step 2
Virginia driver's license — Virginia DMV
Fee: $20. This one is an in-person visit — bring your certified marriage certificate. The application is DL 1P.
Start the name change online, but finish at a DMV office in person. Bring form DL 1P, which we pre-fill for you, plus your certified marriage certificate. The trap: you surrender your old card, and the DMV takes a new photo and signature.
Official details: Virginia DMV — name changes
Step 3
U.S. passport
Which form you use depends on when your passport was issued: DS-5504 (free, issued under a year ago), DS-82 (by mail, within 15 years), or DS-11 (in person, older or first passport). You mail your current passport and your certified marriage certificate with the application; the wait is about 4–6 weeks routine plus mailing as of Sept 2026; check travel.state.gov for today's time (the State Department's own figure). Paying to expedite shortens it. Book flights in whichever name your passport will show on travel day.
Step 4
Voter registration
Free. Re-register under your new name — some states let you do it online once your Virginia license shows the new name, or use the national mail form. Then comes the long tail nobody warns you about: banks, payroll, insurance, beneficiaries, airline miles — about 126 updates in all.
Which new names Virginia allows without a court order
Taking your spouse's surname works everywhere — but the rest of the menu is state law, and Virginia has its own rules:
- Take your spouse's last nameallowed with your marriage certificate
- Hyphenate both surnamesallowed with your marriage certificate
- Blend the two into a new surnamemay require a court petition — confirm with your county clerk
- Move your former (birth) surname to the middlerules are unclear — confirm with your county clerk before deciding
- Either spouse takes the other's surnamerules are unclear — confirm with your county clerk before deciding
The certificate proves a surname change (spouse's surname or hyphenation) and current guidance describes the process as gender-neutral — but sources conflict on whether a husband taking his wife's surname is honored by certificate alone; confirm with the circuit court clerk.
Not legal advice — rules summarized from state statutes and official guidance; confirm with your county clerk.
What to bring to the Virginia DMV
- Certified marriage certificate — the certified copy from vital records, not the decorative ceremony certificate and not the marriage license (PennDOT, for one, rejects both)
- Your current driver's license or state ID
- Payment for the license fee (see above; some offices are card- or cash-only)
- Proof of residential address — some states ask for one or two documents
- Patience for a new photo — most states retake it
Living outside the U.S. with a Virginia license?
- Social Security: file SSA's overseas form, SS-5-FS, through the Federal Benefits Unit at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate (ssa.gov/foreign lists them). Still first: everything else checks against it.
- Passport: renew through the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate (travel.state.gov). Don't mail your passport to the U.S. addresses printed on the form; it will bounce.
- Your Virginia license: the Virginia DMV name change is an office visit, so it generally waits until you're back. Your license stays valid under the old name meanwhile — carry your certified marriage certificate for anyone who needs the two names connected.
- Voting: register and request ballots from abroad with the Federal Post Card Application at fvap.gov, in your new name. Virginia stays your voting residence.
What we prepare for Virginia
Virginia publishes a fillable application, so we fill DL 1P for you — along with your SS-5, the right passport form, and voter registration — ready to print, sign, and hand over. Plus pre-written letters for banks, employers, and the rest of the long tail, sequenced on one checklist.
Change Your Name is a self-help form-preparation service, not a law firm. You review, sign, and submit everything yourself — we make your part take minutes instead of weekends.
Start my Virginia name changeVirginia name-change questions
How much does it cost to change the name on your Virginia license?
The Virginia DMV charges $20 for the updated credential. The Social Security update that comes first is free, and updating your voter registration is free too.
Can I change my Virginia license name online or by mail?
No — the Virginia DMV requires an in-person visit for name changes, with your certified marriage certificate in hand. Online and mail services in Virginia generally cover renewals and address changes only.
How long does the whole name change take in Virginia?
Plan on 4–8 weeks end to end. Social Security processes in about two weeks, the Virginia DMV update usually happens the same day you're at the counter (the new card may arrive by mail), and a passport takes about 4–6 weeks routine plus mailing as of Sept 2026; check travel.state.gov for today's time (paying to expedite is faster). The sequence matters more than the speed, so start with Social Security.
Do I need a court order to take my spouse's last name in Virginia?
No. For taking your spouse's surname after marriage, your certified marriage certificate is the legal name-change document — no court petition needed. A court order only comes into play for changes beyond what the marriage certificate supports, like an entirely new last name.
Different situation?
Fees, forms, and rules on this page were verified against the Virginia DMV's official site. States change fees and forms — always confirm on the official Virginia DMV page before your visit. Wondering how we compare to other services? See the honest comparison.