Changing Your Name After Marriage in Minnesota

In Minnesota, your married name is chosen on the marriage license application, not afterward. Once the officiant files the certificate, get certified copies, update Social Security first, then your driver's license or ID at DVS, then your passport, and only then banks, payroll and everything else.

Every requirement below links to the official page it comes from, current as of September 2026. Offices change forms, fees and processing times, so confirm with the office before you act. This is general information, not legal advice. The order matters because each office checks the one before it, and doing it out of sequence is how couples end up making the same trip twice.

How is your married name set on a Minnesota marriage license?

Minnesota asks for it up front. The license application must include the full names the parties will have after the civil marriage (Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1a). The same statute says a party with a felony conviction may not change their name through the marriage application and must follow the separate process in section 259.13.

County pages say the same thing in plainer words. Ramsey County lists your after-marriage names and address among the details you provide when you apply in person. Hennepin County warns that you can't make changes to the names chosen after marriage, and its marriage records page says legal name changes after marriage are done through district court.

So decide before your appointment, not at the counter. Talk through these before you go:

• Whether one of you, both of you or neither of you will change your name.
• Hyphenated or two-word last names, spelled exactly as you want them on every future ID.
• Whether a maiden name moves to the middle name, or disappears.
• Suffixes like Jr. or III. DVS says your full legal name, including suffixes and two-part names, must match your Social Security card.

The license itself works the same across the state. The fee is set in statute at $125, or $50 with at least 12 hours of premarital education, under Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1b, and the license is valid for six months. My Minnesota marriage license requirements guide covers officiants, witnesses and IDs in more detail.

Step 1: Get certified copies of your marriage certificate

Everything downstream runs on a certified copy. After the ceremony, the officiant must file the certificate with the local registrar within five days (Minn. Stat. 517.10). Your application lists the address where the registrar sends a certified copy, under Minn. Stat. 517.08, and Hennepin County says it will return your certified marriage certificate once it has been recorded.

One copy is rarely enough, because Social Security and DVS both want to see an original or certified document, and you may be mailing one to the passport agency at the same time. Hennepin County charges $9 per certified copy if it issued your original license. Expedited mail orders cost an extra $20 and are ready within one week instead of three, and most in-person requests are issued while you wait. Other counties set their own process, so check with the county that issued your license.

My recommendation: order two or three extra copies in one visit. It costs less than a second trip, and it lets you run the passport and Social Security steps without waiting for a document to come back.

Step 2: Why does Social Security come first?

Because DVS won't move until Social Security does. The Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services name change page says that if you have a Social Security number, you need to change your name with the Social Security Administration first, and that your full legal name must match your Social Security card.

SSA's name change FAQ says that if you legally change your name because of marriage, you must tell Social Security. You'll need evidence of your identity, your new legal name and the name change event, and you may need to prove U.S. citizenship or lawful noncitizen status. In some states you can request a corrected card through a my Social Security account; otherwise you can start online and, if you need in-person help, make an appointment at your local office.

Three details from SSA's documents page save couples real time:

• SSA accepts only original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.
• Your new card keeps the same number and shows your new name.
• If you are working, SSA says to tell your employer too, because an unreported name change can keep wages from posting correctly to your record and delay your taxes.

SSA's change name page says the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days after it completes your request.

Step 3: Update your Minnesota driver's license or ID

The DVS page lays out three steps: update your name with SSA, wait until SSA tells you the change is processed, then visit any office that offers driver's license or ID renewals. Bring your current license or ID and a certified marriage certificate, or a marriage license with a certified recorded marriage date.

DVS adds that your name change documents need to show a clear link to the name on your new card, and that you may need to apply for a variance if you can't get the right documents. Use the online pre-application before you go, and be ready to have a new photo taken. DVS also reminds you not to forget your vehicle titles.

Don't let this step sit. Minnesota law says to apply for a duplicate driver's license and pay the required fee within 30 days after a change of name (Minn. Stat. 171.11). Because DVS needs Social Security to finish first, start the SSA step as soon as your certified copies arrive, and ask DVS how the 30 days applies if Social Security is still processing your request.

Step 4: How do you change the name on your passport?

You'll need an updated passport. USAGov says that if you change your name after receiving your passport, you will need an updated passport to reflect the change. If you can't renew, or this is your first passport, you apply for a new one in person at a passport acceptance facility using Form DS-11.

Renewing by mail uses Form DS-82, and USAGov's renewal page lists name change documentation among what to send. It also lists when you can't renew by mail: a passport issued before your 16th birthday, issued more than 15 years ago, damaged, lost or stolen, or issued in your previous name when you don't have a legal document like a marriage license to prove the change. USAGov links to the State Department's change-or-correct page for the full steps. Confirm the right form and current fees there before you mail anything.

A practical warning: if you send your only certified copy with a passport application, you are without it until it comes back. That is another reason to order extras in Step 1. And book honeymoon flights in the name on the ID you will actually carry that day.

The order-of-operations checklist

Here is the sequence I recommend to couples, built so each step has the document the next one asks for:

1. Choose your names before the license appointment.
2. After the wedding, confirm the officiant filed the certificate, then order certified copies.
3. Social Security, in person or online where available.
4. Once SSA confirms, DVS for your license or ID, and your vehicle titles.
5. Passport, by mail or in person depending on your situation.
6. Employer payroll and HR, so your records match your Social Security record.
7. Voter registration. The Secretary of State's MNVotes form has an option for voters already registered under a previous name.
8. Banks, credit cards, loans and retirement accounts.
9. Insurance, your lease or mortgage, utilities and your phone plan.
10. Doctors, pharmacy, professional licenses, email and travel loyalty programs.

If you are planning a small legal ceremony first, my Minneapolis courthouse wedding guide and St. Paul courthouse wedding guide walk through both county offices. For everything else about the day, start with my wedding photography overview.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my mind about my married name after the license is issued?

Not through the marriage record. Hennepin County says you can't make changes to the names chosen after marriage, and that legal name changes after marriage go through district court. Settle the exact spelling, hyphens and middle names before your license appointment, and confirm the rules with the county issuing your license.

Do I have to change my name at Social Security before DVS?

Yes, if you have a Social Security number. Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services says to change your name with the Social Security Administration first and wait until SSA confirms it has processed the change. Your full legal name must match your Social Security card before DVS can update your license or ID.

Will Social Security accept a photocopy of my marriage certificate?

No. SSA says it needs original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency, and it cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. Order certified copies from the county that issued your license, and get a few extra, since Social Security, DVS and a passport application may each need to see one.

Do I need a new Social Security number after I change my name?

No. SSA says your new card has the same number as your previous card and shows your new name. The replacement arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days after SSA completes your request. Tell your employer about the change as well, so your wages post correctly.

How long do I have to change my name after getting married?

The firm deadline is your driver's license: Minn. Stat. 171.11 says to apply for a duplicate license within 30 days after a name change. DVS also requires Social Security to process your change first, so start with SSA as soon as your certified copies arrive, and ask DVS how the deadline applies to you.

Sources

• Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 517.08 Application for civil marriage license
• Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 517.10 Certificate; witnesses
• Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: 171.11 Duplicate license; change of domicile or name
• Hennepin County: Marriage license
• Hennepin County: Marriage records
• Ramsey County: Marriage licenses
• Social Security Administration: How do I change or correct my name on my Social Security number card?
• Social Security Administration: Learn what documents you will need to get a Social Security card
• Social Security Administration: Change name with Social Security
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services: Change your name on your driver's license or ID card
• USAGov: Apply for a new adult passport
• USAGov: Renew an adult passport
• Minnesota Secretary of State, MNVotes: Register to vote or update your registration