Not everyone wants to change their last name after getting married, but for those who do, it is actually quite the undertaking (contrary to how it looks on Friends).

I, Kim, ultimately chose to take the Lawrence name for the following reasons:

Speaking from experience, changing your last name can be a pain in the butt! Most people think about the DMV and Social Security, but there are actually SO many other places that you’ll need to change your last name (we’ve heard 28 on average!). To hopefully make your life a little easier, I wanted to share my list and process to accomplish officially becoming a Lawrence.

It took me SO much time and coordination across about 3 months to get all this done. Be prepared to give up your lunch breaks and weekends to knock it all out! There *is* a service that makes all of this easier now – www.easynamechange.com . They have an interactive company database where you just check off the places to notify, then get a custom pack of forms and instructions. I wish I knew about this in 2018! But whichever way you go, there’s still a few places where you just need to go in person.

To get you started, I’ll warn you that most places will want to see at least a copy of your marriage certificate if not an official one. Definitely get two official copies of your certificate in advance and then I also kept a scanned copy in my Dropbox for uploading purposes. Some places also ask for an updated drivers license.

Table of contents

1. Social Security Administration (always start here!)
2. Driver’s License (This can be done 3 days later)
3. Decide if you’ll use a service or DIY
4. Vehicle Title and Registration
5. Voter Registration
6. US Passport
7. Everywhere Else… < weeks and weeks…

1. Change Your Last Name at Social Security Administration

SSA has modernized since I changed names pre-covid. These days, start the process online by
answering a few questions . If your identity and marriage details can be verified online, you’re done!
A new card arrives a couple weeks later. If you can’t be digitally verified then head your local SSA office. The site will list what proof documents to take. If in doubt, take the lot. You also can just show up and provide all proof of identity and the SS-5 form if you don’t want to go online.

Heading to an office isn’t so bad! I went in-person (pre-COVID) to a local office in Charlotte (this one in particular). I arrived at 9am when they opened for the day, walked in, took a number, waited for maybe 20 minutes, got called, showed my paperwork, and left less than 30 minutes after arriving. Maybe I was lucky, but this was WAY easier than expected.

2. Change Your Last Name on your Driver’s License at the DMV

I hadn’t realized that you need to wait for your info to update with Social Security before you can go to the DMV. I had taken the whole morning off from work with the intention of knocking out all these name changes in one day (ha!), so found that I was on pause for a bit. FYI, the North Carolina DMV says you need to report your new name to them within 60 days of it changing with Social Security.

I went online to schedule an appointment in advance at this NCDMV location, but choose any that have availability. Once the date arrived, I showed up about 10 minutes before my appointment. I waited maybe 10 minutes past my appointment time and then was able to get my new driver’s license. However, this was a pre-COVID and probably pretty lucky experience.

What you need:

1. Updated Social Security Record (the DMV website recommends to wait at least 24-36 hours after visiting Social Security before coming to them. I wound up waiting longer than that because of appointment availability anyway.)
2. Your current NC driver’s license or ID card
3. Certified Marriage Certificate
4. Cash, check, or money order for the $14 fee

3. Decide if you’ll use a name change service or DIY

No matter what, there’s just no getting around in person visits to the DMV and the SSA for
some. But here’s where it gets interesting: There’s typically another 24 places to update. I did not
have the time to be googling what to do with each one and filling in forms, so I wish I knew about Easy Name Change kits when I was getting married. Just check off your companies and get company
instructions and ready to send forms! It’s best to decide early on, because the more forms you get,
the more time you save! It’s also risk free with a 60 day money back guarantee. Of course you don’t have to use a name change kit at all! If you’ve got the time to call around, write letters and what not, then set aside the time and aim to knock it all out in a week or two. Whichever way you go, the process is much the same. It’s simply a matter of how much time you have to spare for research and paperwork.

Start with Easy Name Change right here if you want to save some time for yourself!

4. Change Your Last Name on Your Vehicle Title & Registration

Before you can update your title and registration, you need to have your NC driver’s license first. You can change your name either in person or by mail. You cannot change your name online.

What you need:

• Updated NC driver’s license
• Marriage Certificate
• Original vehicle title
• A completed and notarized Corrected or Substituted Title Application (MVR-5)
• Cash, check, or money order for the $21.50 fee

5. Voter Registration

6. U.S. Passport

Changing your name on an existing passport can only be done by mail. Depending on how long you’ve had your current passport, there is a different form to fill out. Which form you need will impact which supporting documents you need. Rather than me listing it here, I’d recommend just looking at the official list on travel.state.gov.

7. Everywhere else…

You’d be surprised how many places your name needs to be updated (and that’s where a service like Easy Name Change really comes in handy – checking off lists is supposed to be fun 😉 ) . Here’s a short list of some the spots you might want to update your name to get you started. Have fun running around to all the places!

• Finances:
  • All bank accounts and credit cards
  • Retirement plans and investment accounts (401ks, IRAs, etc.)
  • Loans (student, auto, etc.)
  • Digital Finance (Paypal, Afterpay)
• Home:
  • Landlord/Mortgage company, House Deed
  • Insurance companies (home, auto, life, health)
  • Utilities (electric, gas, water, etc.)
  • Communications (phone, Apple ID, streaming services, internet)
• Personal:
  • Travel and miles programs
  • Shopping rewards
  • Legal documents (will or power of attorney if you have them)
  • Doctor’s offices
  • Personal email address and signature
  • Voicemail message
  • Magazine & digital subscriptions
  • Memberships (gym, church, YMCA, food subscriptions, book subscriptions, wine boxes, etc.)
  • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, Clubhouse, and many more…)
  • Alumni association
  • Road tolls & fast passes
  • Credit reporting agencies (if you’re going to apply for credit soon)
• Work
  • Human Resources (payslip, 401k)
  • Official email address and email signature
  • Business cards
  • LinkedIn
  • Professional memberships or certifications

Did I miss anything? Probably. And, honestly, some of this stuff I didn’t bother with (alumni association cough, cough) and others I’m still updating almost three years later (definitely forgot about some professional memberships). But as long as you get the big stuff, you’ll be in good shape.

You can get a free customized checklist here to help you out through the process in the meantime! We hope this guide has helped – it’s a TON of information and our goal is to help you through it as easily as possible!