How to Change Your Name on Your Passport & Social Security Card

People change their names for a variety of reasons, most commonly because of marriage, divorce, adoption or simply because they don't like their names and are given permission from a local court to change it. If you decide to change your name and you do so legally, you must change your name on your personal identification information such as your passports and social security cards. Both are easily done.

Change Your Name on your Social Security Card

• 1

  Visit your local Social Security Administration office location to change your name on your social security card.

• 2

  Provide the SSA clerk with the document proving your change of name. Acceptable documents include a certified copy of your marriage license, your divorce decree and/or a court order stating your name change.

• 3

  Wait for your new social security card to arrive in the mail, one to two weeks after applying for your name change.

Change your Name on your Passport

• 1

  Obtain form DS-5504 from a nearby passport acceptance facility or download it from the U.S. Department of State's passport website. Fill out this form for a passport name change if your passport was issued less than a year before your name change. If your passport was issued more than a year before your name change, you'll need to obtain form DS-82 instead. You can pick this up at any passport acceptance facility or print it out from the U.S. Department of State's passport website.

• 2

  Complete the appropriate form. Put it in an envelope with two recent passport photos of yourself, your current U.S. Passport and the document proving your name change, such as your marriage license, divorce decree or court order for a name change. If you are filing form DS-82 you will also need to include the passport renewal fee of $110. Form DS-5504 applications are free of charge.

• 3

  Mail your package containing form DS-5504 to:

  National Passport Processing Center

  Post Office Box 90107

  Philadelphia, PA 19109-0107

  Mail your package containing form DS-82 to:

  National Passport Processing Center

  Post Office Box 91055

  Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155

  Your new passport is issued to you by mail four to six weeks after you mail your application.