Changing a drivers License Question

Thats a good question.. Mine is only a couple months different so it wont be a bug deal to me..

But it seems that since you would need the marriage license to change it, you would have to wait.. I would call the dvm to find our for sure, or hopefully someone else has a better answer.

You can't change your name without your marriage license, or filing other paperwork for a legal name change, and paying really high fees. Sorry...

This would present WAY to many problems for the DMV to even be maybe possible. Think of all the people who would just claim that they were getting married in 5 months so that they could put a fake name on it! You have to wait until you are issued your new social security card to get a drivers licence with your new name.

Getting a legal name change (depending on the state- but most make it easier if your getting married) is a pain in the a*s and there's really no way around it, you need to file the paperwork, wait up to 2 months to get it back, apply for a new social security card, wait up to 2 weeks for that (which you can't do until you get the name change paperwork) and then go to the DMV. You will also need to call everyone who you pay bills to and tell them of your new name. As I said, most states make it easier if your getting married, but don't expect it to be easy to change your name.

Actually, Jennifer- you don't need a new SS card to change your name on your dirver's license. With my first marriage, I never did change my SS. I had no issues changing my driver's license, bank accounts, etc- with my marriage certificate.

When I first got married (the first time), I hyphenated my driver's license for the immediate future. When it came time to change things- it made it super easy, because I could use either last name interchangably. When it came time to renew, I dropped my maiden name.

I do admit that I changed my name outside of marriage and this was my experience. Legal name changes vary from state to state, I was in the state of VA when I changed my name and the DMV refused to help me until I had a SS card with my current legal name, my old SS card with my previous name was not ok. But again, it's different in every state and most states make it a heck of a lot easier when your getting married then when your just changing your name.

The best way to know what you need is to call your DMV and ask, or check out your states DMV website, but I'd be shocked if anyone issued someone a new drivers licence with there future name just because they claimed that they were getting married in 5 months.

With a legal name change not from marriage, I've had to show everyone my new ID and some people have asked for my name change documents and SS card.

And one last thing is that the fees for a regular name change are not always really high, you don't need to hire a lawyer if your willing to research it on your own. I paid $35 to legally change my name in the state of VA, and in NC the only fee is the fee of pulling a background check on yourself and the paperwork costs $5. Every state is different when it comes to pricing. I am legally changing my name before we get married bc I am changing my full name, but if NC allows me to change my full name, not just my last name, when I get married, then I will wait until then.

I feel your pain- my driver's license expires in April 2012 and I will be changing my name in May 2012! Poor planning on my part I guess LOL so I will have to renew my drivers license then change my name on it when we get married.

Meghan I think it depends on what state you are in, my FMIL had an issue getting her license renewed this summer because her SS wasn't in her new married name, it was still in her ex's so she had to go through everything, find her divorce papers from her ex, then her marriage cert. and then send off for a new one.

I say no you can't do it five months in advance because you need your marriage cert, I'm not married yet but have experience with friends and family who have gone through a lot of trouble to get their names changed on their stuff because they couldn't find the paperwork to do so.

Ugh, I'm in the same situation, only my license expires next week - 10 whole days before the wedding. The PP all make good points - depending on your state, you may need a current DL w/ your current name for your marriage license. We got ours yesterday, and we wrote our full names on the application. Well, my FH's middle initial is on his license, not his full middle name, and they asked to see his SS card or something that shows his full name as we listed it on the marriage license. If your names don't match, they may not issue a marriage license.

I renewed my license yesterday and asked (I'm in TX) - they said that I couldn't change my name on my license b/c it's not legally changed yet. My name on my license needs to match what it is w/ the SS office. They did let me go ahead and change my address though.

A name change on your DL should not cost that much. It sucks to wait in line at the DMV twice, but like Ashley, my DL expired 16 days before my wedding day and I had to renew it and then do the name change.

You will need to change your name on your social security card first and in order to do this you will need your marriage license. My daughter just went through this process herself. It was just an update and very inexpensive.

I also have the same problem, though mine is spaced out a bit more. My DL expires next month (on my birthday), so I have to renew then. I then will have to change again next August when we get married. We are also building a house and planning on moving into it just before we get married. So, I'm going to wait until after the wedding and do the address and name change in one shot. Where I live it costs around $70-90 for a change.

LOL I just told FH last night that my license expires 29 days after we get married so I will be renewing and changing my name all at the same time! woohoo

I'm in MD and they only needed my marriage license to change my name. Never even asked for my SS card and the fee was $30 or $35. I've never had to show my SS card everyone just wants the certificate.