Name change for Licensed Professionals

My sister is now a Nurse Practioner (RN at the time of marriage). She hyphenated and went by her hyphenated last name so people got used to knowing her by her H's name. After about a year, she was able to completely phase out the use of her maiden name and just go by her new last name.

I don't have a professional license but I dropped my birth middle name and made my maiden name my new middle name. No regrets here.

Using your maiden name as middle name, and then married name as last name is traditional. You will still have to send a copy of your marriage license to state licensing board, and they may ask for raised seal copy. Suggest you order extras.

I am hyphenating. Will use maiden name at work, married name out of work. I am teacher so every time I apply for a new certification I have to get transcripts from several colleges. Not worth the hassle. Our kids will have his name.

I went ahead and changed to his last name, BUT for some reason my email cannot be changed so I have both at the top of my resume. I was a nurse for like 18+ years before getting married, and healthcare is a small world.

I'm not licensed but am pretty well established in my field under my maiden name. Being as it is a male dominated field, I'll be the first name change in my office... ever... after a lot of thought I decided to move my maiden name to be a second middle name, but at least initially I will go by "First Maiden Married" to ease the transition and prevent confusion.

Plan on taking his last name and just reporting it to state board of nursing and I anticipate they will want originals and not copies so I will just request extras

I'm really glad you posted this question, because while I will be getting married before graduating law school, this is something I've wondered and I wanted to see what others put when they want to keep their last name. I like my middle name, so I'm not too quick to drop it.

One of my officiants got married and uses both of her last names. She had to notify NYC, where we are all registered and fix it there,sending in a copy of her marriage license. I got divorced years ago, and I just kept my married name, Milton, because I like it and I had no extreme issues with my ex (it just was a wiser move not to be married to him)

I'd call your board and ask what they need and what to do.

I'm going to move everything over to my new name as far as practice and legal name. But I will do a transition period of signing as hyphenated, and using parentheses on emails and documents etc. I figured a year or so of that and everything should be good. My professional licenses and associations can all be changed with a new copy of my ss card and drivers license. Even though it will cost to reissue some of them. It's kind of a pain.

I am a teacher, so I have a professional license. I wanted to keep my maiden name for personal reasons, so I made my maiden name a second middle name and took on my husband's last name. I notified my employer of course but there was no need to notify the state of the change -- when I get my master's degree my license will renew and they will make the change then. Check with your licensing agency/board to see if it is necessary to have the name changed on your license. There may be a fee involved if it is necessary to update it.

@OG Alecia

Ditto for the same reasons.

@Espadas

I had a law school friend decide to elope spring break of 3L year so that the name change would happen before issuing her diploma and finalizing bar application paperwork. I would keep those deadlines in mind and ask your state bar to make sure nothing is slowed down by you changing your name pre bar app but post exam.

I am licensed as a nurse. I will be changing my name with the board as soon as I get my certified copy of the marriage license. Nursing is relatively easy to change names though I'm sure, compared to other professions..

I just asked this question in my nurse travel group yesterday. I'm going to drop my middle name and take my last name and his last name

I have a professional license (pharmacist). For that reason and a few others, I kept my maiden name. I do think it is not hard to change a name on a professional license though.

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Are you having it legally changed, or is it for yourself? I ask because I want to just hypen my name when out in public, I work in a school so it's just fine if I'm writing my name-emails-notes like that. I don't want to have to change my name completely to his nor drop my middle name. Just curious how that all works!

View Quoted Comment I legally changed it and hyphenated. I go by my maiden name at work for emails etc but payroll has me as hyphenated. In personal life I go by his name. Since I legally changed to have both names I use them interchangeably.