How do I change my name after I get married?

The answer to this question may vary, depending upon where you live. If you live here in Tennessee, I’ll walk you through what you need to know to change your name after you get married. First, in Tennessee, name change after a wedding is voluntary and manual. Neither the county clerk nor the state will do this for you automatically. If you want to take your new spouse’s name after the wedding, you have do all the leg work and paperwork to make it happen. Second, name change after a wedding is a process that takes time and several steps. You should give serious thought to this as a lengthy process as you plan things like an out-of-county honeymoon, buying a home, making a career change, or any other major life decisions. Before you can start this process, you’ll need certified copies of your Marriage Certificate obtained from the county clerk. These need to be official copies that the clerk provides to you, not photos copies or scans. Your next step is to update your name on the two most common forms of identification: Driver’s License and Social Security Card. Once you have your new license and Social Security card in hand, your next step is to continue the name change process with your employer, banks, insurance companies, utilities, property, car titles, voter registration, and anywhere you have an account. You will also want to update your passport, but this may need to be the last thing you update, since you’ll need to surrender your current passport along with documentation of your name change. For more helpful information, visit us at RichEvents.org.