How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Massachusetts

Changing My Name After Marriage in Massachusetts

A person's surname does not automatically get changed to their partner's upon marriage. If they do nothing, their name will stay the same. Although couples must file some paperwork before getting married, a change in marital status invites another round of paperwork. Completing a formal name change process is necessary for legal, financial, and professional purposes.

For persons who have decided to adopt a new name after marriage, a certified marriage certificate is a common requirement by different agencies and institutions in Massachusetts. These agencies and institutions will need this paperwork to complete a name change in their records and documents. It is also necessary to obtain a certified marriage certificate to ensure that the state recognizes the marriage. These records are maintained by the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. However, interested members of the public may also access Massachusetts marriage records from the courthouse in the judicial district where the license was issued. These records are especially relevant for facilitating other legal marriage-related processes besides name change requests.

How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, couples considering adopting new names after their marriages can start by filling these new names in their marriage licenses, typically before they officially tie the knot. This way, the marriage certificate will reflect a new name after the wedding.

How to Update Your Social Security Card in Massachusetts?

One of the most important steps individuals must take after adopting new names is to update their information with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Completing this step will ensure that they can get a new Social Security Card that reflects the change. Although this service is free, one cannot complete it online. Instead, interested persons will need to do the following:

Obtain the certified copy of their marriage certificate and provide a valid identification document, such as a U.S. driver's license, U.S. passport, or state-issued non-government ID
Complete and print the Application for a Social Security Card form
Mail the completed application form and the supporting documents above to the nearest Social Security office.

The SSA provides more information on this procedure.

How to Get a New Driver's License in Massachusetts?

Another essential document that should reflect people's new names after marriage in Massachusetts is a driver's license. The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is responsible for completing a name change on a driver's license in Massachusetts. Interested persons will have to make a reservation to have a new photo and signature captured at an RMV Service Center. Also, they must present a legal document of the name change, i.e., the certified marriage certificate.

How to Update Your Insurance Information in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, the Division of Insurance provides information on the state's different insurance policies and providers. Most Massachusetts residents have at least one home, health, or auto insurance policy. Therefore, consumers must take necessary steps to update information such as their legal name as soon as it changes. Consumers will typically have to notify their insurance agents or providers of a name change. The provider or agent will then provide instructions on reflecting this new name on all valid policies. Most insurance institutions and agents will require the official proof of name change document, such as a court order or divorce decree, to process the name change.

Also, within 60 days of getting married, new couples in Massachusetts are eligible for the health insurance Special Enrollment Period (SEP) through the Massachusetts Health Connector.

Where Do I Go to Change My Last Name in Massachusetts?

People may also be interested in changing their last names for reasons other than marriage, such as divorce or naturalization. The following are the steps involved in completing a legal name change for those purposes.

Change a Name After Divorce

A divorcee may seek to resume using the legal name they had before the wedding. Either party can make this request in three of the forms used in the divorce proceeding: the Complaint For Divorce form (CJD-101), Joint Petition For Divorce form (CJD-101A), and the Counterclaim For Divorce form (CJD-202).

Change a Name After Becoming a Naturalized Citizen

Persons who are in the process of being naturalized as citizens of the United States have the option of a name change via a request to the United States federal government.

Change a Name (Adult)

Outside the reasons already stated, a person may still decide to complete a name change as long as it is not for any illegal or fraudulent reason. To complete this type of name change, the interested person must be 18 years or older.

Interested applicants must file a petition at the Probate and Family Court in their county of residence. The following are the documents to be filed:

A completed Petition to Change Name of Adult, also called Form CJP-27.
An original copy of the petitioner's birth certificate, usually available at the Registry of Vital Records at the city or town of one's birth.
For persons who have previously completed a name change, they must provide certified documents showing the name change for each time they changed their name.
A completed Court Activity Record Information (CARI) and Warrant Management System Release Request Form, also called Form CJP-34.

A $150 filing fee is applicable. Petitioners must contact their county court to inquire about acceptable forms of payment, such as cash, credit card, and check. The petitioner may file the above documents in person or send them via mail to the local Probate and Family Court.

After filing, the petitioner must notify the general public in Massachusetts by publishing a notice of the petition. This citation that the petitioners must publish will be sent to them by the court after paying a $15 fee. A petitioner who has good cause to request that a public notification not be published should file a motion to waive the publication. If not, the petitioner will have to post the citation of publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.

The citation of publication must also be mailed by certified mail per the instructions contained in the order of notice on the citation, and the petitioner must request a return receipt.

Suppose the name change petition is for a person in prison, on probation, out on parole, or deemed a Sexually Dangerous Person. In that case, the petitioner must mail a copy of the citation to:

The Massachusetts Parole Board or Massachusetts Department of Correction,
The Sex Offender Registry Board and prosecuting officer (for a person required to register in Massachusetts as a sex offender).
The office of the District Attorney, U.S Attorney, Attorney General, or any other prosecuting officer, and the sheriff's office located in the jurisdiction of the delinquency adjudication or the conviction.

Once the notice has been published and mailed accordingly, the petitioner must return to the court:

the original citation with an attached clipping of the copy of the newspaper publication of the notice,
the green return postcard receipt, and
the signature of the petitioner notifying the court that the citation has been mailed and published accordingly.

If no one objects to the petition published, the judge will issue a name change decree. The petitioner may ask for a certificate of change of name for a $20 fee.

How to Update Information with Massachusetts Mortgage and Utility Companies?

The process of changing the name on a property title or deed may vary from one county to another in Massachusetts. Interested persons will have to visit their county's Register of Deeds' office to request a property name change. Persons seeking property record name change must present a copy of the official documentation of the formal change of legal name.

Similarly, persons who have completed a change of legal name will usually need to inform their utility company of such a name change. Some of these companies may be able to complete this name change over the phone, while some others may provide consumers with mail and online options to change the name on their account. In any of the means stated, the consumers will need to provide the official documentation of the name change, such as marriage certificate, divorce decree, and court decree.

What Documents Do I Need to Change My Name after Marriage?

After marriage, the newlyweds will typically require a certified marriage certificate and an official identification document to complete a name change at different public and private institutions. They can obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate at the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS). To request a marriage certificate, a requester will need to provide the following information:

The subject's name
Date and place of the event
Identification document of the requester, such as a driver's license or any other government-issued ID

The first copy costs $51, while subsequent copies cost $42 each if the request originated online or by phone at (617) 740-2606 or (866) 300-8535 (toll-free). Mail request costs $32 for each copy, while in-person requests cost $20 per copy. People can complete mail requests by completing and mailing a vital records mail order form, and the applicable money order addressed to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or a check to:

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon Street
1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125

For an in-person marriage certificate order, interested persons may visit the RVRS between 8:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. from Monday to Friday. They will have to make payment for the request by money order or check.

How to Get Certified Copies of Your Marriage License in Massachusetts?

Marriage licenses, which are necessary to make a marriage official in Massachusetts, may be obtained from any city or town in the state. This means that requesters do not have to apply in the city or town of residence or where the wedding ceremony will occur. Intending spouses will both have to fill out a Notice of Intention of Marriage form with the city or town clerk. The following information will be required to complete the process:

Birth certificates, passports, or another proof of age
Social Security numbers
Form fee, which varies from one town to another
The new name that the parties will adopt after the wedding

Once the couple completes this process, they will have to wait for three days before picking up the marriage license. This license is usually valid for 60 days. After the wedding, the marriage officiant signs and returns the license to the town or city clerk who issued it.

How to Change Your Name After Marriage

A reliable alternative for obtaining vital records are third party websites. These are non-governmental aggregate sites that process record requests in a seamless, timely manner. While obtaining records from third-party sources is substantially easier than sourcing them from government-run repositories, the records and information contained in these sites may vary since they are privately-owned and independent of government sources.

How to Get a New Passport in Massachusetts?

Interested persons must go through the United States Department of State to get a new passport that reflects a formal name change in Massachusetts. Below are the steps involved in obtaining a new passport:

Passports Issued Within One Year

People may apply for a new passport by filling and submitting a Form DS-5504, together with the following documents:

Their most recent U.S passport, and
An official document verifying the name change, such as a court order, divorce decree, or marriage certificate.

Applicants should send these documents through the United States Postal Services (USPS) because other mail delivery companies cannot deliver mail to the mail addresses specified in the form. No fees are typically required unless the applicant requests an expedited service.

Passports Issued For Over One Year

Persons whose main travel documents have been issued for over one year, and can renew them by mail, may do so with the Form DS-82. They must submit the form along with:

Their most recent U.S. passport,
An official document certifying the change of name,
A color passport photograph, and
Depending on the passport holder's age, an adult or child renewal fee. Only the USPS can deliver mail to the mailing addresses stated in the form, and as such, it is the only mail delivery service that applicants may use.

The following categories of passport holders may renew their travel document by mail:

Those who can submit their most recent passport together with their renewal application.
Those who do not have a damaged passport, except usual wear and tear.
Those whose passports were issued when they were 16 years or older or within the last 15 years.
Those who can provide official documentation of a legal change of name or who already have a passport in their new name.

Passport holders who do not fall within any of these categories and cannot apply with a Form DS-82 have to apply for renewal physically with:

A form DS-11
Original proof of their U.S. citizenship and a photocopy
A certified name change document
An original valid identification document and a photocopy
A color passport photograph, and
The suitable application fee.

Passport holders in this category whose change of name is for marital reasons and who can present a new ID issued in the new name will not be required to show official proof of a change of name.

How to Change your Name on Bank Accounts in Massachusetts?

Individuals who have just had a formal name change must update their bank account, credit cards, debit cards, and checkbook information to reflect the new name. People do this to ensure that the new name on their identification documents corresponds to their financial information. Because the procedure of finalizing a name change at a bank differs from one to the other, interested parties should get in touch with their financial service providers for specific advice on how to proceed and to avoid any mistakes. Most banks will require the official document allowing the formal change of name, such as a marriage certificate, copy of divorce decree, and court order.

After completing a name change, people who have updated their banking information must also notify their employers by submitting a completed Form W-4. With this form, their employers will be able to file their withholding taxes appropriately.

Also, persons who have changed their legal names must notify the Department of Revenue (DOR) in Massachusetts. This typically requires sending the proof of a name change, such as a copy of a driver's license or Social Security card, via mail to:

Massachusetts Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 7010
Boston, MA 02204

Alternatively, the proof of name change can be sent by e-message online through the DOR's web application for filing tax returns.

Similarly, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services mandates that people report a formal change of name with the Form I-9, which they use for name re-verification.

Consumers may also need to review their most current financial statements after modifying their debit and credit information. This enables them to relay the new debit or credit card information to service providers authorized to receive automated monthly payments.

How Long Does it Take to Change Your Name in Massachusetts After Marriage?

Changing your name after marriage in Massachusetts takes between two to three weeks. This duration is the average time required to obtain a marriage certificate that reflects the new name change.

How Long Does it Take to Change Your Name in Massachusetts?

This depends on the time taken to get official documentation of a name change, such as a court order, certificate of a name change, and divorce decree. For instance, people's intention to change their name after a divorce is significantly affected by the length of the divorce hearing. Similarly, there will be a delay if an adult or minor name change filed as a petition in court attracts an objection from a member of the public challenging the proposed name change. In addition, the amount of backlog of cases significantly affects how soon a case can be heard.

Also, as the length of the period required for each name change process varies from one county, town, or city to another, interested persons will have to contact the local agencies involved to estimate the duration applied in their locality correctly.

The requirement to complete a name at each government agency varies from one to the other. For example, the Social Security Administration office takes between two to four weeks to process a change of name application and return a new Social Security card.