Changing a maiden name varies by culture and location. In the US, a marriage certificate is needed to change a name with the SSA, DMV, and Passport Agency. Other agencies can be notified after. Some countries do not practice changing maiden names.
A maiden name, also called a birth name, typically refers to a woman’s last name before she marries. Depending on culture, individual preferences, and tradition, a man or woman may choose to adopt their spouse’s surname. The steps required to change a maiden name vary depending on the laws of the state or country where a couple is married or resides.
In the United States, a woman typically needs to produce an official copy of her marriage certificate to the office of the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the US Passport Agency. The SSA requires people to complete a Form SS-5 in addition to providing a copy of their marriage certificate. Once all the paperwork is complete, the SSA notifies the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and provides a Social Security card listing the new name.
The DMV typically requires people to appear in person and present a copy of their marriage certificate to apply for a driver’s license showing the name change. If your passport was issued less than a year after your wedding date, you must complete a DS-5504 form and return it to the agency with your old passport, two color photos, and a copy of your marriage certificate. Otherwise, a DS-82 form should suffice along with all other required documentation.
Once the main forms of identification are replaced, other agencies, such as banks, post offices, insurance companies and utility companies can be notified. If a man wishes to adopt his wife’s surname, he could face further legal complications. Depending on the state of residence, a man may have to apply for a name change through the court system and pay associated attorney fees.
In some countries, such as Belgium and Cambodia, women do not participate in the practice of changing their maiden name. France, Germany and England have similar procedures for changing names to those of the United States. Typically, once proof of marriage is presented, a woman can request new official documents bearing her husband’s name.
Most couples marrying in Spanish-speaking countries do not legally change their maiden names, but their children often take on both their father’s and mother’s surnames. Similar customs are followed in Angola, Portugal and Brazil. In Chile, both the woman and the man typically keep their legal names while their children often adopt the father’s surname.
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