How to Change Your Name After Your Wedding
While changing your name on Instagram may make you FEEL officially newly named, it does take a few more steps to get your name changed legally in Texas or Oklahoma.
May 5, 2023
While changing your name on Instagram may make you FEEL officially newly named, it does take a few more steps to get your name changed legally in Texas or Oklahoma.
First things first and one of the most important tips in this blog: get your marriage license certified! In most Texas counties, you have a 30-90 day window to submit your signed marriage license. Be sure to ask for this information when you apply for your license, if you didn’t, a simple call to the county courthouse can help. Often, your officiant will sign and mail your marriage license back to the state for you, allowing you to relax on your honeymoon. Once you have your submitted marriage license, be sure to obtain copies as well for your own personal reference.
The next step on your name change checklist will be to change your name with the social security office. You can download the form online ahead of time or at your local social security office. In the state of Texas, this form is the first document you must fill out in order to proceed with any other legal name changes.
Once you have met with your social security office, you can head to everyone’s favorite place: the DMV! You must visit the DMV within 30 days of your name change and provide a document (aka your marriage license) to verify your name change.
When you update your driver’s license or identification card, you may have the option to register to vote under your name in the same step. This would also be a good time to ensure that both you and your spouse (assuming you have moved in together) are registered to vote under your current address.
The last of the big steps would be to change your vehicle title and registration to match the new name on your driver’s license. Remember that this is a separate step from updating your driver’s license.
Step two when changing your name will be to change all of your financial information. This means updating all of your bank accounts, including savings accounts, banks you have loans with or stock accounts. Then anything related to your home, like your utility companies and your mortgage company or leasing office. Next up are all of your insurance companies, health, home, renters, and auto. Lastly, remember to change your name on other additional legal documents like a will or power of attorney.
Once your social security has been updated, you can update any W2s or work forms. Your HR department will be able to guide your and provide you with any other documents that may need to be completed for your company. Remember to change your email signature too! Doctors, Masters, or any other credentialed personelle, remember to change your name with any organizations required to maintain your license.
When it comes to travel documents, make sure that you don’t have any upcoming trips (like your honeymoon) planned before changing your name. You’ll need to update your passport, any airline accounts and travel numbers, and lastly and upcoming flight information. This will ensure you can fly with your name new smoothly.
Here’s where changing your name gets FUN! Now it’s time to change all of your personal things like your email, voicemail signature, social media accounts, memberships, or rewards programs. Remember to give your healthcare providers a call as well, for example, any doctors that you or your children see, veterinarians, therapists, dentists, or pharmacies. Don’t worry, some of these name changes may slip through the cracks, but they shouldn’t be time sensitive and can always be changed at a later date by showing your new license or identification card.
This was a lot of information, we know, so don’t worry! We have compiled this list of to-dos into one handy, downloadable, Name Change Checklist!
At The Springs, we love getting to help our couples past, present, and future, with their wedding planning needs. Click below to get in contact with us! We can’t wait to hear from you!
While changing your name on Instagram may make you FEEL officially newly named, it does take a few more steps to get your name changed legally in Texas or Oklahoma.
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