Changing your name (Full Version)

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fly0950 -> Changing your name (4/16/2008 2:26:01 AM)

I am getting married in about 4 months and just started realizing all of the places I am going to have to change my name. Any one have any tips on how to go about this. Also any tips for combining bank accounts??

Thanks! Fly



artemis -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 8:04:29 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: fly0950

I am getting married in about 4 months and just started realizing all of the places I am going to have to change my name. Any one have any tips on how to go about this. Also any tips for combining bank accounts??

Thanks! Fly


I'd start making a list now of where you need to go to get your name changed and then prioritize them. I think I did my social security card and my driver's liscence first and that made everything else easier. My sister had a heck of a time getting her passport changed, but I didn't have a passport before getting married, so that didn't affect me.

For banking, my husband's checkbook was such a mess (he hadn't recorded anything in over six months [8|]) that we just stopped using it for a few months and then closed the account. We opened a new account for checking and closed mine once we'd made the transition to the joint accound. I added my husband's name to my savings account. He didn't have a savings account, so there was nothing to do there.



nevaehs_gaze -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 8:17:40 AM)

Oh dear... my fiance and I are considering moving overseas a couple weeks after we're married, I wonder how that will affect our passports/visas! If we go, everything will happen in less than three months from now. Normally, you don't change your name until you have a marriage license in hand, right?



fluffmonkey -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 11:19:05 AM)

You have an year to change your name after getting married, but you could go ahead and get passports in your maiden name and then right after you get married send in for a name changes which takes 2-3 weeks (I know that is cutting it close) but you can go to This website and talk with someone.

Also you may want to look into getting a walk-in type passport that you can get same day you leave, although it may cost more...but its an option if you dont have the time.



Mrs.X -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 11:49:11 AM)

Fly, definetely do your SS card first, then your driver's license second, then everything else after that. When you go to the social security office, just bring your marriage license, your DL with your maiden name on it, and a proof of address. After that go to the DMV with the little paper your SS office gave you saying that you changed your name (your card won't come in the mail for a couple weeks), your DL and your marriage license. Every place else should be able to take your new SS card, marriage license and new DL.



dawntreader -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 12:28:35 PM)

Wow, this is really helpful to me too - my wedding is next month. Thanks for asking this, fly!



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 2:03:20 PM)

quote:

Also you may want to look into getting a walk-in type passport that you can get same day you leave, although it may cost more...but its an option if you dont have the time.

you can only do that at certain places in the US...the main places that print passo=ports...and with the back up right now because of requiring them for the canadian and mexican borders it might not be possible. Paying for expedited through the mail is just as good if you don't live near the few places you can walk in to.

and yup...start with SS card first...then DL or state ID.....and everything after that will fall into place much easier!!!



justjennhere -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 3:38:35 PM)

One thing I wish I had known was that when you change your Social Security number, that information is picked up by the Department of Transporation. (At least it is in Texas.) When I went, a few weeks later, to apply for a driver's license in my new name, I was told that there was a warning on the license with my maiden name. Meaning that if I had been stopped and they had checked my license they would have had to bring me in since it appeared that I was operating under two names. [8D] I had no idea, but I guess it's important to do those legal documents within the same reasonable time frame. (We changed credit cards, bank accounts, insurance documents, soon after that. And it took a while before everything came back with my new last name spelled correctly!)

Nevaehs_gaze, they can expedite passports VERY quickly. You will likely have to go to a passport issuing agency and pay extra fees to have it done, but it'll be processed super fast. We moved overseas when our oldest daughter was eight weeks old, and they processed her passport in under a week from the date that we got her Social Security card and applied in person for her passport. (Literally, we went in Monday, and it was in our mailbox on Thursday.) Worst case scenario, though, I think you can change your passport overseas at the Embassy. (I'm certain that you can in Japan.) My husband had to renew his passport there, and our second daughter had to get hers before she could visit the US for the first time. [:)]



_Cinderella_ -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 4:08:46 PM)

When I got married I went to change my name with the SS offce first, and they told me I had to change my driver's license first. So I went and changed my driver's license then was able to change my SS card.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 4:24:01 PM)

quote:

Nevaehs_gaze, they can expedite passports VERY quickly. You will likely have to go to a passport issuing agency and pay extra fees to have it done, but it'll be processed super fast. We moved overseas when our oldest daughter was eight weeks old, and they processed her passport in under a week from the date that we got her Social Security card and applied in person for her passport. (Literally, we went in Monday, and it was in our mailbox on Thursday.) Worst case scenario, though, I think you can change your passport overseas at the Embassy. (I'm certain that you can in Japan.) My husband had to renew his passport there, and our second daughter had to get hers before she could visit the US for the first time.

again, I am going to say....because of the fact that so many are right now applying for passports because of the borders of Mexico and Canada requiring them, the passports are backed up...so even expedited may take a bit longer then it previously would have. So don't count on the one week time frame to be an expectation...it really depends on the center that your passport papers have to go through and how backed up they are...even if you do pay the expedited fee.



fluffmonkey -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 5:26:30 PM)

Yes thats very true they are backed up, I would recommend getting expedited.



laughinggirl -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 5:28:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: justjennhere

One thing I wish I had known was that when you change your Social Security number, that information is picked up by the Department of Transporation. (At least it is in Texas.) When I went, a few weeks later, to apply for a driver's license in my new name, I was told that there was a warning on the license with my maiden name.


Yeah, you have to do them pretty close together. I did mine in the same week. I did my TXDL first and they gave me a HUGE hassle for not doing my SSN first. The DOT told me I'd have to get the SSN done *right away* so that I wouldn't get in a mess for having conflicting info between the SS & the DOT. So I'd advise doing SSN before DL.



justjennhere -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 5:54:50 PM)

I didn't realize passport processing took so long now! I wonder if it will be quicker because you're not actually applying for your first passport, just one with a different name...???

I remember being horrified as I watched the lady at the SS office put the card I had been so careful to keep with me my entire life INTO THE SHREDDER. I even gasped a little, to which she blandly replied, "What? You'll get a new one in the mail." [:)]



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 6:28:34 PM)

quote:

I didn't realize passport processing took so long now! I wonder if it will be quicker because you're not actually applying for your first passport, just one with a different name...???

even if it's just changing info on the passport, it still has to go through the same channels and offices, etc...and unless you pay for it to be expedited it has to wait in line just like all the others. The expedited fee is worth it if you need it fast, but they don't guarantee that it will get there that much faster. All expedited passports are also put in line of first come first served...so if that is a long list, then it's going to be a longer wait. It also depends on which office your passport papers go through. All overseas passport papers go through one specific office here in the states (or that's what I was told by the passport office in Germany when we had to get my daughter's issued)...I don't remember where they said it goes through though, so I don't want to say where. BUT if your passport has to go through that same office, then there is a greater possibility of it taking longer to come in, even if it is expedited. Mine and my first two kids passports were expedited and got there within about two weeks time. Our third was born in Germany and we were lucky to get hers within four months time (expedited). Our fourth was again expedited and it took about 8 weeks to come in after we got his SS number and could apply for it. So it really depends on the office it goes through, how long their list is, and how backed up they are.

btw...anyone dealing with a military move overseas within weeks of being married needs to talk with the base passport people...they may be able to help in getting everything in order properly...plus military don't specifically have to pay for passports...they can get issued them for no fee, however they are limited to official travel with orders. I don't know if anyo9ne on here is talking about military moves, but it makes a big difference in the type of passport you will need.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 8:10:05 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2

quote:

Nevaehs_gaze, they can expedite passports VERY quickly. You will likely have to go to a passport issuing agency and pay extra fees to have it done, but it'll be processed super fast. We moved overseas when our oldest daughter was eight weeks old, and they processed her passport in under a week from the date that we got her Social Security card and applied in person for her passport. (Literally, we went in Monday, and it was in our mailbox on Thursday.) Worst case scenario, though, I think you can change your passport overseas at the Embassy. (I'm certain that you can in Japan.) My husband had to renew his passport there, and our second daughter had to get hers before she could visit the US for the first time.

again, I am going to say....because of the fact that so many are right now applying for passports because of the borders of Mexico and Canada requiring them, the passports are backed up...so even expedited may take a bit longer then it previously would have. So don't count on the one week time frame to be an expectation...it really depends on the center that your passport papers have to go through and how backed up they are...even if you do pay the expedited fee.


I wouldn't worry about it to much if you have a local place to get them done. I know here in Denver you can have it within a couple of days if your traveling with 14 days. It sucks to have to wait until that close to your trip but it would be better then mailing it off and not getting it back in time.

Oh, and I *know* those are the current rules even with all the changes.

HERE is the Denver page

HERE are all the other agencies.



crimsonfollower -> RE: Changing your name (4/16/2008 9:22:30 PM)

Will you need a visa for the place that you are moving to?????? Because if that is the case, you may need to talk to people at the passport agency because you will need your passport to be able to get your visa and rarely are those places near each other (even if they happen to be located in the same city). Depending on the country/type of visa, it can take weeks to months to get the visa. Start asking questions now!!!! I know it can be done, but it will involve asking what actual doctuments are needed to be able to do everything and what the limintations are. (as in, could you get the passport/visa in your maiden name with the appropriate papers to carry with you to say that you are now married?? and then change your name on the passport when you arrive at the country??) A lot of this depends on where you are going and for what reasons. I know for the country that I am currently in, you would be in trouble because it takes up to 6 months right now to get certain types of visas. That is just the length of time that it is taking. (not that it needs to take that long, it just seems to happen that way anymore)



fly0950 -> RE: Changing your name (4/17/2008 2:26:53 AM)

Thanks for all the input. I guess I will start with my SS#, then DL and work my way back from there.

As far as bank account. I am not sure if we should close both of our accounts and open a new one or just move one of us to the others account. I wonder which one would be less hassle. Any bank people out there with suggestions??



justjennhere -> RE: Changing your name (4/17/2008 9:43:41 AM)

I don't work at a bank or anything, but we combined our two bank accounts a week before our wedding. I moved what was in my account to the bank he was at because it was close to where we were going to live, had free checking, etc. We wanted to do it before the wedding, thinking that we would save time after the wedding for all of the name change things I had to do, but we should have probably just waited since they couldn't change my name until they saw my new DL. Because of that, we had a joint account for that first month with me listed under my maiden name. No big deal, but we could've saved ourselves an extra trip to the bank.



reach -> RE: Changing your name (4/17/2008 2:31:07 PM)

Two things - Please note that you cannot do both you SS and Drivers License in the same day. It takes 24 hours for the new Name to hit SS and then the DMV can issue the new one.

You can also travel with your current passport. Just book the tickets in your maiden name until you get your new passport with your new name.

Bank Accounts - That one is hard as we have been married 1 year next week and we still have not combined our accounts. It is something we need to do, so he can access my account if anything ever happened, but we both have to be there to do this, and the only time is on Sat, which is hard, as he works most Saturdays.



stellaluna -> RE: Changing your name (4/18/2008 10:51:18 AM)

I started with social security, then went to the DMV immediately after. But my one-year anniversary is next month, and I'm STILL finding things that have my maiden name on them. I thought I made a comprehensive list before the wedding, but I was wrong. [8|]

Now I understand why a lot of divorced women just keep their ex's last name! [8D]



zoebob -> RE: Changing your name (4/19/2008 5:54:54 PM)

My experience with banks has been that you cannot add/remove a person to an account: at least not a checking account. You have to close it out and start fresh. However, if you open a joint account before the wedding you can then change your name on the accoutn.



Auben -> RE: Changing your name (4/19/2008 7:08:21 PM)

My advice: order at least 1 extra marriage certificate

Then its easier if you need to mail something, hand something over, etc and they won't take a copy.

Also, you have a long long time to get this all done. I think I hyphenated my maiden name and married name on official documents for over a year before I finally got everything together (SS was the worst for me living in the Chicago area, then I had a baby, it wasn't until we'd been married 2 years that I finally got the whole thing straightened out). Oddly the bank was a cinch (I did that first) and my license wasn't too hard either. I did everything backward.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Changing your name (4/19/2008 7:47:08 PM)

quote:

My advice: order at least 1 extra marriage certificate

and if you are military you must have THREE copies at least (AT LEAST) of all documents....like marriage certificate, or birth certificates, etc. Periodically they require you to give them one copy...then you have to replace it with another one. We never keep any less then three of any documents like that though.



Ps103 -> RE: Changing your name (4/19/2008 9:36:50 PM)

I think the woman at the license bureau told me to order four certified copies of our marriage license, and she must have been right because of those I ended up with just one left.

It was easy to add me to his bank accounts--all they required was to see one of the certified copies of the marriage license. Himself had to go in, too, though, iirc.

In this state, you have 30 days to get your driver's license changed if you move. If it is just to change your name, I don't think there is a time limit like that, but it is something that needs to be done, so there is no real benefit to not going ahead as soon as possible.

I don't think I needed my ss card for anything--the number doesn't change. You do want to get it right away, though, and it was the easiest to change.

Make sure you notify your HR department if you work.

I didn't have a passport before we got married, so I didn't have to worry about that--I just applied for one after.

I never did change my name on my car registration--just my address. The name change cost more and the woman at the clerk's office said not to bother, so I didn't. It may be different where you are, though.

Congratulations!



DenimDiva -> RE: Changing your name (4/20/2008 1:48:55 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: stellaluna
Now I understand why a lot of divorced women just keep their ex's last name! [8D]


yup!



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