How to Change Your Name on Your Passport After Marriage

To change your name on your passport after marriage, you send the State Department your marriage certificate, a new passport photo, and one of three application forms, along with your current passport. Which form you use, and whether you pay anything, depends on how long ago your current passport was issued. If it was issued within the past year, the name change is free. Otherwise, expect to pay a renewal or new-application fee and wait several weeks.

Pick the Right Form First

Everything else follows from this choice. There are three forms, and only one of them fits your situation.

DS-5504 If Your Passport Is Less Than a Year Old

If your most recent passport was issued less than one year ago and you changed your name after it was issued, use Form DS-5504. There is no application fee. You can add expedited processing for $60 if you need it faster.¹ The form goes in the mail with your current passport, your marriage certificate, and a new photo.

DS-82 If Your Passport Is Older Than a Year

Use Form DS-82 if your passport was issued more than a year ago and all of the following are true: it is undamaged, it was issued when you were 16 or older, it was issued within the last 15 years, and you still have it.

One thing to know: the State Department now offers online passport renewal, but you cannot renew online when you are changing your name. DS-82 for a name change has to go by mail or be submitted in person.²

DS-11 If Your Passport Doesn’t Qualify

If your passport is expired past 15 years, was issued when you were under 16, or is lost, stolen, or damaged, you apply as a first-time applicant using Form DS-11. That means submitting the application in person at a passport acceptance facility and paying a separate acceptance fee on top of the application fee.³

What It Costs in 2026

DS-5504 (name change within a year of issuance): no application fee.¹
DS-82 passport book by mail: $130.⁴
DS-82 passport card by mail: $30.⁴
DS-11 passport book: $130 application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee, for $165 total.⁴

Two add-ons apply on any route. Expedited processing is $60 on top of the application fee.⁴ One-to-two-day return delivery of the finished passport is $22.05, available for passport books mailed to U.S. addresses.⁵

Pay the State Department portion by personal check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Do not send cash. If you’re applying with DS-11, the $35 acceptance fee is paid separately at the facility and the accepted payment methods vary.⁶

What to Send With the Form

Three items go with every name-change application, whichever form you use:

Your current U.S. passport (the physical book or card). It is returned to you separately after processing.⁶
Your marriage certificate. It has to be an original or certified copy, not a photocopy, and it needs to show the marriage actually took place; a marriage license alone won’t do. The certificate is returned after processing.⁷
One color passport photo, 2×2 inches, taken within the past six months against a white or off-white background.⁸

If you’re using DS-11, you also need proof of U.S. citizenship, such as your birth certificate or naturalization certificate, plus a valid government-issued photo ID like a driver’s license.⁹

On the form itself, enter your new married name as the name you want on the passport, and list your previous name exactly as it appears on your current passport. Fill in the Social Security number field. Leaving it blank can delay the application and triggers a $500 IRS penalty for failing to provide it.¹⁰

You are not required to take your spouse’s name. The State Department recognizes that marriage does not automatically change your name; you can keep your birth name, hyphenate, or use a different prior name. If you’re keeping your current name, you don’t need to do anything to your passport.⁷

How to Submit It

By Mail (DS-5504 and DS-82)

Package the completed form, current passport, marriage certificate, photo, and payment (for DS-82), and send everything to the address printed on the form. The State Department uses different mailing addresses depending on your state and whether you paid for expedited service.⁶

Use a trackable USPS mailing option. Don’t use FedEx, UPS, or DHL; the mailing addresses are P.O. boxes only USPS can deliver to.⁶ You’re mailing your current passport and marriage certificate together, so tracking matters.

Sign and date DS-82 before mailing. For DS-5504, follow the signing instructions printed on the form.

In Person (DS-11)

DS-11 has to go to an authorized passport acceptance facility, which includes many post offices, libraries, and government offices. Bring your originals, your completed form, and your photo. Do not sign the form ahead of time and do not attach the photo. A passport acceptance agent will verify your identity, administer an oath, and watch you sign.³

How Long It Takes

As of early 2026, routine processing runs 4 to 6 weeks and expedited processing runs 2 to 3 weeks. Neither figure includes mailing time, which can add up to two weeks in each direction.¹¹ Paying for 1-2 day return delivery cuts the outbound leg to almost nothing.

You can check your application status on the State Department’s tracking page using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.¹² Include an email address on the application and you’ll get updates automatically.

Your new passport and your returned documents arrive in separate mailings. The old passport and marriage certificate typically show up about four weeks after your new passport does.¹⁰

What If You Have a Trip Coming Up

Mailing in your passport means being without it for weeks. If you already have flights booked for a honeymoon or other international trip, think about timing before you apply.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirms that American citizens can travel internationally on a passport in their prior name after marriage, as long as they carry proof of the name change, such as a marriage certificate.¹³ So if your airline ticket is booked in your maiden name and your passport still shows your maiden name, you’re fine at the airport.

Things get more complicated if you’ve already updated your driver’s license to your married name but your passport hasn’t caught up. CBP advises carrying documents that show the progression of the name change. The simpler approach: keep your passport name and your ticket name matching, and change the passport after the trip.

If Travel Is Less Than Two Weeks Away

Don’t mail the application. The State Department advises against mailing or visiting a regular acceptance facility when travel is that close. Instead, book an appointment at a regional passport agency. You can request an appointment within 14 calendar days of your international travel date, or within 28 days if you also need a foreign visa.¹⁴

You can’t walk in. Call 1-877-487-2778 to schedule. Bring proof of your upcoming travel along with your marriage certificate, current passport, photo, and completed form.

Where the Passport Fits in the Order of Updates

The State Department does not require you to update your Social Security record before applying for a passport name change.¹ But USA.gov recommends updating your Social Security card first, then your driver’s license, then your passport, because many other agencies pull your name from Social Security records.¹⁵ Handling Social Security and your driver’s license first also means your supporting ID will already match your new name if you have to apply in person with DS-11.

1
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Form Wizard
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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Department of State. 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. US Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents Name Does Not Match Documents
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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USAGov. How to Change Your Name and What Government Agencies to Notify