How to Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card

To change your name on your Social Security card, submit Form SS-5 to the Social Security Administration with original documents proving both your legal name change and your identity. There is no fee, and the updated card arrives by mail within 5 to 10 business days after SSA processes the request.¹ Doing this promptly matters: a mismatch between your legal name and SSA’s records can delay tax refunds and block updates to your driver’s license.

Documents You Need

SSA asks for two things: proof of the name change and proof of identity. For the name change, the agency accepts a marriage document, a divorce decree that reflects the new name, a Certificate of Naturalization showing the new name, or a court order approving the change. Documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.²

For identity, SSA looks for a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, or a U.S. passport. If none of those are available, an employer ID card or school ID may be accepted.² If your citizenship status has changed or was never established in your SSA record, you also need a birth certificate or passport to verify it.

Filling Out Form SS-5

Form SS-5, “Application for a Social Security Card,” is the single form used for new cards, replacements, and corrections including name changes.³ Download it from ssa.gov or pick one up at a local field office. Enter your new legal name exactly as it appears on your name-change document, and enter your previous name where the form asks for it so SSA can link the records.

The form also asks for your Social Security number, date of birth, place of birth, and your parents’ names, including their Social Security numbers as an identity verification step. Every field needs to match your supporting documents. Small discrepancies between what you write and what your documents show can stall processing.

How to Submit Your Application

Depending on your situation, you may be able to start the request online through ssa.gov.¹ Online eligibility varies by name-change type and the state that issued your marriage certificate. SSA’s site walks you through a short questionnaire to determine whether you qualify. Even when the online option is available, you may still need to bring originals to a local office or mail them in.

For in-person visits, use the Social Security Office Locator on ssa.gov to find your nearest field office. The advantage of going in person is that staff verify your originals on the spot and hand them back the same day. If you mail the application, you send your original documents through the postal service and SSA returns them by mail. Mailed applications take longer, often two to four weeks in total.⁴

How Long It Takes and Card Limits

Once SSA finishes processing, your new card arrives by mail within 5 to 10 business days.¹ If you mailed the application, expect closer to two to four weeks overall.⁴ The card and any returned documents are mailed separately, so watch for two deliveries.

Federal law limits replacement Social Security cards to three per calendar year and ten over a lifetime. Cards issued to reflect a legal name change do not count toward either limit, so a new card after a marriage or court-ordered change will not use up your allotment.³

Update Social Security Before the DMV

This is the step people most often get wrong. State motor vehicle agencies verify your name against Social Security records before issuing a corrected license or REAL ID. If your SSA record still shows your old name, the DMV check fails and your application is denied. Update Social Security first, then wait at least 24 to 48 hours for SSA’s system to refresh before visiting the DMV.

The practical sequence after a legal name change:

Update your name with SSA.
Wait at least 24 to 48 hours for the database to sync.
Visit your state’s DMV to update your driver’s license or state ID.
Update remaining records such as bank accounts, your employer’s payroll, and your passport.

Trying to do everything in a single day almost never works. The delay between SSA’s internal update and the DMV’s verification system is unavoidable.

Tax Filing and Name Mismatches

When the name on your tax return does not match SSA’s records, the IRS flags the return and your refund can be delayed. The IRS advises checking that both your name and Social Security number agree with your Social Security card before filing.⁵ If you have not yet updated SSA before tax season, file under your former name to avoid the mismatch.

If your employer issued a W-2 in your old name after you changed it, ask them to correct the form. You can also manually correct the name on your copies of the W-2 when filing, and if the employer issues a corrected W-2c, include a copy with your return.⁵

If You Are Not a U.S. Citizen

Non-citizens follow the same basic process but must also provide current immigration documents that demonstrate both legal identity and authorized status. Acceptable documents include a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), an Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) with an unexpired foreign passport, or an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766).² All immigration documents must be unexpired when SSA reviews the request.

SSA cross-references immigration documents with Department of Homeland Security databases to confirm status. If the records do not match or the documents are expired, SSA will deny the name-change request. A change in immigration status that affects the work-authorization legend on your card does not count toward the replacement card limits.³

If You Are Changing a Child’s Name

A parent or legal guardian signs Form SS-5 on behalf of the child. The adult brings their own ID, such as a driver’s license, along with the child’s documents. Because young children rarely have government-issued photo ID, SSA accepts different evidence depending on age. For children five and under, a certified medical record, immunization record, or childcare facility record showing the child’s name and date of birth can serve as identity proof.⁶ For older children, a certified school record for the current or prior year is also acceptable.⁷

If the child was born outside the United States and citizenship is not already on file, provide a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or a Certificate of Naturalization.⁷ The relationship between the adult filing and the child must also be established through a birth certificate or adoption decree.

Medicare and Other Records

Medicare uses the name, address, and date of birth stored in your Social Security record.⁸ Updating your name with SSA is the mechanism for updating Medicare too. If you are enrolled, confirm that the updated name flows through to your Medicare card and any supplemental plans after the SSA change is processed.

Other records worth updating once your new Social Security card arrives include your passport through the State Department, bank and financial accounts, your employer’s payroll and benefits records, and any professional licenses. Many of these institutions will ask to see your updated Social Security card as proof, which is another reason to get the SSA change done first and keep the new card somewhere secure.

1
Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
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Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take to Get a Social Security Card
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Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
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Social Security Administration. RM 10210.420 Priority List of Acceptable Evidence of Identity Documents
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Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
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Social Security Administration. Manage Your Medicare Benefits