How to Change Your Social Security Name: Documents, Filing, and Updates

To change your name on your Social Security card, fill out Form SS-5 and submit it to the Social Security Administration (SSA) with original documents proving your legal name change and your identity. The service is free, and depending on your situation you may be able to start the application online.¹ Keeping your name current with SSA matters beyond the card itself: the IRS matches the name and Social Security number on your tax return against SSA’s records, and a mismatch can delay your refund.²

Documents You Need to Gather

Start with Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card, available on the SSA website. The form asks for your date of birth, place of birth, and parents’ names.³ Beyond the form, SSA needs three kinds of proof:

Proof of your legal name change. A certified marriage certificate, a divorce decree that specifies your new name, or a court order approving the change. The event must be fully resolved. A pending divorce or unfinished court proceeding is not enough.⁴
Proof of identity. An unexpired U.S. passport, state-issued driver’s license, or state-issued non-driver ID card. The document must be current and show your name, date of birth, and preferably a photo.⁴
Proof of U.S. citizenship, only if you have not already established it in SSA’s records. A U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Certificate of Naturalization works.⁴

Every document must be an original or a copy certified by the agency that issued it. SSA does not accept photocopies or notarized copies, and submitting them will get your application returned without action.⁴ Documents in a foreign language are fine; SSA handles translation internally.

If You Are Changing Your Name After a Divorce

Ideally your divorce decree names the surname you are returning to. If it does not, SSA can accept other documents that verify your prior name, such as a birth certificate for a maiden name, a prior marriage document for a previous married name, or a Certificate of Naturalization.⁵

If You Are Filing for a Child

A parent or legal guardian can file Form SS-5 for a minor. Along with proof of the child’s identity, bring a document that establishes the legal name change, such as a final adoption decree showing the new name, a court order, or an amended birth certificate. SSA may also ask you to show custody or responsibility for the child. Court custody papers, a placement letter from a state social services agency, school records showing your responsibility for the child, or a rental agreement listing the child in your household all qualify.⁴

If You Are Not a U.S. Citizen

You can still update your name on your Social Security record, but you need to show current immigration documents in addition to your name-change and identity proof. Acceptable documents include Form I-551 (Permanent Resident Card), Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document), and Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record), or an admission stamp in your unexpired foreign passport. Students on F-1 or M-1 visas also need Form I-20, and J-1 or J-2 exchange visitors need Form DS-2019.⁴

One limit to know about: if your Social Security number was assigned for non-work purposes and you do not have work authorization from the Department of Homeland Security, SSA will update your name in its records but will not issue you a corrected card.⁴

How to Submit Your Application

You have three ways to file, and there is no fee for any of them. Private companies that offer to help with Social Security card applications do not have any advantage over you; you still have to provide your documents to SSA yourself.¹

Online

Some applicants can start, and in some cases complete, the process on the SSA website. Answer the screening questions on the replacement card page to see whether you qualify. If you can start online but not finish there, you will have 45 calendar days to bring your documents to a local Social Security office or Card Center.⁶

In Person

You can hand your documents to an SSA representative at a local office. Use the office locator on the SSA website to find the nearest one by zip code. Some offices require an appointment.⁷ Going in person is also the safest route if you do not want to mail original documents, because staff can verify them on site and hand your originals back immediately.⁸

By Mail

You can mail Form SS-5 and your original documents to your local Social Security office. Consider a trackable mailing service, since these are sensitive documents. SSA returns all originals you submit.³

What Happens Next

Once SSA verifies your application and documents, your new card should arrive by mail within 5 to 10 business days.⁹ It will show your updated name and keep your original nine-digit Social Security number.¹⁰ Your original documents are mailed back to you separately from the card as a security measure.

Federal law generally caps replacement cards at three per year and ten in a lifetime, but cards issued for a verified legal name change do not count against either limit.¹¹

Update Your Name Elsewhere

The new card is the anchor for other records. A few updates are worth handling promptly.

Your Employer and Your W-2

Tell your employer so future W-2s carry your new name. If you have already received a W-2 in your old name, ask your employer for a corrected Form W-2c. You can correct the name on the W-2 copies you attach to your tax return yourself, but getting the correction from your employer keeps your payroll records aligned with SSA.²

Your Tax Return

Make sure SSA has your new name on file before you file your return. The IRS matches names and Social Security numbers against SSA’s database, and a mismatch can delay your refund. If tax season arrives before you have updated with SSA, file the return using your former name.²

Your Passport

If your name changed less than one year after your most recent passport was issued, request a correction by mailing Form DS-5504 with your passport, a certified name-change document, and a new photo. There is no fee unless you want expedited service, which costs $60. If more than a year has passed since the passport was issued or since the name change, you will need to renew instead. You may be able to renew by mail on Form DS-82 if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older and within the last 15 years; otherwise you apply in person on Form DS-11 and pay the standard passport fees.¹²

Round out the change with your bank, health insurance provider, the state DMV for your driver’s license, and any other institution holding your Social Security number.

1
Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card?
2
Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
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Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card Form SS-5
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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. POMS RM 10212.065 – Evidence Required to Process a Name Change on the SSN Based on Divorce, Dissolution, or Annulment
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Social Security Administration. U.S. Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
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Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. Your Social Security Number and Card
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eCFR. 20 CFR Part 422 – Organization and Procedures
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U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport