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

To change the name on your Social Security card, complete Form SS-5, gather original documents proving your legal name change and your identity, and submit them to the Social Security Administration online (in limited cases), in person, or by mail. The card is free, your Social Security number does not change, and a new card arrives within about five to ten business days once the SSA approves the application.¹

Pick How You’ll File

The SSA gives you three routes, and the right one depends mostly on why your name changed and where you live.

Online, for Some Marriage Name Changes

If you recently married and live in one of 21 participating states, you may be able to finish the whole name change online through the SSA’s website. The SSA has said the list of states will grow over time.² If you start online and the system can’t fully process your case, the SSA will ask you to bring your documents to a local office or card center within 45 calendar days to finish.³

The online replacement-card tool does not handle name changes at all, so don’t start there if you’re updating your name after a divorce, court order, or naturalization.⁴

In Person at a Local SSA Office

Any type of name change can be handled at a local office. Current SSA guidance is to book an appointment rather than walk in.¹ Bring your completed Form SS-5 and every original document. Staff verify everything in front of you and return your originals before you leave.

By Mail

You can mail your completed Form SS-5 and your original documents to your local SSA office. The SSA returns originals after processing, but they’ll be out of your hands for a stretch, and mail-in applications currently run about two to four weeks.⁵ Certified mail with tracking is worth the small cost.

What Documents You Need

Everything you submit has to be an original or a certified copy from the agency that issued it. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.⁶

Proof of the Legal Name Change

You need one document that shows both your prior name and your new name. Acceptable options are a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order approving a name change, or a Certificate of Naturalization showing the new name.⁶

A detail that trips people up: if the name change event happened more than two years ago, that document can no longer double as proof of identity. You’ll need to submit a separate identity document as well.⁷ So if you married five years ago and never updated your card, plan to bring both the marriage certificate and a current photo ID.

Proof of Identity

The SSA wants a current, unexpired document showing your name, date of birth, and ideally a photo. The strongest options are a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, or a U.S. passport. If none of those are available, the SSA may accept an employee ID, school ID, health insurance card (not a Medicare card), or U.S. military ID, provided it’s current and shows identifying information.⁶

Proof of Citizenship or Immigration Status

If you’re a U.S. citizen and the SSA already has your citizenship on file, you can skip this. Otherwise, you’ll need a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad.⁶

Non-citizens need a current immigration document: an I-551 Permanent Resident Card, an I-766 Employment Authorization Document, or an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record paired with an unexpired foreign passport.⁶

Filling Out Form SS-5

Form SS-5 is a single page. Download it from the SSA website or pick one up at a local office; the same form covers original cards, replacements, and name changes.⁷

Put your new legal name in the top section; that is the name that will be printed on the card. Below it, enter your full name at birth and any other names you’ve used. The rest is basic biographical data: date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names. Copy everything exactly as it appears on your supporting documents. A mismatch between the form and the documents is the most common cause of delay.

What Happens After You Apply

Once the SSA approves your application, your new card is mailed to the address on Form SS-5 within about five to ten business days.¹ Mail-in applications take longer because of the round trip and current backlogs — expect two to four weeks in that case.⁵ Confirm the mailing address on the form before you submit.

Federal regulations cap replacement cards at three per year and ten per lifetime, but verified legal name changes are specifically excluded from both limits.⁸ A prior string of replacements won’t block your name change.

Update Records in the Right Order

Do the Social Security card first, before your driver’s license, passport, or anything else. Other agencies verify against SSA records, so starting here prevents mismatches downstream.⁹

Social Security card, first, because everything else keys off it.
Driver’s license or state ID at your state motor vehicle office; that updated license then makes each following change easier.
U.S. passport, through the State Department. An outdated passport can cause problems at the border even if it hasn’t expired.
Banks, employer payroll and direct deposit, and health insurance.

Why Waiting Can Cost You Money

The name on your tax return has to match what the SSA has on file. If it doesn’t, the IRS flags the return, which delays processing and any refund. The IRS is direct about it: if you’ve changed your name but haven’t updated it with the SSA yet, file under your old name to avoid the delay.¹⁰

Payroll is the other pinch point. If your employer’s records show a name that doesn’t match the SSA’s, your wages may not be credited correctly to your earnings record, and that record is what determines your future retirement benefit and your family’s eligibility for survivor benefits. Missing or miscredited earnings can mean a smaller benefit later, and fixing it after the fact is a real chore.¹¹

If you’ve already updated your name with the SSA but a W-2 arrives in your old name, ask your employer for a corrected form. You can also write the corrected name on the copies filed with your return.¹⁰

1
Social Security Administration. Change Name With Social Security
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Social Security Administration. Just Married? Need to Change your Name?
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Social Security Administration. U.S. Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
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Social Security Administration. SSN Replacement Card Applications Filed via the Internet
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Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take to Get a Social Security Card?
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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 Social Security Card
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eCFR. 20 CFR 422.103 – Social Security Numbers
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USAGov. How to Change Your Name and What Government Agencies to Notify
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Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
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Social Security Administration. How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record