To get a new Social Security card after a name change, complete Form SS-5 and give the Social Security Administration two things: a document proving your legal name change and a current document proving your identity. There is no fee, your Social Security number stays the same, and the updated card usually arrives in the mail within 5 to 10 business days.1Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card
Documents You Need
Every document you submit must be an original or a copy certified by the agency that issued it. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.2eCFR. 20 CFR 422.107 – Evidence Requirements You need one document from each of the two categories below.
Proof of the Name Change
The SSA needs a document that ties your old name to your new one:
- A certified marriage certificate from the vital records office where the marriage took place.
- A divorce decree or annulment order, if it states the new name you want to use. If the decree is silent, you can pair it with a birth certificate to go back to a maiden name, or with a prior marriage document to return to an earlier married name.3Social Security Administration. POMS RM 10212.065 – Evidence Required to Process a Name Change Based on Divorce, Dissolution, or Annulment
- A court order showing both your old and new name, for any name change unrelated to marriage or divorce.
- A Certificate of Naturalization, if it displays the new legal name.2eCFR. 20 CFR 422.107 – Evidence Requirements
If the name-change event happened more than two years ago, the SSA may ask for extra identity documents in both your old and new names.4Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 Instructions – Application for a Social Security Card
Proof of Identity
Your identity document must be current and show your name along with a date of birth or a recent photograph.5Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card The SSA prefers:
- A U.S. driver’s license
- A state-issued non-driver ID card
- A U.S. passport
If you don’t have any of these and can’t get one within 10 days, the SSA will accept an employee ID, a school ID, a health insurance card other than Medicare, or a U.S. military ID. A U.S. passport counts as proof of identity and citizenship at the same time.5Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
If you are not a U.S. citizen, add a current immigration document showing your lawful status: a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766), or a Form I-94 with an admission stamp in an unexpired foreign passport. F-1 and M-1 students also need Form I-20, and J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors need Form DS-2019.5Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
How to File Form SS-5
Form SS-5 is the application for a Social Security card. Download it from the SSA website or pick one up at a local office, and fill it out in black or blue ink.6Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card Enter the new name you want on the card along with the full name given to you at birth, and make sure your date and place of birth match your identity documents exactly. A misspelling or mismatch can trigger a denial or extended review.
In Person
Bring your completed form and original documents to any Social Security office. Walk-ins are accepted, but scheduling an appointment usually shortens the wait. Staff review the originals at the counter and hand them back to you.6Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card
By Mail
Mail the signed form and your original documents to your local Social Security office. Because you are shipping originals, certified mail or another traceable method is a sensible precaution. The SSA returns everything to you after processing.7Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
Online (Marriage Only, 21 States)
If your name change is due to marriage and you were married in one of 21 participating states, you can complete the whole process online without visiting an office. Those states are Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.8Social Security Administration. Newlyweds: There May Be a Faster Way to Get a Social Security Card That Shows Your New Name Every other situation, including marriages from non-participating states and any non-marriage name change, has to go in person or by mail.
However you file, your new card typically arrives within 5 to 10 business days, and your Social Security number does not change.1Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card
What It Costs
The SSA issues Social Security cards for free, including replacements for a name change. Private services that charge a fee to do this for you offer nothing you can’t do yourself.9Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card The SSA usually caps replacement cards at three per year and ten per lifetime, but verified legal name changes are exempt and do not count against either limit.10eCFR. 20 CFR 422.103 – Social Security Numbers
The underlying paperwork can still cost you. A certified marriage certificate carries a vital-records fee, and court filing fees for a legal name-change petition generally run from around $25 to $500 depending on the jurisdiction.
Why Timing Matters Before Tax Season
The IRS checks that the name and Social Security number on your tax return match SSA records. A mismatch can delay your return and any refund. If you have already changed your legal name but haven’t updated the SSA yet, the IRS advises filing under your former name — the one still on the SSA record — until the new card is issued.11Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
The same matching problem applies at work. IRS instructions tell employers to keep using the name on your original card until they see the corrected one, so your W-2 will show the old name unless you bring the new card to payroll.12Internal Revenue Service. General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) Handling the SSA update well before January saves you the hassle of filing under a name you no longer use.
What to Update After Your Card Arrives
Update the SSA first. Many state DMVs verify your name against the SSA database, so a mismatch there can stall your driver’s license application. Once your new card is in hand, work through the rest in roughly this order:
- Driver’s license or state ID at the DMV, with your new card and your name-change document.
- U.S. passport, by submitting a name-change application to the State Department along with your legal name-change document.
- Bank and other financial accounts, with the new card and a government photo ID that reflects the updated name.
- Employer payroll records, so future W-2s and other tax documents use the new name.
Starting with Social Security lets each of these agencies verify your name electronically, and the rest of the paperwork tends to fall into place from there.