Need to Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card?
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 3, 2023
Are you changing your name? If so, let Social Security know so we can update your information, send you a corrected card, and make sure you get the benefits you’ve earned.
To change your name on your card, you must show us documents proving your legal name change and identity. If you are a U.S. citizen, you also must show us a document proving your U.S. citizenship, if it is not already in our records. You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. We can’t accept photocopies or notarized copies.
To prove your legal name change, you must show one of the following documents:
- Marriage document.
- Divorce decree.
- Certificate of naturalization showing a new name.
- Court order for a name change.
To prove your identity, you must show an unexpired document showing your name, identifying information, and photograph, such as one of the following:
- U.S. driver’s license.
- State-issued non-driver’s identification card.
- U.S. passport.
If you don’t have one of those documents available, we may be able to accept your:
- Employer identification card.
- School identification card.
- Health insurance card.
- U.S. military identification card.
To prove your U.S. citizenship, you must show one of the following documents:
- U.S. birth certificate.
- U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
- U.S. passport (unexpired).
- Certificate of Naturalization.
- Certificate of Citizenship.
Whatever your reason for your name change, Social Security is here to help you with the new… you! Fill out the form online and follow the instructions to ensure your Social Security card is delivered in a timely manner. You can also locate your local field office so you can apply for your updated card and show your required documents in person.
For complete instructions, visit our Social Security Number and Card page, which includes information for non-citizens. And remember, if you simply need to replace a lost Social Security card, but don’t need to change your name, you can — in most states — request your replacement card online using your personal my Social Security account.
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Tags: my Social Security, my Social Security account, Social Security card, SSN
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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Anna
Hi,
I sent in my name change with proper documents. I received my documents back in the mail with no info. I have not received a new SS card yet. How do I know everything went through?
Vonda
Hi Anna, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Please contact your local Social Security office for status. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Amanda F.
Hi Anna,
I also received my documents back without a new social security card. Did they explain why this happened? Are you suppose to get the documents first and then the new card?
Susan
Hi, Amanda, thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, you will get your card within 10-14 business days from the date we processed your application. If you haven’t received your card within 30 days, you should call your local Social Security office. For additional details, check out our Social Security and Coronavirus web page. We hope this is helpful!
Laurie
I am currently resident in Mexico. I need to change my name on my social security card to my married name. There is no chance I will be in the US soon because of the pandemic. What can I do, beside wait, which is not an option.
Vonda
Hi Laurie, thanks for using our blog. We recommend that individuals living outside the United States contact the nearest Federal Benefit Unit in the area for any assistance related to Social Security programs and benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad.
Laurie F.
I am currently resident in Mexico. I need to change my name on my social security card to my married name. There is no chance I will be in the US soon because of the pandemic. What can I do, beside wait, which is not an option.
Christine l.
Can I send a send a copy of the drivers license or does it have to be the original?
Vonda
Hi Christine, thanks for using our blog. All documents must be either originals or certified copies by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. If you do not want to mail in your documents, which will be returned, you may need to wait for the offices to reopen. Use our Social Security Office Locator to find your local office address.
Check out our Social Security and Coronavirus web page for details on getting help with your Social Security number. We hope this helps!
Tammy T.
How can i change my name after marriage
Vonda
Hi Tammy, thank you for using our blog. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page on how to change your name. If you do not want to mail in your documents, which will be returned, you may need to wait for the offices to reopen. Use our Social Security Office Locator to find your local office address. We hope this helps.
Patty E.
My husband adopted my daughter and she is disabled. I’ve sent all of the information twice to the SS office and both times I’ve been told that they’ve never rec’d anything. I had to go to the court and vital statistics twice and pay for original documents which isn’t cheap. I need to get her new card so that I can update everything of hers because she is disabled . But not having good luck in doing so.
Vonda
Hi Patty, thanks for using our blog. We are very sorry to hear about your experiences with Social Security. However, we do ask that you continue to work with your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Jamie D.
I understand Covid-19 is the reason your offices are closed. However, we are being asked to mail the most important documentation we own in, in the hopes it makes it to your office timely, if at all and then that the documentation makes it back to us okay via the Postal system. I have to mail my drivers license. So, it is now okay to drive around without a drivers license for at least four weeks, probably longer? Banks, License Bureaus, etc all have appointments that can be made, why can’t the SS Office offer this as well?
Vonda
Hi Jamie, thanks for using our blog. Please check out our Social Security and Coronavirus web page for details on getting help with your Social Security number. We hope this helps!
Casey P.
I was recently married and I need to send in my marriage certificate to change my last name with the social security office. If I send in the proper documentation to prove my identity, will the social security office approve changing the spelling of my first name by one letter in addition to updating my last name?
Adrian
I just want to know the status on my name change. I sent the information in about a month and a half ago and haven’t received my new card. I just wanted to know if you guys have received the information.
Vonda
Hi Adrian, thank you for using our blog. Please contact your local Social Security office. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Rita B.
I do not feel it is safe to send such important original documents through the US postal service to change my name due to marriage. Are there penalties for not doing so? Are there any other options available?
Vonda
Hi Rita, thanks for using our blog. If you do not want to mail in your documents, which will be returned, you may need to wait for the offices to reopen. Use our Social Security Office Locator to find your local office address. We hope this helps.
RuthieMercer (.
Do we have to go to SS office to present documents