The reasons for changing your name are many. You may do this as a
result of a marriage or divorce, and it may also be as a choice
regarding a career. No matter what the reason for changing your name,
you will want to change all of your legal documents as well. This
includes changing your name on your passport. A passport name change is
simple, but the process will vary depending on how long you have had
your passport.
A passport name change and a name change on your
license and other legal documents are required by law. These changes
will include your social security card and state identification. It will
be necessary to prove that your name has been changed and what your
name was originally.
It is a good idea to keep copies of these
original documents for future purposes. One example of why you might
need these is the case of trying getting a drivers license in a new
state. In many cases if you move you'll need to prove who you were in
order to obtain a license or ID.
There are a few different ways
that a passport name change can occur. Which method you will need will
be based on the time period that has elapsed since you originally
obtained your passport. The length of this time period affects the fee
required for the passport name change.
In the case that it has
been less than a year since you received your original passport, you may
process the name change with a form DS-5504. This form will need to be
completely filled out and mailed in to the proper address along with a
certified copy of your marriage certificate or decree for a name change.
In some cases it may be necessary to provide two recent pictures.
The
DS-5504 form can be mailed into the National Passport Processing
Center. In this case there is not a fee for processing the passport name
change. You will need to mail this form and the proper documentation to
PO Box 90107 in Philadelphia, PA, 19190-0107.
In the case that it
has been more than a year since you first obtained your passport, you
will need to process the passport name change differently. The form for
this purpose is the DS-82. This form will need to be completed and
mailed in, along with the processing fee and the correct required
documentation. You will also be required to send in two color pictures
to the address listed on the back of the application.
Be sure to
provide certified copies of your marriage certificate or name change
document. Notarized photocopies duplicates are not accepted. If you
don't have the proper paperwork then you will need to acquire it before
sending in the paperwork for the name change.
You can typically obtain this information from the clerk's office for the county court in the county you were married in. The passport name change
process will typically take three to four weeks. It is possible to try
to rush this, but it will require an additional fee. If necessary you
can contact your states congressional office to help expedite your new passport.
