Name Change After Marriage in Florida

No court petition for the marriage route

A marriage name change in Florida does not go through the court petition process in Florida Statutes section 68.07. That statute covers a petition filed in the county where the person resides, with fingerprints and a hearing.

For the court petition rules that do apply to other name changes, see the Name Change Laws by State directory.

Step 1: Social Security first

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles states the order plainly: name changes must first be made with the Federal Social Security Administration in order to have the name changed on a driver license or ID card. Allow 24 to 48 hours after completing the name change with the Social Security Administration before applying for the license update. The Social Security change is made by requesting a replacement Social Security card, with proof of identity and a certified marriage certificate as proof of the name change event. Documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. The Social Security Administration says the replacement card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days after the request is completed. The Social Security number does not change, and the Social Security name change itself is free.

If a valid United States passport already shows the current name, the Florida department states that no additional name change documents are required for the license step, according to banked research summarized for this guide. That passport point was not verified on the department page opened this run, so it is flagged as unverified below and should be confirmed at the office before relying on it.

Step 2: driver license or ID card, in person, within 30 days

All name changes must be completed in person at a local office. Address changes can be completed online through the MyDMV Portal or in person, but name changes cannot be completed online. Name and address changes must be updated on both the driver license or ID card and the title or registration within 30 days after changing a name or address.

Bring the certified marriage certificate, the current license or ID card, proof of the Social Security update, and the identity and residency documents the office requires for the applicant category. The office will take a new photo and signature. The replacement driver license fee is 25 dollars under Florida Statutes section 322.21, subsection (1)(e), and the replacement identification card fee is also 25 dollars under subsection (1)(f).

Step 3: title and registration

Updating the name on the driver license automatically updates the electronic title. The department page states that by updating a new name or address on the driver license, the new name or address will automatically update on the electronic title. A printed title is different: it will still reflect the previous name or address until a new title is applied for using an Application for Certificate of Title With or Without Registration, form HSMV 82040. If there is a lien on a paper title, the lienholder may not allow a new title to be printed. It is permissible to leave the amended name unchanged on the printed title because the department vehicle ownership record will be updated when driver information is updated.

Once a name or address has been changed, a new registration must be issued reflecting the new name or address by submitting a completed Application For Duplicate or Lost in Transit or Reassignment for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel Title Certificate, form HSMV 82101. Handle the license, title, and registration as one 30-day task, even though the electronic title updates automatically.

Unresolved flags

The following points were not resolved on the primary pages opened this run and are disclosed rather than asserted. First, whether a Social Security receipt, as opposed to the new card, is accepted at every license office was not stated on the department page read. Second, the printed-title fee and the registration fee amounts for forms HSMV 82040 and HSMV 82101 were not stated on the department page read, and no fee for those forms is given in this guide. Third, whether the 6.25 dollar service charge applies at a state-operated office, as opposed to a tax collector office, was not stated on the page read beyond the section 322.135 tax collector rule. Fourth, the passport point in Step 1 above was not verified on the department page opened this run. Fifth, the time for the new license card to arrive by mail after the in-person visit was not stated on the department page read. Sixth, the exact lienholder consent wording for printing a new paper title was not stated on the page read, beyond the statement that the lienholder may not allow a new title to be printed. Seventh, the banked research flags concerning which offices accept walk-in visits, appointment requirements, and document lists by residency category remain open, because the department page directs applicants to category-specific documentation lists that were not opened this run. Eighth, no court filing fee applies to this route, and any fee figure from a court petition must not be used here.

Source

Sources: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Name and Address Changes, read 2026-10-31, including the 30-day rule, Social Security first with 24 to 48 hours, in-person name changes, electronic title auto-update, printed title form HSMV 82040, lienholder note, and new registration form HSMV 82101; Social Security Administration, Change name with Social Security, read 2026-10-31; Florida Statutes section 322.21, subsections (1)(e) and (1)(f), replacement fee 25 dollars; Florida Statutes section 322.135, 6.25 dollar tax collector service fee; Florida Statutes section 68.07, read in full 2026-10-31, for the court petition route distinguished here. Banked Florida research summarized in the brief was used for the sequence and form numbers and was re-verified against the department page and section 68.07 this run as noted above. Facts verified 2026-10-31. Open flags are listed in the Unresolved flags section above.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency or court.