Name-Change Tips For Travelers

You've said your vows and now you're ready for that exotic honeymoon. Don't fly off into the sunset together without reading this.

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If you’re changing your name, we suggest not doing so until after you’ve returned from your honeymoon. It’s important when you travel, in these post-9/11 days of high security, that your name appear the same way on all your documents, including your passport, driver’s license, and plane tickets. If you’re leaving right after the wedding, you won’t have time to get it changed on all of them, and most alterations require your marriage license, which won’t arrive until a couple of weeks after the ceremony. So, travel on your honeymoon as your old self, and, when you get back, set aside some time to switch your identification over all at once. Here, what you’ll need to change before your second trip as husband and wife, and—best of all—how to do it.

Driver’s License

First, go to the website for your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. There, you will be able to download the appropriate form for changing your name, find out the cost (usually $5) and see a list of the identification you must bring to the office (generally, your current driver’s license and your original marriage certificate). You can also get a list of addresses, phone numbers and hours of operation for a DMV office in your area. Once there, simply wait in line, and turn in your paperwork. Your new license should show up in your mailbox in a couple of weeks.

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