Live in North Carolina? Getting married? Going through a divorce? Hate the nicknames kids always came up with about your legal name? Most states are similar in the process of changing a legal name, but the order and documentation needed varies throughout the U.S. North Carolina has a simple process, but if you come unprepared, the long, drawn-out torture begins. Gather the right documentation, and you’ll find yourself with a new name in no time!
For marriage, make sure you order extra copies of your marriage license. When that marriage license gets approved and mailed to you, you should always keep an extra one in a safe place, such as a filing cabinet or small safe. If you plan on mailing in your request for a new social security card or passport, you should definitely have an extra certified copy on hand.
In North Carolina, a person wanting to change his or her name must first change it on his or her Social Security card, then obtain a license with a new name. The license is what is later accepted by other places, such as banks, credit card companies, lease offices, and your employer. Find your local Social Security office at http://www.ssa.gov/atlanta/southeast/nc/north_carolina.htm. Check with your local office to see if they take appointments, though most don’t. You will have to take the required documentation. You will need to complete the form for application of a Social Security card, which you can pick up at your local office, or you can fill online and print it at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5.html. You also need to take proof of your name change, which can be in any of the following forms: Original marriage certificate, a divorce decree, your certificate of naturalization showing your new name, or a court order that has been created specifically for your name change.
You can mail in your application and supporting documentation, but it will take longer and the chance of it getting lost is always there. It’s always easier to take the time out of the day (and a small chunk off from work) to go to your local office, take your application and additional supporting documentation, stand in line, and answer the representative’s questions. You will be handed a receipt showing your card will be coming in the mail, but don’t assume the estimate is generous. Especially after busy June weddings, expect the wait to be the 2-3 weeks the representative tells you.
Once your new Social Security card comes in the mail, it is now time to head to the DMV. Take your new social security card, and the aforementioned supporting documentation, and don’t forget to have payment as well for getting a duplicate license. If you can stand to wait, try and time it within 6 months of your license expiring so that you can do both at the same time, as well as save money. Stand in line, show the representative your information, get your picture taken, and you’re officially a new name! Just remember, a rose by any other name will still smell just as sweet.
