Form Updates

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

Newlywed Name Change & Passports: Answers to the 3 Most Common Questions

Have questions about newlywed name change and passports? As you newlyweds head off for your fabulous honeymoons, heads up: the State Department updated all three passport forms. What does this mean? If you’ve pre-completed the DS-5504, DS-11 or DS-82, you will need to find the latest forms and fill them out again. *If you’re a MissNowMrs.com name change customer, our service has already updated the form in your account and you simply need to re-print it. There were minute changes to the forms, but if you try to file the old ones…they won’t be accepted.

On the topic of newlyweds and passports, below are answers to the three most commonly asked questions:

1. Which name should I use to book my honeymoon travel? Book your flights and accommodations in your maiden name. It will take the county clerk’s office approximately two weeks to issue your marriage certificate, which you will need to file for your passport in your married name. The State Department will then take upwards of 5 weeks to process your filing and issue your new passport in your new married name. So skip name change fights with TSA and travel in your maiden name one last time.

2. What happens to my old passport? No one wants to give up the stamps and memories of travels pre-married name, and don’t worry you don’t have to. When your new passport is issued, your old one will be returned to you with two small holes punched in it.

3. I just filed and paid for a passport in my maiden name to go on my honeymoon…is there a fee for a new passport in my married name? Good news, as long as you file the 5504 form within 12 months of your passport issuance, you will not have to pay a fee. The State Department is looking out for us newlyweds on that front!

If you have any other questions regarding newlywed name change and passports or honeymoon travel free to contact the name change experts at MissNowMrs.com via phone or email. We’re here to help!

U.S. Passport Name Change Form Updates

There’s been a slew of U.S. Passport name change form updates! The U.S. Department of State has updated the forms available for U.S. Passport name-change services as of March 1, 2011. We want to be sure that our customers as well as our Newlywed Blog readers are in the know any time a State or Government Agency updates their forms. This way you can be sure that you will receive the most up-to-date forms via your MissNowMrs name-change account.

Below is a complete list of all the Passport Forms that have been updated:

DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport
DS-82: U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
DS-4085: Application for Additional Visa Pages or Miscellaneous Passport Services
DS-5504: Application for a U.S. Passport (Name Change*, Data Correction, Limited Passport Replacement)
DS-3053: Statement of Consent or Special Circumstances: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor under Age 16

*This form will only work for you if you are changing your name and your current Passport was issued less than 1 year ago.

Trying to keep up with U.S. Passport name change form updates? Information can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.

Pennsylvania Name Change Form Update

Heads up, there’s been a Pennsylvania name change form update! As a newlywed going through the married name change process you are trying to figure out the answers to many questions? Thing like: Who needs to be notified of my name change? What information do I need to provide them with in order to receive new documents? What forms do I need to complete?

Whether you are a customer of MissNowMrs.com or not, we want you to know that there is a new Pennsylvania Driver’s License form for name change that has been modified by the Department of Motor Vehicle Office.

The good news for those of you who ARE our customers is that all you need to do is log into your account, and re-print your PA Driver’s License form again. The new form has already been updated within our system. Hope this update helps you!

If you’re not a MissNowMrs customer, we’d love to help you save 13 hours on your name change. Purchase our name change app, or online service today.

Help Me Change My Name

Newlywed in New York: New Requirements at the NY DMV

Newlywed in New York? There is one thing that will forever remain the same –the DMV– with its long wait times and complete chaos at the office! This 3-letter acronym is dreaded among most and is always spoken about with anything, but enthusiasm! However, one thing you can be sure to count on with your DMV, is they constantly update rules, restrictions, and forms, which can cause you more unnecessary stress and aggravation.

Since the DMV is the only office that you must visit in person when changing your name due to marriage, it is important to have all of your ducks in a row before you make the trek to the office! One trip is bad enough; let’s not have to make a second! So if you reside in New York, please read on…

Public safety and security has tightened all around us, for obvious reasons. When changing your name it is especially important for you to properly identify yourself and prove that you really are who you say you are.

Some state’s DMVs have already implemented the 6-point ID requirement system and now New York has decided to implement the same system.

New York 6-Point ID Requirements for Name Change

Before a NY state DMV will issue any photo document (learner permit, driver license, non-driver ID Card) for the first time, or if your document expired more than 2 years ago, you must show the following points of identity:
-Proof of your date of birth
-4 points of proof of name along with your Social Security Card, OR if you are ineligible for a Social Security Card, 6 points of proof of name plus a letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration that they (SSA) used to determine that you are ineligible. All proofs of name must show the same name.
-If you already have and can show a valid NY DMV photo document, that is all you need as 6 points of proof of name to get a new or different photo document. However, if the DMV has no record of your Social Security Number, you will have to show your Social Security Card too.

For more newlywed in New York information, please see the list of acceptable documents to show proof of identity found on the New York DMV website. For more help with your name change, check out our 20 step name change check list!

5 Reasons to Feel Good about the Raise in Passport Agency Fees

The Passport Agency fees to apply for a new U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card as well as the fees to renew your current U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card are going up as of Tuesday July 13, 2010. We know what you’re thinking, not another raise in fees! Unfortunately, yes that is exactly what is happening with the U.S. Passport Agency, but with good reason. Here’s a breakdown of the new fees along with some reasons not to sweat the extra money!

First time Adult U.S. Passport Book: $110 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
First time Adult U.S. Passport Card: $30 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Book (DS82 Form): $110 (payable to Department of State)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Card (DS82 Form): $30 (payable to Department of State)
Expedite Processing Fee (added to the above mentioned fees if you need your Passport in a rush): $60

1. Fees cover more than the cost of your new Passport Book or Passport Card:
Believe it or not the fees are also used to cover the costs of providing emergency services for American citizens who have been the victims of crime (or a crisis; such as an earthquake) while traveling or living abroad as well as providing support to the families of American citizens who have died overseas.

2. Application fees allow us to keep up with the latest technology in fraud prevention:
You don’t want just anyone to be able to obtain a U.S. Passport, do you? The Passport Agency has received great praise from document security specialists all over the world and views the prevention of Passport fraud as a key ongoing priority.

3. Fees help fund passport infrastructure and service.
Offering more timely service to the traveling public is always a number one priority at the Passport Agency Office, but it is equally as important to maintain high standards for adjudication in accordance with US citizenship laws.

4. Millions of Passports are requested each year.
The demand for passports has increased to an average of 15 million per year in recent years. For example, in FY 2005, the Passport Agency issued 10.1 million passports, 18.4 million in FY 2007; and they predict to issue over 15 million in FY 2010. The new fees will help them to increase their presence in underserved areas such as communities affected by the land border-crossing requirements associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. They expect to have 23
agencies providing emergency passport services to the general public, three high-volume application processing centers, and two large-scale document print centers by the end of FY 2010.

5. Passports are no longer used just for travel.
The U.S. Passport Book and U.S. Passport Card serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identity for important purposes such as: work authorization and eligibility for many Federal benefits. Keep in mind that Adult U.S. Passport Books and U.S. Passport Cards are valid for 10 years, so paying these fees once every 10 years with all of the benefits listed above sounds not too shabby to us!

* Information for this post on Passport Agency Fees was obtained via the State Department website. For more details, please visit www.state.gov. If you need to change to your married name on your U.S. Passport, check out MissNowMrs.com/Passport-Name-Change.aspx for the inside scoop!