An Arizona name change is one of the cheapest in the country and one of the few with a law behind it. The license costs $12, the car costs $4, and A.R.S. § 28-448 gives you ten days to tell MVD, with a civil traffic violation waiting if you do not.
What an Arizona Name Change Costs
Cost & Time at a Glance
| Cost | The state side is about $16: $12 for the license and $4 for the vehicle title. The expensive part is the paperwork you start with, because a certified copy of your recorded marriage license runs $35 to $43.50 depending on the county. Social Security, the tax form and voter registration are free. |
| Time | Nothing happens until your officiator returns the signed license, and they have up to 30 days after the ceremony to do it. After that: order the certified copy, file form SS-5 with Social Security, wait two business days, then one MVD office visit. |
| Deadline | 10 days to notify MVD under A.R.S. § 28-448. The statute says a violation “is a civil traffic violation.” Voter registration is a separate 29 days before an election. |
| Step | Arizona cost |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of the recorded marriage license | $43.50 mailed in Maricopa, or $35.50 with your own envelope. $35 in Coconino and La Paz |
| Social Security card | Free, but not available online in Arizona |
| Driver license with your married name | $12.00, in person, within 10 days |
| Corrected vehicle title | $4.00 |
| Arizona income tax, Form 822 | Free |
| Voter registration | Free |
| Concealed weapons permit, name change | $10.00 |
| Nursing license, through the Nurse Portal | No fee published |
Step 1: Arizona Has No Statewide Marriage Record
This is the part that sends Arizona newlyweds to the wrong building. There is no statewide registration of marriages in Arizona. The Department of Health Services does not issue or hold marriage records at all; its vital records office handles births and deaths. Your marriage record lives with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where your license was filed, and nowhere else.
There is also a waiting step nobody warns you about. The license “must be issued prior to the ceremony taking place, signed at completion of the ceremony, and returned by the officiator not more than 30 days after the ceremony has taken place in order for the license to be recorded.” Until it is recorded, there is no certified copy in existence to buy. So the first thing to do after the honeymoon is not to queue anywhere; it is to check that whoever married you has sent the license back. Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court: marriage licenses
Once it is recorded, order the copy. In Maricopa County “a certified copy can be requested and mailed to you for an additional $43.50 payable at the time you apply for the license or any time afterwards, or $35.50 if you provide a business-size” self-addressed envelope. Coconino County charges $35 for an Affidavit of Record of Marriage plus $8 to mail it, and La Paz charges $35 for an Abstract of Marriage. Arizona is not a cheap-copy state, so decide how many you need before you pay. Coconino County marriage licenses · our guide to certified marriage certificates
Step 2: Social Security, Not Online in Arizona
Social Security’s replacement card policy lists Arizona as yes for an unchanged replacement card and no for a marriage last-name change. The online route is closed here, so it is form SS-5 by mail or at a field office, with your certified copy and photo identification. Free, your number never changes, and the card takes about two weeks. SSA policy RM 10205.630 · SSA: change your name · our Social Security name change guide
Arizona has 14 Social Security offices for a state this size, so check the hours before you drive:
| Office | Address | City | ZIP | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Junction | 253 W Superstition Blvd | Apache Junction | 85120 | (866) 964-7417 |
| Casa Grande | 1637 E Monument Plaza Cir | Casa Grande | 85122 | (877) 405-0403 |
| Douglas | 600 E 15th St | Douglas | 85607 | (877) 480-4858 |
| Flagstaff | 2715 S Wdlnds Vlg Blvd | Flagstaff | 86001 | (877) 319-0735 |
| Glendale | 5907 W Kings Ave | Glendale | 85306 | (888) 886-7213 |
| Mesa | 702 W Jerome Avenue | Mesa | 85210 | (866) 964-1716 |
| Nogales | 1760 N Mastick Way | Nogales | 85621 | (877) 405-5472 |
| Phoenix Downtown | 250 N 7th Ave | Phoenix | 85007 | (866) 964-4852 |
| Phoenix North | 16241 N Tatum Blvd | Phoenix | 85032 | (866) 348-7855 |
| Prescott | 205 N Marina | Prescott | 86301 | (877) 457-1733 |
| Show Low | 2500 E Cooley St | Show Low | 85901 | (877) 850-7831 |
| South Tucson | 88 W 38th St | Tucson | 85713 | (866) 220-7896 |
| Tucson | 3808 N 1st Ave | Tucson | 85719 | (866) 331-7693 |
| Yuma | 325 W 19th St | Yuma | 85364 | (866) 613-2970 |
Step 3: MVD, $12 and a Ten-Day Clock
| Question | Arizona answer |
|---|---|
| How long do I have? | 10 days. MVD: “You must update your name with MVD within 10 days of your legal name change taking effect.” A.R.S. § 28-448 says the same and adds that “a violation of this section is a civil traffic violation“ |
| Can I do it online? | No. “This requires an MVD office visit“ |
| Do I go to Social Security first? | Yes. “Before MVD can update your records, first change your name with the Social Security Administration” |
| How long do I wait after that? | “After you change your name with SSA, wait two business days before you visit an MVD office.” Two business days, not 48 hours. A Friday filing means Wednesday |
| What do I bring? | An original or certified copy of your marriage license or domestic partnership certificate, or a divorce decree, adoption decree, citizenship document or court order |
| What does it cost? | $12.00. MVD’s own name change form prints “Class D $12.00” at the top |
| What if I am out of state or military? | There is a mail route: form 40-5153, notarized, with form 40-5122, a copy of the marriage or divorce certificate, a copy of your new Social Security card, a signature card and a check to MVD, Mail Drop 510M, PO Box 2100, Phoenix AZ 85001-2100. The license issued this way is “VALID WITHOUT PHOTO” |
AZ MVD: change your address or name · form 40-5153 · A.R.S. 28-448 · our driver license name change guide
Step 4: The Car, for $4
This is the cheapest line item in the whole guide. Arizona’s certificate of title fee is $4, and that is what a name correction costs once your license already shows the married name. Update the registration at the same time so the two documents agree. AZ MVD: vehicle title
One condition worth checking before you go: if the vehicle still has a lien, MVD needs the lienholder’s written permission to add or remove a name on the title. A straight name correction for the same person is simpler than adding a spouse, so be clear at the counter about which one you are asking for.
Voter Registration
29 days before the election, at midnight. A name change means re-registering, and a mailed form has to be postmarked by that same 29-day mark.
You can do it through Arizona’s online voter registration service, which is the same system that handles your MVD account, or on paper to your county recorder. Unlike the license, there is no penalty for being late; you simply will not be able to vote in that election under the new name. Arizona Secretary of State: registering to vote
The Records That Do Not Update Themselves
- Employer and payroll first, right after Social Security, so your W-2 matches the federal record.
- Banks, cards, mortgage and loans. Most want to see a certified copy, and at $35 and up in Arizona that is the argument for buying two while the clerk already has your file open.
- Insurance, retirement accounts and beneficiary designations. The name on a beneficiary form is the one that gets checked when it matters most.
- Your passport. Federal, optional, and free on form DS-5504 if your passport was issued within the last year. See our passport name change guide.
- A concealed weapons permit, if you hold one. Arizona has a real form and a real fee for this, unlike most states: see below.
Arizona Income Tax: Line 5 of an Address Form
Arizona’s tax step exists, but it is well hidden: it is Form 822, titled “Change of Address”, and the name change goes on line 5, “Prior Name (Complete this line if the name(s) has/have changed since last filing)”, with your new name on line 3a and your spouse’s on line 4a. It covers the individual return forms 140, 140A, 140EZ, 140PY, 140NR and the rest, and has its own checkbox for updating your name for the Arizona Families Tax Rebate. Sign it, date it, and mail it to the Arizona Department of Revenue, 400 W Congress, Tucson AZ 85701-1352. No fee. Arizona Form 822
Licensed Professional?
Nursing: how do I change my name?
Everything happens in the Nurse Portal: log in, choose Manage Profile, then Demographics, then Request Name Change. Arizona State Board of Nursing: name and address change
What documents does the Board want?
Two of them, and this catches people out: one document verifying your previous name, and one verifying your current name. The Board accepts a birth certificate, Social Security card, marriage license, divorce decree or high school diploma for the old name, and a marriage license, divorce decree, driver license or Social Security card for the new one. Your certified marriage copy plus your new license covers both.
Is there a fee or a deadline?
The Board publishes neither on its name change page, so we are not going to quote you one. If you hold a license from a different Arizona board, check that board’s own instructions rather than assuming they all work the same way.
Concealed Weapons Permit: $10, Same Number
Most states leave this vague. Arizona does not. The DPS CCW Permit Replacement Request has a “Legal name change” line with a $10.00 fee, and the form spells out the terms: “I have enclosed a copy of the court document or marriage certificate showing the change. I understand that I am responsible for returning the old permit when I receive the new one. I understand that my new permit will have the same number as my current permit.”
Pay by money order, cashier’s check or certified check made out to AZ DPS, and mail it to Arizona Department of Public Safety, PO Box 6488, Phoenix AZ 85005-6488. If your request happens to carry no fee, DPS lets you email the form instead. DPS CCW Permit Replacement Request
Which Married Name Arizona Will Print
Taking your spouse’s surname is the simple case, and it needs no court at all. The recorded marriage license is your proof, MVD lists it first among acceptable documents, and every other agency in this guide follows from there. Returning to a former surname works the same way with a divorce decree, which MVD also accepts.
Anything more creative deserves a phone call before you spend money. Arizona publishes no statutory list of permitted married names, so a hyphenated or combined surname, or moving your maiden name into the middle slot, should be settled with Social Security first and confirmed with MVD before you order certified copies or start changing bank records. Getting a mismatch between the federal record and the state one is the single most common way this process stalls.
A first name change, or a name that is not derived from either spouse, is a different legal process entirely: an application to the Superior Court in your county under A.R.S. § 12-601. Filing fees there are set county by county, so ask your Clerk of the Superior Court rather than trusting a figure you read online.
Which Arizona Office Does What
| Office | What it handles | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of the Superior Court for the county that filed your license | The marriage record, and certified copies of it. This is the only place it exists | $35 to $43.50 depending on county and delivery |
| Arizona Department of Health Services | Births and deaths only. It cannot help with a marriage record | Not applicable |
| Social Security (14 offices) | The federal record every other office follows. Form SS-5, not online here | Free |
| MVD office, in person | Driver license or ID, within 10 days | $12.00 |
| MVD again | Corrected certificate of title and registration | $4.00 |
| Arizona Department of Revenue, Tucson | Your tax record, on Form 822 line 5 | Free |
| Your county recorder, or online | Voter registration, 29 days out | Free |
| AZ DPS, Phoenix | Concealed weapons permit, by mail | $10.00 |
| Superior Court in your county | The separate court process under A.R.S. 12-601, only if the marriage record does not cover the name you want | Set per county |
What Newlyweds Get Wrong in Arizona
The six that cost people time or a fine
- Waiting for a certificate to arrive in the post. Nothing is mailed automatically. Your officiator returns the signed license, the Clerk records it, and only then can you buy a certified copy.
- Asking the health department. Arizona has no statewide marriage registration. It is the Clerk of the Superior Court or nothing.
- Reading “48 hours” as two days. MVD says two business days after Social Security. File on a Friday and you are waiting until Wednesday.
- Not knowing there is a statute. A.R.S. § 28-448 gives you 10 days, and a breach “is a civil traffic violation”.
- Skipping the $4 title. It is the cheapest step in this guide, and leaving it undone means your car documents disagree with your license.
- Assuming there is no Arizona tax step. There is. It is line 5 of Form 822, and it is free.
So the Arizona order runs: make sure the officiator returned your license, buy the certified copy from the Clerk of the Superior Court that filed it, send form SS-5 to Social Security, wait two business days, then get to an MVD office inside ten days for the $12 license and the $4 title. Form 822 and your voter registration close it out for free. Our name change checklist covers the banks and accounts after that, and you can compare how other states handle it if you have moved recently.