Oregon runs its name change differently from almost every state around it, in three ways that matter. You pick your married name when you apply for the license, not afterwards. You have 30 days to tell DMV, in person, and missing it is a traffic violation. And Social Security cannot be done online here, no matter what a national guide tells you.
Which Married Name Can You Take in Oregon?
Oregon settles this earlier than most states do. When you apply for your marriage license, the county clerk asks for the name you will be using after the marriage takes place, and the name declared on that returned, recorded document is the one that becomes yours. There is no second form to file afterwards. Oregon DMV then accepts that official government issued marriage document as proof of the legal name change under OAR 735-062-0014.
| What you want | What Oregon needs | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Take your spouse’s last name | The married name you declared on the marriage license. No court, no petition | Just the certified copies |
| A name you did not declare on the license, or a first name change | A change of name application in the circuit court where you live, under ORS 33.410 | $124.00 filing fee (ORS 21.145) |
| Update the license and records afterwards | Social Security first, then DMV in person within 30 days | $30 license, Social Security free |
So the cheapest possible Oregon name change is the one you plan before the wedding: declare the name you actually want on the license application, and the rest of this page is just paperwork.
Step 1: Buy Copies From the County, Never the State
The state charges $25 a copy and gives you nothing for buying more. Oregon’s Center for Health Statistics lists $25.00 as the initial record search fee and first certificate, then $25.00 for each additional certificate ordered. Most states discount the extras. Oregon does not. Oregon vital records fees
The county clerk charges a fraction of that. Multnomah, Clackamas, Lane and Deschutes all publish $7.75 for the first certified copy and $4.00 for each additional copy in the same order. Washington County is $7.75 each. Marion County is $4.00 each, the cheapest in the state.
Three copies, three prices: about $75.00 from the state, $15.75 from most county clerks, and $12.00 in Marion County. Buy from the county that issued your marriage license.
The state route is still useful if you cannot get back to that county: online or phone orders are typically processed within three workdays, mail runs three to five weeks. Order a marriage certificate · our guide to certified marriage certificates explains what a valid copy has to show.
Step 2: Social Security, and No, Not Online
This is where national name-change guides get Oregon wrong. Social Security does run an online name change, but only for residents of participating states, and its own participation list marks Oregon “No” for a last name change due to marriage. Oregon residents get the online service for a plain replacement card and nothing more.
So it is Form SS-5, submitted at a Social Security office with your certified marriage document. It is free, and it has to happen first: Oregon DMV states that it “verifies a customer’s social security number with Social Security Administration, so customers wanting to change their name on their credential must first change their name with SSA.” Turn up at DMV before Social Security has processed the change and the trip is wasted. Social Security name change · our Social Security name change guide
Oregon has only 16 Social Security field offices for the whole state, so check the hours before you drive:
| Office | Address | City | ZIP | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 1390 Waverly Drive Se | Albany | 97322 | (877) 405-9196 |
| Beaverton | 11975 Sw 2nd St | Beaverton | 97005 | (866) 964-2036 |
| Bend | 250 Nw Franklin Ave | Bend | 97703 | (877) 405-0302 |
| Eugene | 2504 Oakmont Way | Eugene | 97401 | (866) 563-3450 |
| La Grande | 2205 Cove Ave | La Grande | 97850 | (888) 810-7611 |
| Medford | 3501 Excel Dr | Medford | 97504 | (866) 931-7943 |
| North Bend | 3661 Broadway Ave | North Bend | 97459 | (866) 275-9901 |
| Ontario | 908 Se 5th Avenue | Ontario | 97914 | (866) 403-8016 |
| Pendleton | 1229 Se 3rd Street | Pendleton | 97801 | (877) 405-0480 |
| Portland Metro | 1538 Sw Yamhill St | Portland | 97205 | (888) 632-6990 |
| Portland-East O | 17925 Se Division St | Portland | 97236 | (866) 331-6402 |
| Roseburg | 1730 Nw Hughwood Ave | Roseburg | 97471 | (866) 614-0031 |
| Salem | 1750 Mcgilchrist St Se | Salem | 97302 | (866) 593-1559 |
| The Dalles | 401 E 3rd St | The Dalles | 97058 | (877) 405-3526 |
| Warrenton | 1479 Se Discovery Ln | Warrenton | 97146 | (877) 840-5743 |
| West Linn | 1830 Blankenship Rd | West Linn | 97068 | (866) 964-4264 |
Step 3: DMV, Within 30 Days, In Person
Oregon is one of the few states with a real deadline and a real penalty attached to it. ORS 807.560 requires notice of a name change within 30 days, requires that a name change be given in person, and makes failing to notify DMV a Class D traffic violation.
| What | Oregon |
|---|---|
| Deadline | 30 days, and it is enforceable (Class D traffic violation) |
| In person? | Yes. ORS 807.560 requires a name change to be given in person |
| Appointment? | Not required. Make an appointment or use standby service at a DMV office |
| Fee | $30.00 to replace the license |
| REAL ID | +$30.00, and it is charged every single time you apply, original, renewal or replacement |
| Order | Social Security first. DMV verifies your number with SSA |
| What you bring | Proof of the legal name change, plus proof of identity and address |
| What you leave with | An interim document. The permanent card is mailed to you |
Because the REAL ID option is charged on every transaction rather than once, there is no clever way to time it: if you want REAL ID, this visit costs $60.00, and if you do not, it costs $30.00. Oregon DMV, changing your name · Oregon REAL ID · our driver license name change guide
Step 4: Your Car, and Oregon Prices This by Gas Mileage
Two things surprise people here. First, DMV says plainly that “changing the name on your driver license will not automatically change existing vehicle documents (such as title).” Second, Oregon has no separate duplicate title fee: you pay the ordinary title fee, and Oregon prices that by the vehicle’s fuel economy, which almost no other state does.
| Vehicle | Oregon title fee |
|---|---|
| 0 to 19 MPG | $101 |
| 20 to 39 MPG | $106 |
| 40+ MPG | $116 |
| All electric | $192 |
Figures are from the official DMV vehicle fee schedule for passenger vehicles and trucks at or under 26,000 lb GVWR. You complete the Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226), note that your name changed, attach the title and pay the fee. This is comfortably the most expensive step of an Oregon name change, so it is the one to think about rather than do reflexively: if you are keeping the car and not selling or refinancing soon, you can plan the timing.
Step 5: Your Voter Registration Will Not Update Itself
Oregon Motor Voter is famous, and it is exactly why people get this wrong. Changing your address at DMV updates your voter registration automatically unless you decline. Changing your name does not: the Secretary of State says a name change has to be updated by completing a new registration form. Oregon Motor Voter FAQ · update your voter registration
What Your County Clerk Charges
Go to the county clerk that issued your marriage license. These are the published certified copy fees:
| County | First certified copy | Each additional |
|---|---|---|
| Marion (Salem) | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| Multnomah (Portland) | $7.75 | $4.00 |
| Washington (Hillsboro) | $7.75 | $7.75 |
| Clackamas (Oregon City) | $7.75 | $4.00 |
| Lane (Eugene) | $7.75 | $4.00 |
| Deschutes (Bend) | $7.75 | $4.00 |
| State of Oregon (any county) | $25.00 | $25.00 |
If your county is not listed, the state keeps a directory of all 36 county clerks. Expect something in the same range, and expect it to beat $25.
Licensed Professional? Some of This Is Free
- Nurses. The Oregon State Board of Nursing takes the change through its License Application system: log in, attach a scanned copy of your marriage license or certificate, and submit. The board states plainly that no fee is required.
- Everyone else. Oregon licenses other professions board by board, and each keeps its own form and its own timing. Nothing in the Social Security or DMV steps above reaches a professional board automatically, so check yours directly.
Oregon Income Tax: One Form, and Not by Email
The Department of Revenue does not pick your new name up from anyone else. File Form 150-800-735, Change of Address/Name, which has a former-name section built for exactly this. Note the delivery rule, because it catches people out: Revenue cannot accept emailed forms. Fax the signed form to 503-945-8073 or mail it to the TPID Unit, Oregon Department of Revenue, 955 Center Street NE, Salem OR 97301-2555. There is no fee. Oregon personal income tax
Oregon Name Change Mistakes to Avoid
Ordering certified copies from the state. $25 each, every time, with no discount for extras. The county clerk that issued your license charges $4.00 to $7.75.
Trying to do Social Security online. Oregon is not a participating state for a marriage name change. It is Form SS-5 at a field office, and Oregon has only 16 of them.
Letting the 30 days run out. ORS 807.560 gives you 30 days to notify DMV, in person, and failing to do it is a Class D traffic violation.
Assuming Motor Voter handled your voter registration. It handles address changes. A name change needs a new registration form.
Assuming the license fixed your car. DMV says outright that it does not. The title is a separate application and a separate fee, and in Oregon that fee runs $101 to $192.
Emailing the Department of Revenue. It cannot accept emailed forms. Fax or mail Form 150-800-735.
Deciding your married name after the wedding. Oregon asks for it on the marriage license application. A name you did not declare there means a $124 court application instead.
What an Oregon Name Change Costs
Cost & Time at a Glance
| Cost | About $45.75 for the core steps: $15.75 for three certified copies at a county clerk and $30.00 for the license. Add $30 if you want REAL ID, and $101 to $192 if you retitle the car. |
| Time | One Social Security office visit, then one DMV visit inside the 30 day window. You leave DMV with an interim document and the card is mailed. |
| Deadline | 30 days to notify DMV of the name change, in person (ORS 807.560). Missing it is a Class D traffic violation. |
| Step | Oregon cost |
|---|---|
| Certified marriage copy, county clerk | $4.00 to $7.75, plus $4.00 each additional in most counties |
| Certified marriage copy, State of Oregon | $25.00 each, including every extra copy |
| Social Security card | Free, but in person on Form SS-5 |
| Driver license replacement | $30.00 |
| REAL ID option | $30.00, charged every time you apply |
| Vehicle title | $101 to $192, priced by fuel economy |
| Voter registration | Free, on a new registration form |
| Oregon income tax record | Free, on Form 150-800-735 |
| Nursing license | Free |
| Court application, only if you need one | $124.00 |
Your passport is federal and optional: free with Form DS-5504 if it was issued less than a year ago, otherwise $130 by mail on Form DS-82, with routine processing currently running 4 to 6 weeks. See our passport name change guide.
That is the Oregon order: certified copies from the county clerk, Social Security in person, DMV inside 30 days, then the car, your voter registration, the tax form and your professional board. Our name change checklist covers the banks and accounts that come next, and you can compare how other states handle it if you have moved recently.