Newlywed Name Change

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!

Jun 17 2020

How to Change to Your Married Name in California | 2020

Wondering how to change your maiden name to your married name in California? There are several federal and state-level name change forms to complete and file to legally make the switch to Mrs. If you’re curious about the 6 step process in California, we have the scoop for you!

The California Name Change Process

Step 1. File for your Social Security Card

Complete the SS-5 and either file the form in person or by mail. You will need to show or include your certified marriage certificate and your U.S. passport or state driver’s license or ID. Within two weeks the Social Security Administration will mail you your new SS card with your new married name!

Step 2: Notify the IRS of Your Married Name

The IRS 8822 form is technically optional. You do not have to file it, but it’s short, free, and prevents the potential nightmare of the IRS not knowing about your married name change and holding your tax returns until they “sort out” the situation.

Step 3: File for Your California Driver’s License

The California DMV is the only office you are required to file your name-change form in person. The reason? They need to take a new photo to go with your new name! Be sure to bring your completed DL-44 form, your current driver’s license, proof of residence (ex: utility bills,) and $33. *You must wait 24 hours after filing with the Social Security Administration, so if you mailed your forms it is wise to wait at least a week.

Step 4: File for Your New Passport

Filing for your new passport, is the last federal step you need to take to legally change your name. There are three different application forms based on if, and how long you have had a passport. Complete the form that is appropriate for your situation, and then file it by mail (unless it’s your first passport) along with two 2×2 passport photos, your certified marriage certificate, and the appropriate fee.

*The State Department realizes that many newlyweds file for a passport to go on their honeymoons. So, if you have had your current passport for less than 12 months, you can file for your new one for free! Consider it a wedding gift from the government.

Step 5: Notify Your Creditors of Your Married Name

Now it’s time to notify your banks, credit cards, insurance providers, mortgage providers, loan providers, professional license boards, utility companies, gyms, magazine subscription companies, etc. of your new married name. The can be done with individual letters and phone calls.

Step 6: Work Smarter NOT Harder on Your California Name Change

Instead of locating, completing, and figuring out how to file all of your name change forms and notification letters, use the MissNowMrs app or easy online name change service. We’ll take you from Miss to Mrs. in a matter of minutes, instead of 13 hours!

Help Me Change My Name

Our name change experts made a video explaining the California married name change process for you!

Mar 25 2019

Married Name Change App on Great Day Washington

Name change after marriage happens year round, but Spring kicks off the largest number of weddings and consequent name changes. The MissNowMrs founder, Danielle Tate, joined Kristen Berset on Great Day Washington to discuss the MissNowMrs name change app, how her married name change company has changed over a decade, and her tips for other women looking to become entrepreneurs.

Why an app? The MissNowMrs app was a direct result of service our market and their needs. 42% of wedding planning is done by smart phone and tablet. Providing a app-based name-change service for newlyweds wishing to switch from their maiden name to their married name made total sense. When your company was founded before Facebook and Instagram… you have to anticipate and lead technology changes to stay in business!

How does the app work? Users download the app, scan the barcode on their driver’s license and their spouse’s, choose which name combination they want (name change options that are illegal in their state of residence are suppressed,) choose their address, and then tap the answers to 15 questions. Upon purchasing, all of the user’s name change forms, such as: Social Security, IRS 8822, US Passport, State Driver’s license, Voter Registration, and notification letters are auto-completed, printed and mailed to them with pre-addressed/pre-posted envelopes. They simply follow the detailed filing instructions provided to go from Miss to Mrs. in minutes!

How do you become an entrepreneur? MissNowMrs was conceived when our founder had trouble changing her name after her wedding. The problem sparked the idea for a solution for all newlyweds changing their names after marriage. So, be on the lookout for problems… and instead of being annoyed by them, think of possible solutions. Those solutions can turn into businesses! Also, look at new technology and how it could create new and better solutions to old problems. There is endless opportunity… not every good idea has been taken.

May 24 2018

Brittany’s Real Name Change Story

We love love, and you’re going to love Brittany’s real name change story! Don’t miss her story of love at first sight, an island proposal, and of course the thoughts and factors that went into her name change decision.

My now-husband and I first met online through the popular dating website, Plenty of Fish, just over two years ago. We both remember it very fondly because we met on February 29th that leap year! After talking online for about a week while I was out of state visiting my best friend, we finally met in person on March 10th, 2016. The rest, as they say, is history. I remember calling all of my close friends after our first date and telling them “I am going to marry this man.” I just knew from that day forward that he was the man that I would spend the rest of my life with.

In June of the following year during a road trip from Texas to Florida, he proposed to me on a remote island about 11 miles off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi. We were recently married on March 31st, 2018 at our favorite garden in the Dallas Arboretum and it was absolutely perfect. The entire day was filled with nothing but love, joy, and happiness and we truly could not have envisioned a more perfect wedding day! It is a memory that the two of us will cherish forever.

We discussed the idea of changing my name very early on in our engagement. I have always been extremely open to the idea of changing my name after marriage, so there was really not too much for us to mutually consider.

For me personally, the best and most exciting part of changing my name is what it symbolizes. It is not only symbolic of me coming into a new and loving family, but it also marks the beginning of the creation of our own new family.

My maiden name is not the name of my birth father, so I do not possess any particularly strong ties to it. I know that this is something that many new brides seem to struggle with (and rightfully so), so in a way I am rather fortunate that this has not been an issue for me.

Shortly after the “honeymoon bliss” had faded, I began to do some research into the name change process. I am not sure what I had initially expected, but I certainly didn’t expect the process to be so confusing, time consuming, and utterly exhausting! As an already extremely busy person, I could just feel my anxiety beginning to worsen each time I thought about how I was ever going to get everything taken care of.

MissNowMrs has been not only a game-changer, but a life saver! Their service has helped to significantly ease the grueling process of name changing and I highly recommend their services to any bride looking to alleviate that post-wedding burden!

The greatest advice that my husband and I have to give to other newlyweds is “don’t sweat the small stuff”. Whether it is before, during, or after the wedding day, random inconveniences will inevitably arise. Do what you can to avoid them, but know that together you can overcome them!

Photo Credit: Pina Photography

May 01 2018

How to Change Your Name in Illinois

Thinking about Illinois name change? If you’re considering changing your name after marriage in the Prairie State, we can give you 8 tips to simplify the process! Changing your name after marriage involves completing a series of federal and state name change forms. Interestingly enough, each state has different requirements, forms, and filing orders.

In Illinois, newlyweds need to wait to change their names until their certified marriage certificate is issued by the County Clerk’s Office. You’ll receive your certificate in the mail two weeks after your wedding. Once you have it, you can begin the married name change process.

Social Security

First on your name change list is completing the SS-5 form. This updates your maiden name on your Social Security Card. File this form with your certified marriage certificate and your current photo ID, which can be your state driver’s license or your U.S. passport. It’s okay that your IDs show your maiden name. Your certified marriage certificate serves as the legal proof of your marriage. It’s what gives you the ability to request a name change on your Social Security card.

You can opt to file the SS-5 form in-person at your local Social Security Administration Office, or file by mail. *Please note that if you opt to file by mail you will need to send your actual driver’s license or U.S. passport, not a photocopy. If you don’t have a passport, we encourage you to file in-person. This prevents being without your driver’s license for the two week processing time.

US Passport

Next on the newlywed name change to-do list is updating your U.S. Passport with your new married name. You will need to complete the DS-11, DS-82, or DS-5504 depending on your current passport status. Again, you’ll need to file this form with your certified marriage certificate, current US passport, two recent 2×2 photos of yourself, and the appropriate filing fee. In approximately 5-6 weeks you will receive your new U.S. passport in your new married name,

IRS 8822

The IRS 8822 is an optional form. Its purpose is to notify the IRS of your name change. The form only has 7 questions and has no associated filing fee. Because of this, we encourage newlyweds to file it to prevent any tax mishaps from occurring.

USPS

Updating your name with the United States Postal Service can be done by completing form 3575. Or you can go online to update your address. Choose the option which is easiest for you to ensure that you receive mail sent to you in your new married name.

Illinois Driver’s License

Once you have your new Social Security card in your new married name, head to the Illinois DMV to file for your new driver’s license. Bring your Social Security card in your new name, your current driver’s license, your certified marriage certificate, proof of residence if your address has changed (utility bill, or bank statement,) and $5.00 to pay for the processing fee. Your new driver’s license with your married name will be issued the same day you apply and a new photo will be taken.

Illinois Voter Registration

Your Illinois Voter Registration Application is the next state-level name change form to be completed and filed. Simply answer the ten questions on the form. Then mail your application to the State Board. You will receive a new Voter Registration card in your new name. This ensures your ability to vote in upcoming elections.

Creditors

Now that you’re finished filing your federal and state level name change forms, you’ll need to notify all of your banks, credit cards, insurance providers, mortgage providers, student loan providers, employers, utilities, professional license boards, memberships, and subscriptions of your new married name. Some companies can update your name by phone. While others require completion of a name change form. Still others require an in-person office visit to make the switch on your account.

The Best Name Change Solution

If the name change process seems long and complicated, don’t worry! MissNowMrs is the easy name change solution. Our service and app were created by a newlywed fed up with the frustration and red tape associated with changing her name after marriage. Sign up today to go from Miss to Mrs. in a matter of minutes!

Help Me Change My Name

Don’t miss our video about changing your name in Illinois!

Apr 23 2018

MissNowMrs Featured on Dating Advice

As married name change experts, we love sharing tips for making name change easier. So, when the lovely ladies at Dating Advice reached out our founder, Danielle Tate, was happy to share how MissNowMrs got started, how we’ve added the MarriedNameGame and MarriageLicenseNow to our platform over the years. And, why she wrote a book to help other smart women start their own businesses.

Don’t miss the entire name change and entrepreneurship story at Dating Advice, and should any of your friends be single, send them over to this fantastic resource full of experts and advice!