The Name Path
The Alabama Edition · $27

Alabama

Your name change after marriage in Alabama, in the right order: Social Security, your driver's license or state ID, your passport, voter registration and everything after, with every fact checked against the official source.

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Watercolor: Adult newlywed couple on the white-sand dunes of Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores
At a glance

Alabama, in six lines

Straight from the Alabama guide. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the guide says to ask the agency, and so does this page.

  • Certified copies

    From the probate court that recorded your Alabama Marriage Certificate (Jefferson $3.00, Madison $2.00, Mobile $3.00 a copy), or later from the Center for Health Statistics or any county health department ($15, $6 each additional).

  • ALEA

    In Alabama you update Social Security first, then get a duplicate license ($31.25) at a probate or license office or an ALEA Driver License Office. A STAR ID name change has to be done at an ALEA office.

  • Deadline

    Yes. ALEA's rules say to notify the Driver License Division within 30 days of a name change.

  • Social Security online

    Alabama licenses and IDs qualify; Alabama marriage records don't. Because Alabama marriage records don't qualify for the online route, couples married in Alabama should plan on an in-person or mail application.

  • Voter registration

    Re-register online or mail a new Alabama voter registration form to your county Board of Registrars. Registration closes 14 days before an election.

  • Social Security first?

    Yes. ALEA requires proof that Social Security has your new name, and county offices ask for the updated card.

Soft watercolor wash: Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
ALEA

Fees (ALEA)

ItemFee
Duplicate license or ID (any class)$31.25

From ALEA's DL-100 form. A change made at renewal is charged the renewal fee instead. Confirm before you go.

REAL ID

STAR ID (REAL ID)

Since May 7, 2025, you need a STAR ID or another TSA-accepted ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights. An Alabama STAR ID has a gold star in the upper left corner. STAR IDs are issued only at ALEA Driver License exam offices. If your name differs from your identity document, bring certified documents of the change, like your marriage certificate.

Soft watercolor wash: Bellingrath Gardens azaleas and live oaks, Theodore
Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

Alabama has no marriage license. Since August 29, 2019 (Act 2019-340), couples complete and notarize an Alabama Marriage Certificate form and deliver it to a county probate court for recording within 30 days; the marriage is valid once it's recorded. Many probate courts sell certified copies (some include one with the filing fee). The probate court then forwards the original to the Alabama Department of Public Health's Center for Health Statistics, which sells certified copies too. Alabama marriage certificates are unrestricted.

WhereCopy fee (as published)How to order
Jefferson County Probate Court (Birmingham and Bessemer)$3.00 per copyAt either division, or by mail with the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope
Mobile County Probate Court$3.00 per certified copyRecords Division, Government Center Annex, right after recording
Madison County Probate Court$2.00 per certified copyProbate Office
Montgomery County Probate CourtFiling fee $78.50 includes one certified copy; $2.00 each additional at filingFor marriages filed after Aug 29, 2019, later copies come from the county health department
Other Alabama countiesEach probate court sets its own fees. Confirm with your probate court.Search "[county] probate court marriage certificate copy"
Center for Health Statistics (state)$15.00 (includes one certified copy); $6.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time; $15.00 to expediteBy mail, at any county health department (most issued while you wait), or online/phone through VitalChek (extra fees)
Married in another stateOrder certified copies from the office that issued your certificate in that state.See that state's vital records office

Fees as published by the Jefferson, Mobile, Madison and Montgomery County probate courts and the Alabama Department of Public Health, checked Oct 21, 2026. See Sources.

Official forms

The Alabama forms, straight from the source

Every link goes to the agency's own page or PDF; we never host copies. Where we couldn't confirm a downloadable form, the row says to ask the agency. Your guide explains which form fits your situation. Links checked Oct 23, 2026.

ForFormOfficial link
Social SecuritySS-5: Application for a Social Security Card (PDF)ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
Social SecuritySSA online: Apply for a Social Security Cardsecure.ssa.gov/ossnap/public/
Driver's license or ID (ALEA)ALEA: Driver license forms (name change)alea.gov/dps/driver-license/driver-lic…
PassportDS-5504: Application for a U.S. Passport for Eligible Individuals: correction, name change to a passport issued 1 year ago or less, and limited passport replacement (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds5504_pdf.PDF
PassportDS-82: U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds82_pdf.PDF
PassportDS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds11_pdf.PDF
Vehicle titleCounty licensing official prepares the applicationNo public form; ask the agency.revenue.alabama.gov/faq-categories/title-applicat…
Voter registrationAlabama Voter Registration Form (NVRA-2, PDF)sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/voter-pdf…
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The Alabama guide's verification log lists 20 state facts: 19 confirmed on the official page, and 1 we couldn't confirm, which the guide marks "ask the agency". Sources checked October 21, 2026.

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The Alabama Edition

Your whole Alabama name change, one clear path

$27

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Changing your name with Social Security is free. You can apply directly with the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213. You don't need to buy this guide, or anything else, to do it.

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