The Name Path
The Illinois Edition · $27

Illinois

Your name change after marriage in Illinois, 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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At a glance

Illinois, in six lines

Straight from the Illinois 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 county clerk in the county where the marriage took place. The state (IDPH) doesn't issue certified copies. Agencies want originals or certified copies; photocopies are not accepted.

  • SOS

    Illinois requires a Secretary of State DMV visit for a corrected license or ID, within 10 days of the change.

  • Deadline

    Yes. Illinois says you must notify the Secretary of State of a name change within 10 days.

  • Social Security online

    Illinois licenses and IDs qualify. Illinois marriage records don't. Since Illinois licenses qualify, an Illinois resident is usually only limited by where they married. An Illinois marriage certificate doesn't qualify for the online route, so a couple married in Illinois should plan on the mail or office route.

  • Voter registration

    Illinois law says a voter who changes their name by marriage must register anew under the new name.

  • Social Security first?

    The Secretary of State's corrected-license checklist asks for your name-change document and a signature document, not a new Social Security card. Update SSA first anyway, so your records match.

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SOS

Fees (Illinois Secretary of State)

ItemFee
Corrected driver's license$5
Corrected state ID card$10 (free at 65 and older; $5 under 18)

From the Secretary of State's basic fee schedule.

REAL ID

REAL ID

Since May 7, 2025, TSA requires a REAL ID-compliant card or another accepted ID, such as a U.S. passport, for domestic flights. An Illinois REAL ID has a small gold star in the top right corner. REAL ID needs one identity document, one Social Security document (waived if you hold a valid Illinois license or ID and already provided your card), two Illinois residency documents and one signature document. There's a walk-in REAL ID Supercenter at 191 N. Clark St., Chicago.

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Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

Certified copies come from the county clerk in the county where the marriage took place. The Illinois Department of Public Health doesn't issue certified copies; it can only verify the facts of a marriage from 1962 on ($5). In Cook County, certificates aren't sent to couples automatically, so order them.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Cook County Clerk (Chicago)$15 first copy, $4 each additionalIn person, by mail, or online through VitalChek (adds $13.45 processing and postage)
DuPage County Clerk$14 first copy, $2 each additional ordered at the same timeIn person or by mail; online orders add a $10 service fee
Other IL countiesSet by each county clerk. Confirm with your clerk.Search "[county] county clerk marriage certificate copy"
Married in another stateOrder certified copies from the office that issued your certificate in that state (often a state vital records office or county clerk).

Fees as published by the Cook County Clerk and DuPage County Clerk, checked Oct 21, 2026. Cook County's $65 commemorative certificate is a keepsake that includes one free certified record; you don't need it. See Sources.

Official forms

The Illinois 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 (SOS)Illinois SOS: Corrected license/ID checklistilsos.gov/departments/drivers/drivers-l…
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 titleIllinois Electronic Registration and Title (fill and print the Application for Vehicle Transaction, VSD 190)apps.ilsos.gov/pert/
Voter registrationIllinois online voter registrationova.elections.il.gov/
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The Illinois guide's verification log lists 17 state facts: 17 confirmed on the official page. Sources checked October 21, 2026.

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The Illinois Edition

Your whole Illinois name change, one clear path

$27

14-day refund, no questions asked · One-time payment, no subscription

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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