The Name Path
The Massachusetts Edition · $27

Massachusetts

Your name change after marriage in Massachusetts, 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

Massachusetts, in six lines

Straight from the Massachusetts 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 city or town clerk where you got your marriage license (Boston $12–$14, Cambridge $15, Worcester $12–$14), or from the state Registry of Vital Records ($20 in person, $32 by mail).

  • RMV

    In Massachusetts your new name is the one you wrote on your marriage license. Get your Social Security card first, then book an RMV Service Center appointment; a license amendment is $25.

  • Deadline

    We didn't find one for a name change. The RMV says the 30-day legal deadline is for an address change. Update soon after Social Security so your records match.

  • Social Security online

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

  • Voter registration

    If the RMV has your signature, update your name online with the Secretary of the Commonwealth; otherwise use a paper form. The deadline is 10 days before any election or town meeting.

  • Social Security first?

    Mass.gov says to get your Social Security card first, because the RMV checks your Social Security number when you apply.

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RMV

Fees (Massachusetts RMV)

ItemFee
Driver's license / ID amendment$25
Upgrade to REAL ID outside your renewal cycle$25

From the RMV's change-information and REAL ID pages. Confirm before you go.

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. A Massachusetts REAL ID has a star in the top right corner; a standard license doesn't. If your current name doesn't match your documents, bring proof of the name change, like a marriage certificate.

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Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

Your new name comes from your marriage license. Mass.gov says that if you chose to change your name, you should have included the new one on the marriage license before the wedding; your name is then changed to the one on the certificate. After the wedding, the officiant files the license with the city or town clerk where you got it. Order certified copies from that clerk, or from the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Some marriage records are restricted (when either person's parents weren't married at their birth); then only the people on the certificate can get a certified copy.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Boston Registry Division$12 in person; $14 online or by mail (online adds a card service fee)Online, by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope, or at City Hall; new-marriage copies usually available 10 days after the record is returned to City Hall
Worcester City Clerk$12 in person; $14 by mail or onlineIn person, by mail with the request form, or online
Cambridge City Clerk$15 per certified copy (from April 1, 2025); card fee 2.95% onlineIn person, online or by mail, if your license was issued in Cambridge
Other MA cities and townsSet by each clerk. Confirm with your city or town.Search "[town] clerk marriage certificate copy"
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (state)$20 in person; $32 by mail ($42 expedited); $54 first copy online or by phone ($42 each additional)In person in Dorchester, by mail, or online/phone through VitalChek
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 Boston, Worcester, Cambridge and the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, checked Oct 21, 2026. See Sources.

Official forms

The Massachusetts 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 (RMV)Mass RMV: Change information on your license or IDmass.gov/how-to/change-information-on-…
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 titleRMV Amend Title/Lienholder Maintenance Application (PDF)mass.gov/doc/title-amendment-form/down…
Voter registrationMassachusetts Online Voter Registrationsec.state.ma.us/OVR/
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The Massachusetts guide's verification log lists 14 state facts: 14 confirmed on the official page. Sources checked October 21, 2026.

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The Massachusetts Edition

Your whole Massachusetts 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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