The Name Path
The North Carolina Edition · $27

North Carolina

Your name change after marriage in North Carolina, 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 lawn above the Lagoon at Biltmore Estate, the house reflected, Blue Ridge behind
At a glance

North Carolina, in six lines

Straight from the North Carolina 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 Register of Deeds in the county where you married ($10 a copy by state law). N.C. Vital Records also has marriages from 1962 on, but costs more. Agencies want originals or certified copies.

  • NCDMV

    North Carolina requires a driver license office visit within 60 days, after Social Security has your new name.

  • Deadline

    Yes. NCDMV says to notify it within 60 days of a name change and get a duplicate card.

  • Social Security online

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

  • Voter registration

    North Carolina's online voter service can't change your name. Use a paper voter registration application (or the change form on your voter card), signed and sent to your county board of elections.

  • Social Security first?

    NCDMV confirms your name electronically with SSA, so SSA must be updated first (at least 24–36 hours before). Bring your certified marriage certificate; NCDMV's page doesn't ask for a new Social Security card.

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NCDMV

Fees (NCDMV)

ItemFee
Duplicate license or ID$16.75 (confirm at the office)

From the N.C. Driver's Handbook duplicate-license section.

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. All North Carolina REAL IDs have a star; cards without it say "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION". For REAL ID, bring a certified marriage certificate with a raised seal or ink stamp, and a document for each name change.

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Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

Certified copies come from the Register of Deeds in the county where your marriage took place. State law sets the fee at $10 per certified copy. A registered voter who needs a certified marriage license for voter photo ID, and doesn't have one, can get one free from the Register of Deeds. N.C. Vital Records also issues marriage certificates from 1962 on, for a $24 search fee per three-year period (includes one copy if found), plus processing and shipping. Corrections to a marriage certificate go through the county Register of Deeds.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Wake County Register of Deeds (Raleigh)$10 per certified copyOnline or in person at five locations
Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds (Charlotte)$10 per certified copyContact the Register of Deeds for ordering options (cash in person; check or money order accepted)
Other NC counties$10 by state law (G.S. 161-10). Confirm how to order with your county.Search "[county] register of deeds 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 Wake and Mecklenburg County Registers of Deeds and G.S. 161-10, checked Oct 21, 2026. See Sources.

Official forms

The North Carolina 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 (NCDMV)NCDMV: Name changesncdot.gov/dmv/help/moving/Pages/name-ch…
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 titleMVR-5 Corrected or Substitute Title (PDF)ncdot.gov/dmv/downloads/Documents/MVR-5…
Voter registrationNC Voter Registration Application (PDF)s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Voter_Registrati…
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The North Carolina guide's verification log lists 17 state facts: 16 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 North Carolina Edition

Your whole North Carolina 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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