The Name Path
The Rhode Island Edition · $27

Rhode Island

Your name change after marriage in Rhode Island, 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 Cliff Walk, Newport, rocky shoreline and the Atlantic below, The Breakers' lawn behind
At a glance

Rhode Island, in six lines

Straight from the Rhode Island 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 a city or town clerk or the state Center for Vital Records: $22 in person, $25 by mail, $18 for each extra copy bought the same day.

  • DMV

    Rhode Island law says to notify the DMV within 10 days of a name change by marriage. Update Social Security first and wait 24 hours, then go to a DMV branch. The updated license is $28.50.

  • Deadline

    Rhode Island law (§ 31-10-32) says to notify the DMV within 10 days when your name changes by marriage.

  • Social Security online

    Rhode Island driver's licenses and IDs qualify, and so do Rhode Island marriage records. Because Rhode Island marriage records qualify for the online route, couples married in Rhode Island may be able to start their Social Security update online.

  • Voter registration

    Update your voter record online (with your RI license or ID number), by mail or in person with your local board of canvassers.

  • Social Security first?

    Yes, update Social Security first. The DMV says the change takes 24 hours to reach its system.

Soft watercolor wash: Rhode Island State House, Providence
DMV

Fees (DMV)

ItemFee
Update license (new name)$28.50

DMV fee schedule, checked Oct 23, 2026; includes the $3.50 technology surcharge. Card payments add a third-party service fee.

REAL ID

REAL ID

Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another TSA-accepted ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights. A Rhode Island REAL ID has a white star on a gold circle in the upper right; a non-compliant card says "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION." If your name no longer matches your identity documents, bring your marriage certificate.

Soft watercolor wash: The Breakers mansion, Newport, from the ocean-side lawn
Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

In Rhode Island, marriage records are kept by city and town clerks and by the state Department of Health's Center for Vital Records in Cranston. For marriages from 2022 on, any city or town can issue a copy; for older marriages, go to the clerk where you lived when you married or where you married. Clerks and the state charge the same: $22 in person, $25 by mail, and $18 for each extra copy bought the same day. Bring (or mail a copy of) a government-issued photo ID.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Providence City Clerk, Vital Records$22 walk-in, $25 mail-in, $18 each additional same dayIn person with photo ID or by mail with a copy of your ID and a return envelope. No cash
Warwick City Clerk$22 walk-in, $25 mail-in, $18 each additionalIn person or by mail to 3275 Post Road with a copy of your photo ID
Cranston City Clerk$22 pickup, $25 mailed, $18 each additionalOnline portal (adds a $5 service fee and $1 shipping) or at the office, 869 Park Avenue
Pawtucket City Clerk$22 walk-in, $25 mail-in, $18 each additionalApplication to the City Clerk, 137 Roosevelt Avenue
RIDOH Center for Vital Records (Cranston)$22 in person, $25 by mail, $18 each additional; rush +$7In person (appointment suggested) or by mail (check or money order to the General Treasurer)
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 Providence, Warwick, Cranston and Pawtucket city clerks and the Rhode Island Department of Health, checked Oct 23, 2026. Other towns: check with your town clerk. See Sources.

Official forms

The Rhode Island 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 (DMV)RI DMV: Name & address changedmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/drivers-…
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 titleRI DMV Title Formsdmv.ri.gov/forms/title-forms
Voter registrationRI Secretary of State: Update your voter recordvote.sos.ri.gov/Voter/UpdateYourVoterRecord
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The Rhode Island guide's verification log lists 16 state facts: 16 confirmed on the official page. Sources checked October 23, 2026.

Soft watercolor wash: Newport Harbor with sailboats at Bowen's Wharf
The Rhode Island Edition

Your whole Rhode Island 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.

Private by design · We never ask for your Social Security number, birth date or ID numbers

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