The Name Path
The West Virginia Edition · $27

West Virginia

Your name change after marriage in West Virginia, 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

West Virginia, in six lines

Straight from the West Virginia 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 where you got your license: $5 per certified copy under state law. West Virginia Vital Registration also issues them ($12 per copy).

  • DMV

    West Virginia's rule says to apply for a new license within 20 days of your name change. Update Social Security first: the DMV checks every Social Security number with SSA. A duplicate is $7.50.

  • Deadline

    West Virginia's DMV rule says to apply for a new license within 20 days of your name change.

  • Social Security online

    West Virginia licenses and IDs qualify, but West Virginia marriage records don't yet. Because West Virginia marriage records aren't on SSA's online list yet, most couples married in West Virginia will need to apply in person or by mail.

  • Voter registration

    Submit a voter registration application with your new name (online, by mail or at your county clerk) at least 21 days before an election.

  • Social Security first?

    We didn't find a West Virginia DMV rule asking for the new card. The DMV checks your Social Security number with SSA, so update Social Security first.

Soft watercolor wash: West Virginia State Capitol gold dome on the Kanawha River, Charleston
DMV

Fees (DMV)

ItemFee
Duplicate license$7.50
REAL ID / For Federal Use card+$10.00

Fees from the WV DMV fee page, checked Oct 22, 2026.

REAL ID

REAL ID

Since May 7, 2025, you may need a REAL ID or another TSA-accepted ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights. A West Virginia REAL ID (For Federal Use) card has a gold star.

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Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

In West Virginia the county clerk in the county where you got your license records your marriage and issues certified copies. State law sets the clerk's fee at $5 per certified copy. West Virginia Vital Registration in Charleston also issues certified copies for $12 each. Marriage records are confidential: only the couple and certain family members or representatives can order them.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Kanawha County Clerk (Charleston)State law sets $5 (W. Va. Code 59-1-10). Confirm with the clerk.Contact the clerk's vital statistics office
Berkeley County Clerk (Martinsburg)$5.00 (check or money order to Berkeley County Clerk)Mail the application to the Vital Statistics Desk
Monongalia County Clerk (Morgantown)$5.00 per certificate; copy of ID required; no checksMail-in application (card payment by phone)
Cabell County Clerk (Huntington)$5.00Online through VitalDirector (the county's only approved vendor) or at the clerk's office
Other WV countiesState law sets $5. Confirm with your county clerk.Search "[county] county clerk WV marriage certificate"
West Virginia Vital Registration$12 per copy (includes the search)Same day in person at 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, or by mail; photo ID required
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 Berkeley, Monongalia and Cabell County Clerks, W. Va. Code 59-1-10 and West Virginia Vital Registration, checked Oct 22, 2026. Online vendors may add a fee. See Sources.

Official forms

The West Virginia 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)WV DMV: Acceptable proof documentsNo downloadable form found: ask the agency.dmv.wv.gov/acceptable-proof-documents
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 titleWV DMV titlesNo name-change form confirmed; ask the agency.dmv.wv.gov/titles
Voter registrationWest Virginia Online Voter Registrationovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The West Virginia guide's verification log lists 21 state facts: 19 confirmed on the official page, and 2 we couldn't confirm, which the guide marks "ask the agency". Sources checked October 22, 2026.

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The West Virginia Edition

Your whole West Virginia 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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