The Name Path
The Wisconsin Edition · $27

Wisconsin

Your name change after marriage in Wisconsin, 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 in a Door County cherry orchard in bloom above Lake Michigan
At a glance

Wisconsin, in six lines

Straight from the Wisconsin 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 any Wisconsin county Register of Deeds (statewide issuance; Milwaukee, Dane, Waukesha and Brown charge $20 for the first copy and $3 for each extra) or the state Vital Records Office ($20 / $3).

  • WI DMV

    Wisconsin law gives you 30 days after a name change to apply for a duplicate license. Update Social Security and allow 48 hours before you go; a duplicate license is $14.

  • Deadline

    Yes. Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. §343.22) says to apply for a duplicate license within 30 days of a name change.

  • Social Security online

    Wisconsin driver licenses qualify (driver license only), and so do Wisconsin marriage records. Because Wisconsin marriage records qualify for the online route, couples married in Wisconsin may be able to start their Social Security update online.

  • Voter registration

    After DMV has your new name, update your registration on MyVote (online or by mail up to 20 days before an election), or in person at your municipal clerk's office or at the polls.

  • Social Security first?

    Yes. Wisconsin DMV says to change your name with Social Security first and allow 48 hours so DMV can verify it.

Soft watercolor wash: Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison
WI DMV

Fees (WI DMV)

ItemFee
Duplicate driver license$14

From Wisconsin DMV's fee page. Confirm before you go.

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. Wisconsin DMV says it marks its REAL ID compliant cards. If you aren't sure whether yours is one, ask DMV. For a REAL ID you need proof of each name change from birth to now, unless you have a valid, unexpired U.S. passport in your current name.

Soft watercolor wash: Milwaukee Art Museum Burke Brise Soleil wings on Lake Michigan
Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

Wisconsin has statewide issuance: any county Register of Deeds can issue marriage certificates from all Wisconsin counties from October 1, 1907 to the present. The state Vital Records Office (Department of Health Services) also sells them. DMV asks for a certified marriage certificate, and its documents must be originals, not photocopies.

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Milwaukee County Register of Deeds$20 first copy, $3 each additional; $3 service fee in personIn person, by mail, or VitalChek (extra fees)
Dane County Register of Deeds$20.00 search and first copy, $3.00 each additionalIn person (about 15 minutes), by mail, or online (extra fees)
Waukesha County Register of Deeds$20.00 first copy, $3.00 each additionalIn person or through the Register of Deeds
Brown County Register of Deeds$20.00 first copy, $3.00 each additionalIn person (while you wait), by mail, or online (extra fees)
Other WI countiesSet by each Register of Deeds. Confirm with your county.Search "[county] register of deeds marriage certificate"
WI Vital Records Office (DHS)$20 first copy, $3 each additional copy of the same recordBy mail; about 10 business days plus mailing
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 Milwaukee, Dane, Waukesha and Brown County Registers of Deeds and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, checked Oct 21, 2026. See Sources.

Official forms

The Wisconsin 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 (WI DMV)Wisconsin Driver License Application (MV3001, PDF)wisconsindot.gov/Documents/formdocs/mv3001.pdf
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 titleWisconsin Title/License Plate Application (MV1, PDF)wisconsindot.gov/Documents/formdocs/mv1.pdf
Voter registrationMyVote: Update my name and addressmyvote.wi.gov/en-us/Update-My-Name-And-Address
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The Wisconsin guide's verification log lists 16 state facts: 15 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 Wisconsin Edition

Your whole Wisconsin name change, one clear path

$27

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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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