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Name Change After Marriage in Pennsylvania: Steps, Cost & Forms

Verified against Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and .gov sources · Last verified July 16, 2026.

Quick answer

In Pennsylvania, changing your name after marriage usually needs no court petition — your certified marriage certificate is the legal name-change document. There is no court filing fee. You update Social Security first (free), then the DMV, then your passport.

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What it costs

Filing fee
$0

No court petition needed to take a spouse's name after marriage

Court
No court needed

Court of Common Pleas in the county where you live

Timeline
Depends on ID updates

Step by step

  1. 1

    Order a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the Clerk of Orphans' Court / Register of Wills in the Pennsylvania county that issued your marriage license — in PA marriage records are held at the county level, not by the state Division of Vital Records.

  2. 2

    Update Social Security first with Form SS-5 (free); the corrected card arrives in about 7–14 business days.

  3. 3

    Take the certified marriage certificate and your updated Social Security record to a PennDOT Driver License Center to change the name on your driver's license or PA ID.

  4. 4

    Update your US passport (Form DS-5504 is free if the passport was issued within the last year), then your banks, employer, USPS, and voter registration at vote.pa.gov.

Official forms

Every link goes to the official court or government host — never a paid re-host.

FormCodeOfficial link
Application for a Social Security CardSS-5Open ↗
US Passport Correction ApplicationDS-5504Open ↗
Good to know in Pennsylvania:
  • • Pennsylvania marriage certificates are issued by the county Clerk of Orphans' Court / Register of Wills where you got your license — the PA Department of Health Division of Vital Records handles only birth and death records, not marriage certificates.

Then update your IDs

Once you have the certificate, update Social Security first, then your Pennsylvania license, then your passport and accounts.

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Marriage name change in nearby states

New York →Illinois →Florida →Ohio →

Name Change After Marriage in Pennsylvania: FAQ

Do I need a court order to change my name after marriage in Pennsylvania?
No. In Pennsylvania, your certified marriage certificate is the legal name-change document. You don't file a court petition — you take the certificate to Social Security, then the DMV, then your passport.
How much does it cost to change my name after marriage in Pennsylvania?
There is no court fee. Your only costs are certified copies of your marriage certificate (about $15 each) and any new ID fees. Updating Social Security is free.
Can I hyphenate or combine last names in Pennsylvania?
Yes. You can choose a new last name — including hyphenating or combining names — on the marriage license application, with no separate court order.
What's the first thing to update after marriage in Pennsylvania?
Social Security, using Form SS-5. It's free and takes about 7–10 business days. Do it before the DMV or passport, because both check your name against the Social Security record.

Sources

Every fee, court, rule, and form on this page traces to an official government source:

See our verification methodology and themaster source list.

Last verified July 16, 2026Reviewed by the Name Change Atlas Editorial Team against official court and .gov sources.