South Carolina · State reference
How to change your name after marriage in South Carolina
For adult U.S. citizens taking their spouse’s current surname unchanged after a marriage recorded in the United States.
Have one or more certified copies of your marriage certificate from the office that recorded the marriage. Change the name on your existing credential at an SCDMV branch after updating Social Security. The credential type and expiration may change the service you need.
Before updating your state credential
Update Social Security first. Prepare the SCDMV request while waiting.
Before you begin
- Notify SCDMV of a changed credential name within 10 calendar days. Update SSA first and wait at least 48 hours before the name change visit. This is not a physical SSA card requirement.
- Credential fees and documents depend on the actual service. A first REAL ID, a commercial license or a license expired at least nine months can need different preparation.
- SCDMV updates vehicle records through the name change service, but the reviewed instructions do not resolve physical title certificate reissue after a surname correction. Ask the branch about that separate action.
- For an existing vehicle owner with no South Carolina credential, confirm accepted identity evidence and SSA verification timing with SCDMV before submitting. The complete identity rules for this circumstance are not established here.
- Notify SCDMV and obtain a corrected registration card within 30 days of the name change. Keep title confirmation, registration confirmation and document receipt separate.
- The ordinary voter deadline is 30 days before an election. A late surname update or inability to provide the form’s SSN identifier needs specific county instructions. Do not assume address move rules answer that question.
Which marriage certificate do I need?
Have one or more certified copies of your marriage certificate from the office that recorded the marriage. Later steps in this plan generally ask for a certified copy, so it is the first thing to have in hand.
What to have ready
- The jurisdiction where the marriage was legally recorded
- A method of payment that office accepts
- Any identification that office asks for
How do I update Social Security?
Update your Social Security record, which employers, banks, and agencies check your name against. This record is referenced by several later steps, so many people handle it early in the sequence.
What to have ready
- Certified marriage certificate
- Current identity documentation
- Anything the agency’s own instructions list
Which license or ID instructions apply?
Change the name on your existing credential at an SCDMV branch after updating Social Security. The credential type and expiration may change the service you need. Prepare the documents now. SCDMV requires written notice within 10 calendar days and says to wait at least 48 hours after the SSA name update before the visit.
Preparation details are not listed in this public guide.
When should I update my passport?
Review the current official passport guidance and decide when to update. Passport timing interacts with any travel you have planned, so it is worth reviewing alongside your other identity documents rather than last.
Preparation details are not listed in this public guide.
Read the passport name change guideHow do I update my vehicle title?
Identify each existing vehicle in the SCDMV name change request. Confirm the title record in your new name and ask separately about physical title certificate instructions. Prepare the vehicle and owner information while arranging the name change visit. A registration card alone does not confirm the title record changed.
Preparation details are not listed in this public guide.
How do I update my vehicle registration?
Include your vehicles in the SCDMV name change request and check the corrected registration cards mailed afterward. Keep this result separate from the title record. The registration rule requires notification and obtaining a corrected card within 30 days. Prepare the request promptly and follow up on the result.
Preparation details are not listed in this public guide.
How do I update voter registration?
Send a signed update to your county voter registration office. The paper form accepts the last four SSN digits without a South Carolina credential; online uses updated DMV information. Check your county record and upcoming election date. Contact the county promptly when the ordinary 30 day deadline is close or has passed.
Preparation details are not listed in this public guide.
Requirements, timing and costs
Use the details below to identify the instructions that apply to your records.
| Social Security dependency | Required before the state credential See the route and its conditions Official sourcesReviewed |
|---|---|
| Wait after Social Security | at least 48 hours After the Social Security update, before the state credential visit. Official sourcesReviewed |
| Credential deadline | Notify SCDMV within 10 calendar days of a credential name change Form 4057 applies this notice to licenses, permits and IDs. The separate registration rule requires notice and a corrected card within 30 days. Official sourcesReviewed |
| Driver’s license fee benchmark | No fee benchmark in this public guide Review the agency’s fee for the credential and transaction you choose. Official sourcesSources and review dates
|
| Vehicle records | Review title and registration together Identify each existing vehicle in the SCDMV name change request. Confirm the title record in your new name and ask separately about physical title certificate instructions. Include your vehicles in the SCDMV name change request and check the corrected registration cards mailed afterward. Keep this result separate from the title record. Official sourcesReviewed
|
Before you begin
Does Social Security need to come first?
Required before the state credential Check the conditions for your route.
When was this guide reviewed?
State profile reviewed . Each source retains its own review date. A design update does not mean the sources were reviewed again.
More context
From state guidance to your own plan
Bring your records into one plan
Your answers about your documents, travel, work, accounts and vehicle shape a personal preview of the records that may apply and where to begin. No payment is required to see it.
The complete Name & Next plan adds preparation guidance and a place to track your progress for one payment of $48, with no subscription. You complete your own updates. Government and institution fees are separate.