Name change in New York

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in New York, in order. Each links to its official source and the date we last checked it. When you're ready, build a personalized checklist that covers every document at once.

This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change, so always confirm with the official source linked on each step, and talk to a lawyer or legal-aid organization about your specific situation.

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  1. Step 1: Get a court order for your name change

    Needs reverification, so we don't show it as current.

    Check these official pages yourself

    We have not re-checked these pages recently, so we are not showing what they said. These are the official pages themselves. Read them directly.

    • NY Courts — Changing Your Name — recorded 2026-05-31 · not yet verified by a named reviewer We cannot check this source automatically for changes. Check it yourself before you file.

  2. Step 2: Update your Social Security record

    • Social Security still changes the legal name on your Social Security record. A valid court order for a name change is one of the events Social Security recognizes as changing your legal name, and you apply with Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card.

    Do first: Court order

    More detail
    • Social Security's policy manual defines your legal name as your first name and last name — the name you use to sign legal documents. For a person born in the United States, that is generally the name shown on the birth certificate, unless the name changed through an event such as a marriage or a valid court order for a name change. The sex marker on your record is handled separately and under a different rule — see the Social Security sex marker step.

    📝 Get the official form: Form SS-5 — Application for a Social Security Card

    Sources

  3. Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID

    • To change the name on a Standard New York license, permit, or non-driver ID, you can apply by mail with form MV-44NC and a copy of a proof of your name change, such as a government-issued court order. For a REAL ID or Enhanced document you must go to a DMV office with form MV-44 and the original or a certified copy of the court papers.

    Cost: $12.50 for a license or permit, $5.00 for a non-driver ID.

    Timeline: the new document arrives about 2 weeks after it is ordered

    Do first: Court order

    More detail
    • With the mailed application you also send a copy of your new Social Security card and your current New York document. Once your new document is ordered it comes in about 2 weeks; if you go to an office, the DMV gives you a temporary non-photo document to use meanwhile.

    📝 Get the official form: Form MV-44NC — Application for Name Change Only on Standard Permit, Driver License or Non-Driver ID Card

    Sources

  4. Step 4: Update your U.S. passport

    • To update the name on your U.S. passport, submit a passport application with an original or certified copy of the document that legally changed your name, such as a court order.

    Cost: No fee when you use Form DS-5504 within a year of issuance ($60 if you want it expedited). Otherwise standard application fees apply.

    Do first: Court order

    More detail
    • If your name changed within 1 year of your most recent passport being issued, mail Form DS-5504 with the name-change document — you will not have to submit any fees for this service. If it has been more than a year, renew by mail with Form DS-82 and a certified name-change document, or apply in person with Form DS-11. If you have no legal documentation of the change, you apply in person with Form DS-11 plus Form DS-60, Affidavit Regarding a Change of Name.

    📝 Get the official form: Form DS-82 — U.S. Passport Renewal

    Sources

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Where to get help

These organizations publish their own guides or can help you directly.

Last reviewed 2026-07-13.