Name change in South Carolina
These are the steps most people follow for a name change in South Carolina, 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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Step 1: Get a court order for your name change
- In South Carolina you petition a family court judge for a name change, and you must have been a resident of South Carolina for at least six months.
Varies by court/clerk.
Needs reverification, so we don't show it as current.
More detail
- You must attach to your petition a SLED fingerprint and criminal background check, a Department of Social Services screening statement covering the Central Registry of Child Abuse and Neglect, a SLED sex-offender-registry screening statement, and a signed affidavit about any child-support or alimony order. The court may waive the six-month residency requirement for a petitioner who is a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or similar abuse and who is currently in reasonable fear for their safety.
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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.
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- 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
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Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID
- To change the name on your South Carolina driver's license or ID card, you complete an Application for Name and/or Address Change (Form 4057) and an Application for a Beginner's Permit, Driver's License, or Identification Card (Form 447-NC), then present documentation such as a marriage license, divorce decree, or a court order issued by your county's family court.
More detail
- You must update your name with the Social Security Administration at least 48 hours before visiting the SCDMV. A new license reflecting your updated name costs $10, or $25 if you're getting your first REAL ID at the same time. You only have one opportunity to change your name when you marry — changing to a different variation of your married name later takes a court order.
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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.
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
- U.S. Department of State — Change or Correct a Passport — We cannot check this source automatically for changes. Check it yourself before you file.
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Where to get help
- South Carolina Legal Services — South Carolina's statewide legal aid organization; publishes a plain-language brochure on the state's Family Court name-change process alongside broader civil legal help.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — South Carolina identity documents guide — Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) keeps a plain-language guide to changing your name and gender marker on South Carolina documents. Their staff write and update it. Read it alongside this checklist.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — National advocacy organization (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality) with plain-language guides to updating federal identity documents (Social Security, passport) after a name or gender-marker change.
- Lambda Legal Help Desk — National LGBTQ+ legal organization offering a free legal help desk for questions about discrimination and legal name/gender-marker changes.