Changing Your Name Back To Maiden Name - List for How

I kept my married name for the past 16 years because I didn't want my children to have a different last name than me. I know it can be confusing and difficult for children when they are in church or school and have a different name than the custodial parent. 

However, now that my girls are all adults and are off living their own lives, it doesn't matter so much about having a different name than their mom. 

Also, they being girls, will all marry and have a different last name than me eventually so I felt it was a good time for me to change my name back to my maiden name. I grew up with an easy last name and married into a name I had never heard before. 

My entire family still can't spell or say the name. Each of my girls says the last name differently which upsets some of the girls but truly, I changed the way I said the name so that it was easier for people to remember and spell. 

When I called all the utilities and credit card companies, I had to spell my married name in each call and didn't have to spell my maiden name at all. It has taken me a minute to remember to write my maiden name when signing my name but it is getting easier.  

I made a list of things that need to be changed and put it in a video form. If you have to have a court order to change your name, lawyers cost up to $1500. If you look up the forms on the court websites and fill them out yourself, it costs about $350 plus you have to wait for a sexual offender background check as you can't change your name if you are on the registry. 

After a few weeks searching and looking into this, I was talking to a girlfriend who works at the drivers license division and she told me that all you need to change your name back to your maiden name is an office court signed divorce decree. I was frustrated that the court didn't know that and let me spend so much time there. If you go through the courts, you actually need to appear before a judge to get the order signed. 

I paid $10 to the court for an official decree and then at the DMV, it took about ten minutes total and cost about $20. Social Security you have to show your old drivers license and the original Divorce Decree in person. If you don't have an office near you, you fill out the application you can print online and mail the ORIGINAL decree and they will mail it back to you and my card came the day right after the decree showed up about a week after sending in my application. 

If you have an office in your city, you can go wait in line and show them everything in person and not have the wait. 

Banking has to wait until you have your new social security card and once you have that, take your new drivers license, the ss card and a copy of your divorce decree as different banks have different requirements to change your name over. All will need to see the new SS card but some don't need the decree but one of mine did. 


Credit Card companies require different things. Citi card was super quick and fed ex'ed the new card and I had it in two days. Discover took three days. American Express and Chase required a copy of any of the three items to be sent in or scanned. 

Utilities are quite quick, gas, electric, phone, cable, cell phone etc. 

Retirement accounts usually have a document you need to sign and a copy of the front page of the decree. 

Insurance companies are usually a phone call.

Life insurance depends on the institution. 

Professional licenses, schools, church, and post office usually are just letting them know. 

Car titles require proof of new name and a small fee for each car. House titles need a new warranty deed and depending on the company that you have prepare the name change, it can be cheap to expensive so call around before just having someone do it for you. After you have the warranty deed, you need to go to the registrars office for your city for that. There is a small fee for this as well. 

For less than $50 I was able to get my name changed on everything other that getting a new passport. Mine was expired so I figured I would just wait until I have somewhere to go before I paid to get a new one. I can't tell you how to go about that but at least it is on this list so you can check it off. I am sure I have forgotten something and things will come up but as far as I can tell, I have changed my name! It was much easier and quicker than I thought. It has been really nice not having to spell my last name every time! 

Have a Blessed Day!