How did you sign your marriage license?

[Amandine]

So, after more then a year, I am (finally) going to do the whole name change bit. I want to hyphenate, and am finding that in Georgia that they want the marriage license to reflect old and new name. Well, I may live in Georgia, but got married in South Carolina, where I signed with my maiden name.

So, I was wondering if you signed your marriage license with your maiden or new, married name? And did it impact the name change process?

 

[ash313]

Interesting, because I assumed I would sign with my maiden name (since my married name would not be legal yet), but when we went to get the marriage license last week (Michigan) they said to be sure that I signed with my "name after marriage" to facilitate the name change process.

I am not sure how much easier it makes the change.

 

[neatfreak]

I think they always require you to sign with your maiden name. But in some states you can also at the same time change to your married name on the certificate.

IIRC mine had me sign with my maiden, but also had me write in what my married name would be elsewhere on the form. Then all I had to do was take the marriage license to the DMV and social security office. I didn't have to go through a name change process except to get my new ID documents.

 

[kittybean]

I didn''t change my name, so I signed with my maiden name. I am also curious about the effect that has on a later name change as I''m sort of considering changing now.

 

[lliang_chi]

I signed my maiden name. I got married in FL and changed my name, id etc in IL. I think it''ll help if you have your social with the new hyphenated name. Bring you passport/whatever, social, and marriage license.

 

[diamondringlover]

I signed mine with my maiden name

 

[BeachRunner]

I didn''t have the option to sign with my married name. I wasn''t married yet, so I had to sign my maiden name. I don''t know if that''s different in other states?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

We got married in October and I am just now officially changing my name, though I''ve been using variations of it since the wedding. We got married in PA and live in NY and sine you don''t sign the marriage license in PA it''s a little tricky. I think I just to wait in line at the SS office and then the DMV to sort it all out (which if you live in NYC you know that''s really not the most fun job

)

Good luck getting it all done and congrats on getting married!

 

[Aloros]

I got married in July, but keep putting off the name change thing because everyone keeps telling me what a PITA it is.

 

[purselover]

In NY you''re supposed to sign the license with the name you intend to use after marriage so I signed with FI''s last name, it''s also supposed to make the name change process easier but I''ll let you know if that''s true when I do it.

 

[panda08]

We got married in Hawaii and I had the option to sign our marriage license with my husband''s last name. The officiant said if I was considering a name change, I should do it then, as it takes several months for HI to change it later. I wasn''t sure what I was gonna do so I signed with my maiden name.

 

[Octavia]

Fortunately, PA doesn''t ask about pre- and post-marriage names. I don''t intend to ever change my name legally, but it''s nice not to be locked into anything. All you do in PA is provide photo ID and that''s the name they use on the license.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 12/23/2009 6:41:30 PM
Author: neatfreak
I think they always require you to sign with your maiden name. But in some states you can also at the same time change to your married name on the certificate.


IIRC mine had me sign with my maiden, but also had me write in what my married name would be elsewhere on the form. Then all I had to do was take the marriage license to the DMV and social security office. I didn''t have to go through a name change process except to get my new ID documents.

I think that''s what happened to me when we got married in Maine. I didn''t change my name until a couple weeks after returning from our honeymoon, therefore I would have signed my marriage license with my maiden name. I also didn''t have to go through a process (court, etc.) to change my name.

 

[maesheff]

I signed with my maiden name. This was the only option given to me (I''m in Alabama).

Then, to change my name, I picked up a certified copy of our license from the probate office (where we applied for the license). This certified copy along with my current driver''s license (with maiden name) was all I needed to change my name on my social security card (I did this in person at the SS office) and my driver''s license (I did this in person at the probate office; here, you only have to go to the DMV if you''re getting an initial license).

I decided to use my maiden name as a second middle name so that my new name is Firstname Middlename Maidenname Hislastname. I was prepared to really have to fight for this since I had heard horror stories from other newlyweds, but everything went fine. Purchasing a copy of the certified marriage license ($4), getting a DL reflecting my married name, and applying for a new SS card reflecting my new name took about 20 minutes total (1.5 hrs including wait time and travel time) and was pretty painless.

 

[annadragon]

I signed my maiden name as well. We got married in Arkansas and they printed out the certificate with my maiden name.
Changing wasn''t a big deal in my home state of Louisiana. They just wanted a copy of the license.
Since Social Security is federal they require the marriage cert as one of the documents for name change, it doesn''t matter what you signed as this is their accepted documentation.
The worst part was waiting in line at the DMV and the SS office but I otherwise didn''t change any of my other stuff like bank acct name, credit card name, or passport. This causes some hassle when I fly because the name on the ticket must match the ID, so I just take my passport everywhere.

 

[Clairitek]

deleted

I just read the other thread about name changing (taking maiden as middle) and I'm mistaken about what makes your name change legal and what doesn't. My advice was totall wrong, sorry!

 

[elrohwen]

I was married in NY and in NY, whatever you put as your "new name" on the marriage license is what you are legally allowed to call yourself. You don't *have* to change to that new name, but it basically gives you the legal means to do so. I was told to put DH's last name down whether or not I planned to change it - that way if I did decide to change it later, it would be really easy to do. So it's not legally binding, but it's all the legal proof they need for SS or DMV purposes.

So I used my marriage name on the marriage license in the spot where it said "name after marriage" or something. When I had to change my name at the SS office and DMV I just showed them the license and that was considered a legal document that my name could be changed.

I'm not really sure what the laws are like in other states and whether it matters what you put on the license.

ETA: My signature was my maiden name, but that didn't really matter because all of the "new name" fields were typed in with my married name. No one looked at the signature.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/24/2009 12:44:08 PM
Author: purselover
In NY you''re supposed to sign the license with the name you intend to use after marriage so I signed with FI''s last name, it''s also supposed to make the name change process easier but I''ll let you know if that''s true when I do it.

It''s super easy, purselover! I got married in NY and ever though I live in CT, it''s all very easy. I just showed the license at the SS office and DMV and they changed everything for me (the SS office didn''t even ask for ID, which was kind of weird ... ).

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Thanks for posting this, as I have the exactly same question!!

I signed ours with my maiden name, but our minister/uncle only sent in the temporary license and not the full one... and LOST our full one... So he picked up a new license today. And told me I have to sign with my married name.

I guess I''m a dunce, but I don''t see how I can sign my married name, because it isn''t even my LEGAL name yet?? I need to do some research on CO marriage licenses, I think.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/23/2009 6:19:32 PM
Author:Amandine
So, after more then a year, I am (finally) going to do the whole name change bit. I want to hyphenate, and am finding that in Georgia that they want the marriage license to reflect old and new name. Well, I may live in Georgia, but got married in South Carolina, where I signed with my maiden name.

So, I was wondering if you signed your marriage license with your maiden or new, married name? And did it impact the name change process?

I signed with my maiden name, because it was my legal name. I didn't even think to sign it any other way.

My name change process was in no way affected by how I signed, from what I could tell.

I believe that when they say it should reflect both the old and new name, they mean that your maiden name should be listed (which I think you have to do anyway) somewhere and so should your husband's name. I don't know how that would affect couples that wish to choose a new name together, though I assume that's n/a in your situation.

 

[Amandine]

Well, I went and finally got my new license at the DMV on Tuesday. Two hours of STANDING in line then another hour sitting and waiting for my number. I just showed them the license and explained it was from SC, and they let me hyphenate how I wanted. So, other then the long wait, it wasn''t a pain at all!

 

[AGBF]

I got married a very, very long time ago (in 1977). The only option I had (in Connecticut) was to sign my maiden name. I had asked my brother, who is an attorney, to research name changes for a woman when she marries in Connecticut. At that point in Connecticut a woman could start using her husband's surname when she got married, or not. There was nothing at all that she had to do in terms of paperwork. Naturally, many agencies (like the Social Security Administration and the Depatment of Motor Vehicles) would want to be alerted if she planned to start putting her husband's surname on employers' records or her driver's license. If she planned to change her name with one of those agencies, she would have to show her marriage certificate. She didn't need to change anything, however.

AGBF

 

[waterlilly]

I think you sign it with your maiden name (what your legal name is at that time) but it needs to list what your name will be after the marriage if you intend to change it...

In MA, there is a section that is specifically for writing in what you intend to change your name to and you can not vary from that when you go to change it.