How to Change Your Name in the State of California

This post may not be of interest to many of you who regularly read, but bookmark it if you ever plan on getting married in CA! It's such a confusing process and there is really no one who will tell you how it needs to be done. (Yep, no one knows. Don't ask me why!)

Certificate of Marriage
To begin with, you will need a copy of your marriage certificate. This is NOT going to be sent to you. You must go to a state recorder's office and pick it up. There is an amount of time you wait for this piece of paper, then you are free to pay for your certified copies! (Thanks, government!)

Now that you have copies of this important document in your hot little hands, it's time to go to the SS office.

Q: Why get multiple copies? If you are changing a passport or any bank information, they will be holding on to this document for up to a few weeks. If you want to do these things simultaneously, you should get more than one copy.
Q: Where did this come from? After you received your marriage license (at a state office), the marriage certificate was signed on the day of your wedding by two witnesses (typically your maid of honor and best man) and the officiator. The officiator sends this into the state to be processed and approved by the CA State Recorder (currently Tom Daly, on ours).
Q: Where do I get the copies? We went to the Laguna Hills Civic Center, but you can look up CA State Recorder's Office locations online.

Social Security
Go online to fill out and print an application for social security card. Bring a driver's license AND passport or birth certificate. Bring marriage certificate. I went to the Mission Viejo SS office which is at 26051 Acero Road. Don't go to the Aliso Viejo federal building like I did, only to find out that SS moved (!!) to a random office building in Mission Viejo!

You will get a temporary SS "note" and the real card will follow in the mail.

Q: How long does it take? I was able to do this during my lunch hour, and maybe was gone a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes. They take numbers inside, bring a book and wait. You'll be at the window for maybe 2 minutes.

Q: Why should I do this? Well, do you like money? Do you want your paycheck? Do you like paying taxes? (bad question) and last but not least, do you want to change your license?! Yes! You do!

DMV

At last, the dreaded DMV. Make an appointment online. You'll still wait, but do it  because I said so. Bring your driver's license, passport, marriage certificate, lip gloss, and the slip of paper from the SS office. Wait in line. Go to window. Attempt to get what you want done. Take a new picture (thus the lip gloss). You will be rewarded with a slip of paper telling the world that you're about to get a new license! In a few weeks you will get the real one. 

Reminiscent of the driver's permit, no?

Beneath my DMV slip is a statement of facts form so you can change your name on the title of your vehicle, if you own it. 

It doesn't end here, folks!

Passport Office

Fun fact: when you get married and change your name, you will need to apply for (and pay for) a passport all over again! 

Find the nearest Passport office and pick up the forms. You can mail your old/current passport, the marriage certificate, and the forms to the U.S. Passport office, which might be in Sacramento or something. Get this package certified (return receipt) by the post office. Seriously--it has really crucial pieces of your identity inside that if lost, will mess up you life, but at least you'll know! If you're going on vacation anytime soon, get on it! This can take 25 business days.

Q: So I can't change my name before our honeymoon? No. Unless your honeymoon is months after your wedding and you've done all of the steps above, DO NOT buy plane tickets in your new name for the honeymoon. You will most likely not be on the flight. You are not this person (yet). 

Q: Why do I mail my certificate? Because they will send it back, don't worry. But if you want to change anything else during this time, you will need those other certified copies I told you about!

I think that about sums it up! Good luck!