Changing Your Name in Orange County, CA

If you’re in Orange County and you’re changing your name here’s a few tips I would have appreciated when I was scouring the internets with how to change my name after Kevin and I got married in December 2015.

UPDATE 1/17/16: *after sending in my Social Security application to my local SS office, I got back a letter a little over a week later saying “we have received it and you should receive your card in 2 weeks.” So, definitely you should only buy 1 marriage certificate copy because they’ll return it to you and you can send it out to the other places you need to show proof.

Changing your name tips:

• Go to HitchSwitch to help with what paperwork needs to filed. They have a fantastic and easy system to help you navigate which entities you need to notify and what documents you need. I spent $35 for the basic package of manually printing and signing the most important documents that I needed to address: Social Security, Passport and Driver’s License.
• Organize those printed and signed documents with paperclips so you don’t misplace certain forms (there’s a lot of them)
• Wait at least 3 weeks after your officiant sends your marriage certificate to the OC Clerk Recorder before requesting copies (their system is old like that).

• Get a head start on requesting your copies online by going here and filling out a separate forms for each copy. They only let you request 1 with each form. Which is dumb, but whatever…Government inefficiency is nothing new. Then get a confirmation an make an appointment (best to go early).
• Go on your appointed day and request the copies.
• Certified copies cost $15 each. We got 3.
• You can read their Yelp Review Page for more updated info here.
• You have to file your name change with Social Security BEFORE anything else. Additionally, I went to go in person, but by 10:30am the line was so long, so I went home and decided to mail it. Couldn’t find the address easily to my local social security so here it is for you: Suite 150 1st Floor 3230 E. Imperial Hwy Brea, CA 92821
• To change your name on your Driver’s License you have to go to the DMV in person and bring your marriage certificate. It also costs $27 feeI heard that Stanton DMV is the fastest and friendliest.