Brides: Advice on changing your name (in Washington)
So here’s the thing, you can learn from my messy transactions and be a smart bride, or you can run along and waste time.
Ladies changing your name…buy 2 certified copies of marriage license when you turn in your marriage license, it’s fairly inexpensive, I think mine was $4 for one copy in Prosser. You want one copy to keep at home for those unforseen circumstances and a copy for immediate use.
When you have a day off go to Social Security with your certified copy and current driver’s license, they will update your social security card and mail you a copy that will come in a few weeks. No charge.
Give 24 hours or more for the update to go through the computer network, then go to the DMV. If you are like me, where I had to update my address, change my name and get my EDL (enhanced driver’s license), you will need a few things. I needed my current valid driver’s license, a bill in my name at my new address for the address update. You will need your certified copy of your marriage certificate to change your name, your current valid driver’s license (prove that you are a WA resident) and I also had my passport to show that I’m a U.S. citizen, but there are more ways to prove that, see the DMV site for a list of acceptable docs. You also need to know your social security number, but you don’t have to have the card. The DMV person needs to be able to find your SS with your new name in order for them to issue you an EDL, but they’ll give you a temporary driver’s license so make sure you get prettied up.
Now that you got that done, you can then do your passport change if you need to (that’s what the second certified copy of your marriage license is for, they have you send it in, so you don’t get it back).
I still need to update my accounts and talk to work about my name change, and I’ll update if I need anything unique when doing so.
Hope this saves you some time 
