Do I need to mail my marriage certificate in addition to my certified court order for my passport name change?

by Julee
(Brooklyn, NY)

Question: I was recently married. On the marriage certificate I changed my last name to a hyphenated name: My maiden name-husbands name. I decided to not use that later so now my name is officially different than the marriage certificate. I changed my maiden name to my middle name, dropped my middle name and took my husbands last name. I went to the civil court to do this and have a certified court order that verified my new name.

To change my name on my passport, can I include only the certified court order and not include my marriage certificate?

Answer: If I understand correctly, your passport has your maiden name in it but your current legal name is only mentioned on the certified court order. If the court order does not cite your name as it is in your current passport, then you must send your marriage certificate as well.

All the documents will be returned to you. You are encouraged to mail your passport name change application and any personal documents using a traceable delivery method. It is also recommended that you use a secure means of packaging, such as a Tyvek envelope.

For instructions, please click the link below.

Passport Name Change