What Documents Do I Need To Prove My Identity
Social Security will ask to see your current U.S. immigration documents. Acceptable documents include:
- I-551 Permanent Resident Card
- I-94 Arrival/Departure Record with unexpired foreign passport, or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport or
- I-766 Employment Authorization Document, from DHS.
Important
You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current . We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.
We may use one document for two purposes. For example, we may use your U.S. passport as proof of both citizenship and identity.
Service Around The World
Welcome to SSAs Office of Earnings & International Operations home page. The purpose of this site is to assist Social Security customers who are outside the U.S. or planning to leave the U.S.
OEIO is responsible for administering the Social Security program outside the U.S. and for the implementationof the benefit provisions of international agreements. Since SSA has no offices outside the U.S., OEIO is assisted by the Department of State’s embassies and consulates throughout the world.
Passport Name Change In Illinois
Wolff recommends tackling your passport next, as it can make obtaining an Illinois driver’s license with your name changed easier. This process is a little more complicated, because certain factors determine what paperwork is needed. We’ve outlined them belowâvisit the State Department’s website for more information.
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Other Name Change Tasks In Illinois
That, in a somewhat large nutshell, is the process of a married name change in Illinoisâwell, kind of. While these updates are the major players, you’ll still need to share your new last name with other parties. Once you’re done with the above, Wolff advises completing the below in order. They’re steps anyone, Illinois resident or not, should take postwedding.
- Update your credit card and bank accounts
- Update your insurance
Documents Required For A Name Change

To begin with all documents given to the Social Security Administration must be original documents or if they are copies, they must come from the issuing agency and certified by that agency. No copies, even notarized copies or receipts for requested copies will be accepted by the SSA.
Your documentation should prove your legal name change, your U.S. citizenship and your identity.
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Make A Checklist Of Name Change Documents And Agencies
In this step, youll make a list of current government documents that include your name and each agency youll need to contact. If you are not a U.S. citizen, the process is somewhat simpler.
Writing down the following documents will help you organize the task of changing your name with the state of New Jersey and the federal government.
For non-citizens or naturalized citizens, you should contact the Social Security Administration for new or replacement cards
How To Change A Name On A Social Security Number
In any name-change situation, whether you are getting married or changing your legal name for other reasons, it is important to obtain a correction on your Social Security card. This may sound like it could be complicated, but it is actually quite simple.
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Print out an Application for a Social Security Card or obtain a hard copy from your local Social Security Office. See Resources for a link to a direct download of the form as well as a link to the Social Security Local Office Search. Fill out the application legibly using only black or blue ink. Most of the form is self-explanatory, but most answers to any questions you may have can be found on the instruction form attached to the application.
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Hand-deliver or mail your application and required documents to your local Social Security office . If you live in Brooklyn or Queens, New York Orlando, Florida Sacramento County, California Phoenix, Arizona Las Vegas, Nevada or Greater Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, you must apply for the name change through a Social Security Card Center .
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Receive your new card, reflecting your new name and the same SSN you previously had, as soon as the SSA verifies your documents. Your documents will be returned to you with your card. Protect your new card by not carrying it with you unless necessary and keeping it in a secure location.
Resources
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Apply For A Legal Name Change Document
To officially change your name, you need some sort of “permission,” which takes the form of something called a “legal name change document.” If you’re changing your name in Iowa after marriage, that’s typically your marriage certificate. You can use your marriage certificate to take your spouse’s surname, use both your last names and in some cases, make your original name your middle name. But other types of name changeslike birth certificate name changesmay require a certified court order instead.
Learn more about getting a marriage certificate or court order below. If you’re still not sure which legal name change document you need after reading the next two sections, consider consulting HitchSwitch. You can send the team a photo of your marriage certificate and they’ll tell you if it counts for your desired name change.
Changing Name On A Social Security Card
No matter how you are applying, the first thing you will need to do is locate your local Social Security office and get their mailing address. In order to do this, you can call the Social Security Administration at or use the .
Whether you complete the application online, in person or by hand, you will need to provide a certain set of documents to the Social Security Administration. This set of documents is the same no matter what method you use to apply.
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Apply For A Marriage License
Getting a marriage certificate starts with applying for a marriage license. The license authorizes your union prewedding, then basically turns into the certificate postwedding as proof you’re legally married. The names you list on your license will determine the names listed on your certificate.
You’ll get your marriage license from the state where you’re having your ceremony. So, if that’s Iowa, you’ll apply for an Iowa marriage license. IA is one of the states that asks you to write your desired married name right on the application.
If you’re getting married in-state, keep reading the full instructions for how to get a marriage license in Iowa. Otherwise, look up the requirements in your wedding location. Doing this research nowyep, before you even get marriedcould set you up for a fairly straightforward legal name change later.
What documents do you need?
You can submit an Iowa marriage license application at any county recorder’s office. Some, but not all, offices have the form available online to fill out in advance. Bring along legal proof of identification, such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID or passport. We strongly recommend calling ahead to make sure there’s nothing else you need.
How much does it cost?
Usually, it costs $35 for an Iowa marriage license.
Important things to remember:
Complete Forms For Illinois Agencies
The next forms to complete are to update your information for your drivers license , birth certificate , and voter registration card . Of these, your drivers license should be your first priority, but its important to get an original copy of your birth certificate as soon as you can. If you do not update your voter registration card, you will be denied your voting rights next time you try to vote.
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How To Change Your Name On A Social Security Card
This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. This article has been viewed 33,869 times.
When you change your name legally after getting married, divorced, or for any other reason, you must apply for an updated Social Security card with your new name. To receive an updated Social Security card, you must gather the required documents to prove your identity and new name, fill out an application for a new card, and submit your application and documents to the nearest Social Security office. There is no fee to update your Social Security card.
Hilo Social Security Office 111 E Puainako St Hi 96720

This page covers all relevant information about the Hilo Social Security Office at 111 E Puainako St, Hilo, HI, 96720. In addition to the office phone number, we also provide driving directions, hours of operation, and answers to frequently asked questions.
For specific information about your Social Security benefits or to schedule an appointment, call the Hilo Social Security Office using the phone number listed below. The SSA representatives at the Hilo office location should be able to help with any important questions related to Social Security retirement benefits, disability benefits, SSI, or Medicare.
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Online Services
Many Social Security services can now be done online. Not only can utilizing online services save you a trip to the Hilo office location, it will also usually result in faster processing times. Below you can find a list of some common Social Security services that are now offered online.
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How To Change The Name On Your Social Security Card
The process to change the name on your Social Security card is quite straightforward. You must:
- Provide proof of your identity
- Complete and print an Application for a Social Security Card
- Mail or hand-deliver the application and supporting documentation to your local Social Security office
Once the application is processed, the Social Security Administration will issue you a new Social Security card under your new name. Please note that your Social Security number will not change.
Originally created to track the earnings history of employees for use in administering benefits, the SSA-issued Social Security number is used as a universal identifier. The nine-digit number lets government agencies identify and compile information about you.
When you change the name on your Social Security card whether through marriage, divorce, court order, or another reason you need to contact the SSA to receive a corrected card. Failure to do so could stop your wages from being assigned to your earnings record or delay processing of future income tax refunds.
Individuals often ask, how long does it take to change your name on a Social Security card? The answer depends on the backlog at the SSA. Normally, it takes two to six weeks for the SSA to mail your new card, along with returning any supporting documentation. For this reason, don’t wait to initiate the process.
How Does Social Security Treat Marriages Involving Transgender People
Social Security recognizes as valid any marriage that was recognized under state law as being a valid marriage when it was entered into. Social Security looks to state law and government-issued documents to determine marital status it is not based on the gender marker in your Social Security record. For this reason, changing your gender marker with Social Security will not affect your or your spouses right to Social Security benefits. Any marriage that was valid when it was entered continues to be valid regardless of a spouses transition.
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Will Changing My Gender With Ssa Affect My Health Benefits
Changing your gender marker with Social Security will typically not affect private health insurance. While some insurance plans may automatically refuse coverage of services that appear inconsistent with a gender marker in the plans records, private plans generally do not base their gender data on, or match it with, Social Security records.
However, if a person is enrolled in Medicare, or the Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income programs, their insurance record will be based on Social Security data. In that case, they may experience automatic refusals for coverage of services that appear inconsistent with a gender marker in Social Security records. This type of denial can usually be resolved by having your providers office either add a specific billing code, contact the plan, or help you request a formal coverage determination.
Maybe You Don’t Need Id
It may be possible to use your name change document as ID. This offers the convenience of mailing your application without surrendering your driver’s license, passport, etc.
This works by making sure your document:
Review the primary ID options if your name change document doesn’t qualify as ID.
1. Is recently established
You’ve crossed the biggest hurdle if your name change event took place within the past two years.
There’s no name change deadline. But waiting too long increases your burdenmailing ID and awaiting its return. Even then, alternative ID options exist.
2. Shows biographical information
Your name change document mustand shouldshow biographical data matching your current social security record:
- Age
- Parents’ names
Any of the above three details work, but nothing else.
3. Matches your current name on file
Your name change document must mention the name on your current social security card. So, were your name Jane Doe before changing, your document must show likewise.
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Complete And Submit Form Ss
Form SSA-5 is used for replacement and new social security cards. Once youve printed the form, you are ready to begin filing it out. This form is not long but does require accurate information. It gives detailed instructions, but should you get stuck at any point you can call the Social Security information at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance.
Do not leave any sections blank. It is better to write not available or NA than leave a space blank. Per SSA instructions, use a blue or black ink pen.
If you do not have a computer available, many people ask a friend for help or use a local library.
You can either mail the completed form SS-5, along with your original Social Security card and court order , or take form SS-5 to your local Social Security office. Some people are more comfortable going to the local office in person, and remember you can call ahead to make an appointment. Sitting down with an SSA worker can help answer any questions you have, and you do not need to be concerned about your original documents getting lost in the maileven though that is unlikely.
If you mail your SS-5 and required documents, its okay to send by registered letter for extra peace of mind but this is not necessary. Be sure that if you must submit a court order, you are using a certified copy.
Replacement Card For A Us Born Child
You can replace your child’s Social Security card for free if it is lost or stolen. You are limited to three replacement cards in a year and 10 during a lifetime. Legal name changes and other exceptions do not count toward these limits. For example, changes in immigration status that require card updates may not count toward these limits. Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to prevent a significant hardship.
Important
You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current . We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.
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Proof Of Us Citizenship
In order to prove your legal name change, you will need to prove your American citizenship. In order to demonstrate that you are a U.S. citizen you can present a U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport. You can only bring original copies, or in the case of the birth certificate, a certified copy.
How To Change Your Name On Your Social Security Card

Learn how to update your name with the SSA.
Once youve changed your nameeither by , divorce, or the legal name change processyour first step should be to contact the Social Security Administration to update your Social Security card.
With an updated Social Security card, it will be easier to change your name on other important documents.
In fact, to update your drivers license, youll first need to change your name on your Social Security card.
To help ensure you know everything you need to take this critical step in changing your name, this page will cover all the requirements and procedures you need to understand to update your Social Security card.
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