Do the name change in the right order.

What this saves you from

• The second trip to the counter. Know to ask for certified copies, not photocopies.
• Not knowing where to start. Each step names the office or site to begin with.
• The accounts you forget for a year. A tick-off page covers the long tail, with space for dates and confirmation numbers.
• Doing step five before step two. The steps are in order.

Inside: Eight steps in order; Tracker for the rest of your accounts; Pointers to the official sources.

You get: Name Change Checklist (PDF).

How it helps

• Do it in the right order

  Eight steps, each with what to do and where to go: certified marriage certificate, Social Security card, driver's license or state ID, passport, employer and payroll, banks and cards, insurance, and the lease, mortgage and utilities.

• Know who to contact

  Each step names the place to start, such as the issuing office, ssa.gov, your state DMV or travel.state.gov.

• Track the long tail

  A tick-off page covers voter registration, doctors, licenses, retirement accounts, student loans, phone and subscriptions, vehicle title, airline programs, profiles and beneficiary forms, with space for the date and confirmation number.

• Save time at the counter

  Knowing to request several certified copies, not photocopies, saves a second trip.