About Changing Your Name on Your Florida Registration

Under state law, you must change the name on car registration in Florida after you change your legal name due to marriage, divorce, adoption, court order or any other reason. If you do not update the name on your vehicle’s registration credentials after you change your legal name in Florida, you could face penalty fees and other complications.

To change car registration information after your legal name changes, you must visit a local Motor Vehicle Service Center under the Department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) to submit your request in person. You cannot apply for a name change on car registration online the way you can with a car registration address change.

Additionally, you must change your name with the Social Security Administration (SSA) before you can update your driver and vehicle registration records.

Therefore, it is important to change your name with the SSA as soon as possible after you legally change your name. To learn more about the steps you must take to change the name on your driver and vehicle registration records, review the information below.

When to Apply for a Name Change on Auto Registration in Florida

Changing the name on car registration credentials and driver records is one of the first steps you must take after you marry, divorce or choose to change your legal name for any other reason.

Under state law, you must update the information on your driver and vehicle registration records within 30 days of legally changing your name. If you do not change auto registration and driver records in a timely manner, you may face penalty fees.

If you do not update your name on your registration in a timely manner, you may also find it difficult to request a vehicle registration renewal and perform other DMV transactions.

Keep in mind that you cannot update the information on your vehicle registration records until you change your name with the SSA and apply for a corrected Florida driver’s license.

As part of your FL name change checklist, you must remember to report your new name to the SSA and apply for a corrected Social Security card at least 24 to 48 hours before changing the name on your Florida driver’s license and registration credentials.

The Florida DMV will check your new name against SSA records, so waiting is important because it gives the SSA time to update said records.

When changing your name with the SSA, you must be able to provide the following:

• Proof of identity
• A completed application
• A certified copy of your name change document

You can find information and necessary documents for updating your name on your car registration in our free guide.

After changing your name with the SSA, you must visit a Driver License Service Center to update the information on your Florida driver’s license. In some cases, you may be able to change vehicle registration information and update your driver records at the same time, eliminating the need to complete these two transactions separately.

Applying for a DMV Name Change in Florida

To change the name on car registration in Florida after updating your Social Security card and driver’s license, you must visit a local Motor Vehicle Service Center and submit your request in person.

During your visit, you must present your corrected Florida driver’s license as proof of your new name and identity. Depending on the specific situation, you may need to present additional documents as well.

After changing the name on your vehicle registration record, you must apply for a replacement registration card that displays your new name. The state does not require you to purchase a replacement certificate of title as well, but you may voluntarily do so at this time.

For information on updating your car registration, download our free guide.