About Changing Your Name on Your South Carolina Registration

You must complete a few steps before you can change your name on car registration in South Carolina, including notifying the Social Security Administration (SSA) of your new legal name.

You must change your name with the SSA at least 48 hours before you may update your South Carolina driver and vehicle registration records. After changing your name with the SSA and obtaining a replacement Social Security card that displays your new name, you may begin updating your driver and vehicle registration records.

Note: Under state law, you must notify the SCDMV within 10 days of legally changing your name.

To change car registration information, you must visit a local office of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) in person. To learn more about changing your name on car registration materials and to explore the steps you must take to update your name with the SSA and SCDMV, review the information below.

Your South Carolina Name Change Checklist

Before completing a name change on car registration credentials, you must apply for a corrected Social Security card. To do so, complete an application for a Social Security card and submit it to your local Social Security office along with certified proof of the name change.

Depending on your circumstances, legal proof of the name change may include:

• A certified copy of your marriage certificate.
• A divorce decree.
• A court order.

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

After notifying the SSA of your new legal name, you must update the information on your vehicle registration and your South Carolina driver’s license, ID card or learner’s permit. To change your name on your car registration, you must visit an SCDMV office to submit your request in person.

Applying for a DMV Name Change in South Carolina

As part of your SC change of name checklist, you must update the information on your driver and vehicle registration records once you notify the SSA of your new legal name.

To do so, you must visit a local SCDMV office to submit your request in person. However, you can access the required application online if you wish to save time before heading to the DMV.

Once you arrive at your local DMV office, you must submit your application along with certified proof of your name change, such as a court order or marriage license. Completing this SCDMV name change application will automatically update your driver’s license and car registration.

When changing the name on your auto registration and driver’s license credentials, you must provide:

• Your vehicle’s identification number (VIN).
• Your vehicle’s license plate number.
• Your SCDMV customer number.

Additionally, you must present your driver’s license, ID card or beginner’s permit number. If your mailing or residential address has also changed, you must provide your new and former addresses to update this information as well.

When you update car registration information after your legal name changes, you must also complete an Application for a Driver’s License, Beginner’s Permit, or Identification Card if you hold any of these three credentials. When you apply for an SCDMV change of name, state law requires you to purchase a replacement driver’s license, permit or ID card that displays your new name.

If you wish to upgrade your standard credential to a REAL ID-compliant license, permit or ID card, you may do so at this time if you can present the required documentation.

Download our free guide for instructions on how to change your name on your car registration.