How to Legally Change a Hyphenated Last Name

Take your divorce decree to the Social Security office.

The laws for changing your last name, hyphenated or not, vary from state to state. However, certain aspects of the process are consistent across state lines. Whether you are changing your hyphenated name back to your original name following a divorce, or you have other motives for changing your last name, you must follow certain legal protocols first. Once you do, you can change your name to almost anything you wish.

Things You'll Need

• Appropriate forms (depending on state)
• Divorce decree

Instructions

1. Visit your state government's website to obtain any legal forms required to apply for a name change. For example, residents of New York must download and complete a petition for name change in order to start the process (see Reference 1).

2. Contact the court clerk in the case of a post-divorce name change. If you were divorced in California, for example, and you wish to change your hyphenated last name back to your maiden name, you can file an application to restore your former name. But you must do so with the court clerk in the county in which you were divorced. (See Reference 3)

3. Visit your local Social Security office with your divorce decree in order to obtain a new Social Security card. (See Reference 4)

References

• Sylvia Rivera Law Project: How to Legally Change Your Name in New York City
• Name Change Law: Pennsylvania Name Change Center
• California Courts: Self-Help Center
• Social Security Online: Electronic Fact Sheet