How to Change the Name on a Passport - Expedited Passports

Just married? Newly divorced? Whatever the story behind your new name, you need to make sure that the change is reflected on your passport. Here are the steps to take to make that happen.

If Your Passport is Less Than a Year Old

If your passport is less than one year old, you can get your name changed free of charge.  Simply complete passport application Form DS-5504 and mail it in to address listed on the form, along with the following documents:

• Your current, valid US passport.
• Legal evidence to back up your name change request, such as a copy of your marriage certificate or a court order referencing the change.  Send either the original document or a certified copy, not a photocopy.
• One new passport photo.
• The Department of State will correct passports less than one year old for free. However, if you need your updated passport in the next six weeks, it’s a good idea to go ahead and pay the $60 expedite fee. This will reduce the processing time to approximately three weeks.

If Your Passport Was Issued More Than a Year Ago

If your passport was issued more than one year ago, you’ll need to go ahead and renew it in order to get your name changed.  To start, fill out passport renewal Form DS-82. Send it in to the address listed on the form, along with the following documents:

• Your current, undamaged US passport.
• One new passport photo.
• Legal documentation, such as a marriage certificate or court order, that supports your request for a name change.
• A check or money order to pay the fees. A passport book alone is $110, a passport card (valid only for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean) is $30, and both together are $140.

Passport applications are generally processed within six weeks, though you can pay an additional $60 expedite fee to cut that time down to three weeks. If you need the name on your passport changed more quickly than that, you have a choice of either making an appointment at one of the State Department’s 24 regional passport agency offices, or using a private company like RushMyPassport.

We take your paperwork and deliver it directly to the State Department for priority processing, often in as little as 24 hours. There’s no need to make an appointment, wait in line, or travel out of town to a passport agency. Plus, we walk you through the process, step-by-step, reducing the chance of errors that can cause delays.

For a quick passport name change with a minimum amount of hassle, contact us today!

One name is enough for most of us mortals, but celebrities often have two-their actual legal name and the name they perform under.  So, Tony Bennett is actually Anthony Benedetto, Marilyn Manson is actually Brian Warner and Joan Rivers is actually Joan Rosenberg, the last name of her late husband.

Earlier this month, amid increased security after the thwarted Christmas Day bombing, Rivers’ alias got her into a little bit of a pickle, according to the New York Daily News.  The comedienne was heading home from New Year’s Day in Costa Rica, when she got held up by gate agent who questioned the legitimacy of her US passport.  On her passport, her name is listed as “Joan Rosenberg aka Joan Rivers.”

The misunderstanding caused Ms. Rivers to be bumped from her flight to Newark, leaving her stranded in Costa Rica with no ATM card and only $100 in her pocket.

Although some news reports say that the police were called to the airport, now that she is back home she was able to laugh at the situation with the New York Daily News:

“If I were going to make up an alias, I wouldn’t pick Rosenberg. I’d pick Jolie or Pitt. Do terrorists wear Manolo Blahniks? I can tell you Donna Karan does not make anything that hides a bomb.”

“I tried the tears; they didn’t work. I tried reasoning. I couldn’t bribe because I didn’t have any money,” she said. “I said ‘I’m going to have a heart attack over this,’ so the woman called the paramedics.”

Although most of us don’t have aliases, this story underscores how important it is to make sure all of the information on your passport is correct and up-to-date. Joan Rivers may be laughing about it now, but the prospect of being stranded in airport unexpectedly is no fun!

If you have an international trip coming up and you need to get a passport name change or make a correction, RushMyPassport.com can help. We offer a variety of different packages and depending on the option you select, we can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Submit your passport application with us today!

Divorce is almost always a stressful and time-consuming process.  It’s all too easy to overlook little things that don’t seem important now, like changing your name on your passport. However, if you are changing your name as a result of a divorce, it’s best to apply for passport services immediately so that you have an updated passport when you need it.

Since May 15, the TSA has required that the name you book your tickets under match the name on your passport (or whatever other form of ID you use for traveling.) You can view the details of the new requirements here, on the TSA blog. So, it’s important to make sure that your passport has the right name on it.

The procedure for changing the name on your passport after a divorce varies depending on how long you’ve had your passport.  Here’s how to do it if your current passport is less than a year old:

• Fill out Form DS-5504
• Send it in with the court order documenting your name change and your current passport.
• If you’ve had your passport for more than 3 months, you also need to send in new passport photos.
• Unless you need expedited passport services, a name change on a passport less than a year old is free. To expedite your name change, enclose a check or money order for $60.00.

If your passport is more than a year old, the procedure is somewhat different:

• Fill out passport renewal application Form DS-82.
• Mail it in with your current passport and a court order documenting your name change.
• Send a check or money order for the $75 application fee.
• Enclose 2 new passport photos. (more…)

A new change in the rules for getting a passport will make things easier for same-sex couples married in Massachusetts and other states that allow  same-sex  marriage. Under the new rules, same sex couples who change their names after marriage will be allowed to apply for a passport using their spouse’s last name if they choose to change their names after marriage.

Before this ruling, in order to have the same last name as their spouse, one spouse would have to legally apply for  a legal  name change in court instead of simply being given the option to apply for a passport under their married names. To make things even more confusing, these couples were able to get state driver’s licenses and other identification documents in their married names without having to go through an additional name change process in court. Now, getting a passport name change is possible for these couples with a copy of the marriage certificate, just like it is for other marriages.

In a statement quoted in the Boston Globe, Keith Toney, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that prompted the rule change, described what a hassle it was having a driver’s license in his married name and a passport in his old name when he traveled with his family:

“We’re thrilled that we will no longer have to worry about being interrogated when we go through airport security, or anywhere else outside of the US simply because of a discrepancy in my legal identification documents.”

Do you need to get your name changed on your passport? To find out how to get your new passport as fast as possible, read How to Rush a Passport Name Change.

Do you need to get a passport name change in a hurry? RushMyPassport.com makes getting a passport name change fast and easy.  Our passport specialists will provide you with instructions for filling out the paperwork. Then, we’ll hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for processing. With RushMyPassport.com, your application could be processed in as little as 24 hours!

Get your passport application in today!

If you’re planning on traveling in the near future, it would be a good idea to check and make sure that all of your travel documents, including your US passport,  are up-to-date. According to the Chicago Tribune, TSA has started to crack down on people whose travel documents don’t match their tickets.

If you are traveling on a US passport, you definitely need to make sure that the name on your passport is the name on your ticket. Period. It doesn’t matter how many supporting documents you bring with you-the names must match  exactly-including the middle name or middle initial.  According to the story in the Tribune, the requirement that your middle name/middle initial match is effective now for domestic flights and will be effective in December for international flights.

If your name has changed since you were last issued a US passport, you should get it changed as soon as possible. For details on how to accomplish this task, see Changing Your Name on Your US Passport Renewal.

Remember to apply to have your name changed on your US passport at least 6 weeks in advance if you use regular processing. The government’s expedited processing service takes at least 3 weeks. If you need the name on your passport changed sooner than that, a private passport expediting company is your best bet. An expediting company will hand-deliver your passport name change application to the US Department of State, resulting in processing times as short as 24 hours.

Don’t wait until the last minute-change your name on your US passport today!