Name changes, IDs, and the military overseas

Re: Name changes, IDs, and the military overseas

• eskamo

  

  June 2010 edited December 2011

  1) Do I HAVE to have an ID in my married name right now? You don't need any documents in your new name unless your travel doucments are in your new name. All of your IDs have to match to go overseas.
  
  2) Do I HAVE to change my driver's license to the state where my husband lives in? There is a new spousal residency act that doesn't require spouses to have husbands residency. I think this means that no, you do not have to have a license from your husbands state.
  
  3) Will I be able to get my military ID in my married name when I get on base even if I don't have an ID in my married name stateside? Yes, all you need is your SS card and marriage certificate.
  
  4)  Does my license become invalid because the name doesn't match my SS? I don't think so. I might be wrong though.
  
  5) Am I allowed to have a state ID in one state and a driver's license in a different state? No idea. Sorry.
  
  6) Why is this so hard?! lol
  
  7) Is there any other information that I need to know when it comes to the paperwork involved for IDs, licenses, and getting on the military orders? Umm, no? Sorry, I have never tried to get on orders for OCONUS

  
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• Spunkchin member

  

  June 2010 edited December 2011

  1) Do I HAVE to have an ID in my married name right now?  A state issued ID? No.
  2) Do I HAVE to change my driver's license to the state where my husband lives in?  No, in fact you CAN'T unless you are a resident of that state -- just like the DMV people told you. The military doesn't care where you are a resident.
  3) Will I be able to get my military ID in my married name when I get on base even if I don't have an ID in my married name stateside? Yes. You need to show them your marriage certificate and two any other forms of photo ID, they will make your mil ID with your husband's last name unless you specify not to. 
  4)  Does my license become invalid because the name doesn't match my SS?  I doubt it. My license has my maiden name and my social has my married name. No one has arrested me yet. The SSC matters really only for employment in the states.
  5) Am I allowed to have a state ID in one state and a driver's license in a different state?  No.
  6) Why is this so hard?!  Because you're dealing with separate state bureacracies.
  7) Is there any other information that I need to know when it comes to the paperwork involved for IDs, licenses, and getting on the military orders?
  Whatever name is on your military ID will be your name on his orders, all TriCare stuff, and in DEERS. To make your life easier, get all IDs in the same name. This is particularly important to your PASSPORT since you'll be overseas. In order to legally live in other countries for more than a few months you will need a Visa which is tied to his orders to that country which means you need the Visa, Passport and all Military documentation to be in the SAME name. Your driver's license and social are not so important overseas since they are for tax and voting purposes in the US.
  
  * I am overseas for the next 2.5 years and my Visa, Mil Passport, Mil ID and name on H's orders are all the same. To the military I am one name. My SSC has my full name (maiden and married) and my driver's license has my maiden name.  It sucks, so get everything you can in one name to make your life easier.

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• amber16may

  

  June 2010 edited December 2011

  Another thing you are going to need to do to be able to move overseas with your husband is an Exceptional Family Member Program screen.  All this means is that the Army needs to be sure they have the medical facilities available to meet your needs.  You will just need to see your local military clinic for this paperwork. 

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• SheilaE

  

  June 2010 edited December 2011

  1) Do I HAVE to have an ID in my married name right now?  No,  unless you are flying and your reservations are in your married name and your IDs/passport are in your maiden name. 
  
  2) Do I HAVE to change my driver's license to the state where my husband lives in?  No, you can keep the residency of the state your current license is from.  But like the DMV said you can't become a resident just because you married your DH.  You had to have lived there and have proof that you live their (aka bills).  That's standard state to state.
  
  3) Will I be able to get my military ID in my married name when I get on base even if I don't have an ID in my married name stateside?  Yes
  
  4)  Does my license become invalid because the name doesn't match my SS?  No, the government is used to women or men changing their names when they get married and there is a gap between the time you changed your name with the offices.  I wouldn't keep the two different for too long, but that's just me.  Like others said you won't get arrested for it.
  
  5) Am I allowed to have a state ID in one state and a driver's license in a different state?  No, you can only have one state ID or driver's license.  That's why the DMV's ask for your current ID and void it when you go in to get a new one.
  
  6) Why is this so hard?! It's not really that hard, maybe a little time consuming but not hard.  Just carry your marriage license around for awhile.
  
  7) Is there any other information that I need to know when it comes to the paperwork involved for IDs, licenses, and getting on the military orders? Like a PP said you will have to get checked out by the doctors on base and they will verify that you are healthy enough to go to the location that your DH is/will be at.  I had to have my marriage license when I changed my name for my bank account.  Your Dh needs to put you in DEERS and work on getting his orders ammended.   Also start the passport process.  When I went overseas on my Dh's orders I had two passports, my civilian passport and my government no-fee passport.  The no-fee passport we did through the SATO office on base (that's what the USMC called it.)  Some people say you don't need a no-fee passport.  I say get it, I had a freind that couldn't get to Japan when she planned because she was told that the Navy wouldn't book her flight since she didn't have the no-fee passport.  She had her civilian passport, but they wouldn't book her flight.  I also know people that didn't have the no-fee passport that did get flights booked.  It all depends on who's working that day, but I'd rather be safe than sorry and get the no-fee passport.  Get a POA from your DH and your Dh may need to get a Family Entry Approval for you to go overseas.  Basically, it states that you are on the orders and allowed to use all the services on base.

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• LuluP82 member

  

  June 2010 edited December 2011

  I'm confused-- why can' t you get a new license in your married name from the state where you live now? Your ID doesn't have to be the same state's as your husband, but it will be a giant pain to not have your IDs all match, esp for flying purposes!
  
  Just go to the DMV of your state with a bill or some proof of address, your passport or certified birth certificate, your new SS card, and your certified marriage certificate and get your new ID. As someone who's been really lazy about everything, and is in the middle of name-changing and flying out today...let me  tell you, I really, really wish all my stuff matched!
  
  

  

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• fallingobsession

  

  July 2010 edited December 2011

  Haha, it's all straightened out now... (yay!)
  
  BUT I couldn't because you had to do it in person, and I wasn't going to be back to the other state before I left to go overseas. And it was on the other side of the country, so it's not like I could just take a few hour drive to do it.
  
  To everyone: Thanks for all the info, I am finally almost done with all th paperwork! For us, I have to be physically present in the state before they will do ANYTHING, and since it's the time of year for everyone PCSing, getting my medical clearance appointments are taking a while. Otherwise, it's going, slowly but surely - and I just wanted to thank everybody for the advice!
  

  

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