Changing Passport Question

iamjoesgurl · October 2009

My passport is 5 1/2 years old. I'm trying to decide if it would be worthwhile to change my name since I don't know of any trips abroad I'll be taking in the next few years. Does anyone know how long I can use my passport with my maiden name? Also, I was looking at the FAQs on the government website and it says that to change your name, you need to submit a certified copy of your marriage certificate. The office that issued our marriage certificate told us not to lose the original certificate because an original cannot be reproduced. They would only ever be able to issue a copy. So I'd be quite nervous to mail the original to the US Passport office. TIA!

sucrets4 · October 2009

When you first get a passport, you have to mail your original birth certificate, so I'm not surprised they want the original marriage cert.I wouldn't risk traveling with an outdated passport, especially this day in age.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · October 2009

There's a difference between a copy and a certified copy. You should be able to get a certified copy, which usually has an embossed stamp from the office issuing it.

jessjo04 · October 2009

We got a certified copy because my mom lost (and later found) the original. You said you can get a copy by showing your original, do that. I'm not changing mine from my maiden name until our next trip though.

lyndausvi · October 2009

Technically you need to change it when you change your SSN but I've seen woman not do that and they have been fine. The key is if you do travel you need to book using your maiden name. It's upbto younif you want to risk it or not.

*Rebecca & Chris* · October 2009

I just got my new passport in the mail yesterday, actually. I sent in the certified copy of the marriage license, the old passport, and my new pictures. They do mail the marriage license back to you. I went on the website to the county that the license was through, and they had a form to fax in to get copies of the license. They are certified copies with the seal and everything.

tidetravel · October 2009

Technically, your passport needs to reflect your LEGAL name. So, if you change all of your other identification documents, you need to change your passport as well. You don't send the original. You order a "certified copy" from the office that issued the marriage certificate and send that in.

iamjoesgurl · October 2009

Rebecca - I just noticed that you also need to show proof of your upcoming trip: You must provide a copy of ONE of the following : - Your foreign travel plane ticket - Your printed travel itinerary showing foreign travel - If this is a business trip, you may present a business letter from your employer. So, now I'm wondering if you had to do this - did you already have a trip planned? (I've never heard of this before)

*Rebecca & Chris* · October 2009

Ohhh, we booked our honeymoon after I changed my name since we aren't going until the holidays, so I did everything under my married name. Hmmm, I didn't think about if a trip was booked.

lyndausvi · October 2009

You only need the ticket if you are going in person. I'm lucky that they consider the VI out of the county. Even though you do not need a passport. Vim able to get my passport in the states done in a few hours with my return ticket.

tidetravel · October 2009

Where are you getting that info joesgurl? That doesn't seem right - you can apply for a passport anytime; you don't need to have a trip planned.

tidetravel · October 2009

State department name change guidelines: [url]http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/ChangeName/ChangeName_851.html[/url]

Amaryllis619 · October 2009

Thanks for asking this! I've been wondering about how to do this as well. Ik I have like 8 months to worry about how to change my name, but I need to renew my passport earlier just in case we end up going OOC for our HM. And FI hasn't ever had one, so I'm trying to figure that out as well.

mmm_080809 · October 2009

As soon as you change your name on your SS card, that IS your legal name. So you can't travel anymore with a passport in your maiden name. This requirement got much stricter with the increase in national security precautions. I think the new national security concerns are also the reason why they now ask for travel plans. But you still should be able to get a passport without specific plans - is there a "TBA" option on the form?

*Rebecca & Chris* · October 2009

PP - It took us about 2-3 weeks for the passport to come in. If you are going on your honeymoon right after the wedding, I would just keep it with your maiden name since you won't have your new name documents yet.

tidetravel · October 2009

Jetski - is your PP going to expire prior to your honeymoon? If it is, you can apply for a new PP in your maiden name now, so you have a valid one for travel. Just ensure that you book your travel under your maiden name - documents have to match. If you legally change your name within one year of being issued a new PP, you would follow the same application process to change your name, but the fees are waived.

iamjoesgurl · October 2009

Thanks Tide. I did a search on passport FAQ and was on a site called www.passportsandvisas.com. I should have known better than to go to a non-government site. Thanks!!!

Amaryllis619 · October 2009

Jetski - is your PP going to expire prior to your honeymoon? If it is, you can apply for a new PP in your maiden name now, so you have a valid one for travel. Just ensure that you book your travel under your maiden name - documents have to match. If you legally change your name within one year of being issued a new PP, you would follow the same application process to change your name, but the fees are waived. Yes, sadly my passport already expired in March of this year. I'll have to apply with my maiden name and change it when we get home. ik it's a pain to have to reapply within a year... but at least the fee is waived!! ty

ps probably a dumb question- but how do you make text italic when quoting a previous statement/question?

tidetravel · October 2009

[i*]put the text in between these brackets. Take out the stars[/i*]

Amaryllis619 · October 2009

[i]thank you![/i]

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