Name Changing

Re: Name Changing

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  sheknows6 member

  

  May 2015

  Hi brides and bride-to-bes!

  
  

  I am getting married July 18 in Asheville, which is in Buncombe county. I am currently in grad school at Elon in Alamance County, 50 mins outside of Raleigh. I'm trying to figure out this whole name change thing and where the best place to file things is! I have figured out that the whole "you have to get a marriage license in the county you are getting married" deal isn't a thing anymore. I can get a marriage license in Buncombe County or Alamance County and both are good to get married anywhere in NC. The most ideal situation would be to obtain the marriage license in Buncombe County, get married there, and have the pastor file the license the Monday after the wedding. However, our pastor is traveling from my hometown of Charlotte (confused yet?) and unfortunately is in a wheelchair and would not be willing to stay an extra day in Asheville to travel to the Deeds office to file our license. Another issue we would run into, is by the time the marriage certificate is ready to be picked up after we are married, is that I will be back at Elon for classes and unable to travel back to Asheville to pick it up. If we obtain the marriage license in Alamance County and then get married in Buncombe county, again the pastor would not travel down to Alamance county to file it, because that is even more traveling. 

  
  

  So, I was wondering if anyone could answer my questions. After we are married, is there anyway to just mail the marriage license into the Deeds office, and have the marriage certificate mailed to me? If we do have to turn the marriage license into the office in person, can my groom and I do it, or does it HAVE to be the pastor? If anyone can help, I would appreciate it! Thank you!

  
  

  Amber 

  This is taken from Iredell County which is just north of Charlotte, and where I'm getting my marriage license from instead of Mecklenburg County:

  
  

  After we issue your marriage license, it is valid for 60 days to be used anywhere in North Carolina. Once the marriage ceremony is performed, the officiant (Magistrate, Minister, Priest, etc.) and the two witnesses of your choice (must be at least 18 years of age) must fill out the bottom section of both copies of the marriage license. The completed marriage license must then be returned to our office within 10 days of the ceremony.
  

  
  

  It only requires that the certificate be returned with the officiant and witnesses having filled it out, not that the officiant return it themselves. I would imagine you could even mail the completed copy back as it doesn't state anywhere that it must be delivered in person. What I plan to do and what you should probably do is call the county you are getting the license from and ask them what the requirements are. But again I'd be shocked if you couldn't simply mail the license in to them as that's how it was done for years until forms went mostly electronic.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  emmaaa mod

  

  June 2015

  Hopefully I am understanding correctly, so I'll try to answer.

  
  

  When DH and I got our marriage license, we both had to go together to the county we live in, which is Alamance. Then our officiant signed it at our wedding, made us a copy (this is really optional), and mailed it to the register of deeds the next day. They don't actually have to take it there...just mailing it is fine. 

  
  

  For name change, you can do that anywhere in NC. I live in Alamance but work in Moore County. I went to the Social Security office in Moore County to start changing my name and then the DMV wherever is convenient (I went also in Moore County because it is easier). 

  
  

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