How to change your name on your Marriage License

If you want to change your name to a new married name after your wedding it is very simple to do so. Just follow the directions below.

INFORMATION REGARDING THE NAME EQUALITY ACT OF 2007

You DO NOT have to change your name if you don’t want to.

If you want to change your name, the information below will give you the options that the County Clerk and State of California allows.

Your FIRST NAME:

Each party to the marriage may adopt any of the following LAST NAMES:

1. The current last name of the other spouse.  
2. The last name of either spouse given at birth. 
3. A name combining into a single last name all or a segment of the current last name or the last name of either spouse given at birth. 
4. A combination of last names.

Each party to the marriage may adopt any of the following MIDDLE NAMES:

1. The current last name of either spouse. 
2. The last name of either spouse given at birth. 
3. A combination of the current middle name and the current last name of the person or spouse. 
4. A combination of the current middle name and the birth last name of the person or spouse. 
5. Segments are not allowed in the middle name. 
6. Parties may not completely drop their existing middle name.

The marriage certificate is used by multiple local, state, federal and private agencies, each of which have different rules and/or regulations regarding what documents are acceptable to change your name on their records following marriage. It is recommended that you contact these agencies to verify their requirements prior to applying for your marriage license.

It is unlawful for our employees to answer questions of a legal nature. Our staff cannot advise you how to complete the marriage license application as it relates to your entry of a new name or retention of your former name on the marriage license application. For your protection, if you have any questions regarding whether you should or should not list your new name on the marriage license application, and/or how the Name Equality Act of 2007 may affect you, please consult an attorney prior to applying for your marriage license.

Parties to the marriage may not add or amend this information after the marriage license has been issued. Clerical errors in the new name fields may only be amended if the amendment is signed by the county clerk and one of the parties to the marriage. This law shall not abrogate the right of either party to adopt a different name at a future date through non-fraudulent common law usage or to petition the superior court for a change of name pursuant to Title 8 (commencing with Section 1275) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure.