Many people change their name due to divorce or marriage. When this happens, it is necessary to adjust the information on your passport and other identification. It is important that all your travel documentation have the same information and that travel tickets match that information. A quick pasport name change is not difficult to do and can be made in person, by mail, or on the Internet.
If requesting the modification through the mail, you must be in possession of your U.S. passport and it cannot have been issued before you turned sixteen. Additionally, the document cannot have been issued over fifteen years ago. To support the request, you will need to provide some legal documentation. Determine where you will send the application and supportive documentation.
To begin the process, the appropriate application must be completed. Check with the appropriate department to obtain the right application. You will also need your current passport and if your travel document it more than ninety days old, a new picture.
If the travel document is over a year old, you will need a specific form and if it is less than a year old, a different form is needed. Check with the state department to be sure that you obtain the appropriate form. Additionally, it is free to modify a travel document that is less than a year old. You will also need to supply the legal documents that support your request for the modification such as a marriage license, court order or divorce decree.
If you do not qualify to apply for a change by mail, you will be required to make the request in person. This can be done at a passport acceptance facility or a post office. You will need to bring a divorce decree, marriage license, or court order that references your new name with you along with other documents.
It is also necessary to bring an expired travel document or current driver license as identification. Along with those items, a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or citizenship papers will be used as your proof of citizenship. A new photo must be provided and the fees are paid by check or a money order. The completed application will have to be signed when an agent instructs you to.
It is also possible to make the adjustment to your travel document on the internet. This is done by using an online agency that has been approved by the United States government. The modification can be made and a new travel document will be returned to you in twenty-four hours. Using the Internet, you can get the adjustment done quickly with an expert third party agency.