What Happens After Getting a Legal Name Change Order in New York?

What Happens After Getting a Legal Name Change Order in New York?           

        After obtaining a legal name change order from a court, you should contact government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles to change the name on your driver license, the US Passport Office to change the name on your passport, and the US Social Security Office to change the name on your social security card.  Each of these government agencies has an application and a filing fee which also requires that you supply a certified copy of the name change order that you received from the court.  You should also let the board of elections ( voting agency) and your local post office know that you have changed your name. 

         Some people like to have the name on their birth record at the Department of Health in New York changed to the new legal name. But this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.  

         In New York City, the process of changing the name on your birth record is called a "correction application" and this can be done only after obtaining a legal name change order from a court. Submit the correction application to the New York City Department of Health with a certified copy of the name change order along with any required fee.   In New York City,  the Department of Health is located in Manhattan at 125 Worth Street, NY, NY. 

         If you were born in another state, contact the agency that maintains birth records to find out what to do after obtaining the name change order if you want to add the new name to the birth record. Again, this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.  

Christopher Tompkins is a New York City Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years.  Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email:  NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com.   Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/