How the Legal Name Change Process Affects Your Ability to Travel

Legally changing your name will not affect your ability to travel as long as you do not plan a trip using the new name before the new name is applied to  your green card, passport, and State Identification ( license or NYS ID) after the legal name change order is signed. 

In other words,  after you obtain the legal name change order from the court,  you can still travel under the old name up until the time you change the name on your green card, passport, and Driver's license ( or NYS ID card).  After you amend these identification documents with the new name, then you can plan a trip and travel with the new name.  Until then, you would plan and travel under the old name. 

A state court legal name change order does not automatically change over Federal Identification documents and your NYS Driver's License ( or State ID).  You have to be proactive and apply to do that for each identification card or document after you obtain a legal name change order.  

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