Changing your name on your passport before you get married?

Passport Question, about name change?

• My passport has my maiden name on it, and I am changing my name over to my husbands name for our fifth anniversary in April... I just got my passport last year, so it doesn't expire for a while... my question is, Can I still use my passport with my maiden name after I change my last name? Or will I have to get a new passport with my married name? Does a marriage license serve as a means of verifying identity in the case of name change? Thank you!

• Answer:

  No, you cannot use the same passport. Depending on when you got your passport, you might be able to have your name changed on it for free. If it has been over a year since you received your passport you will have to pay applicable "renewal" fees. Yes, your marriage license and certificate serve as a means to verifying identity in the case of name change. You might have some difficulty changing it because it has been five years since you were married.