How to Change Your Name After Divorce in Colorado

Colorado handles post-divorce name changes differently depending on whether you requested name restoration during the divorce itself. Getting the sequence wrong — or missing a key deadline — can cost you $105 in unnecessary court fees and weeks of delays at the DMV.

Here is exactly how to restore your prior name after a Colorado dissolution of marriage, step by step.

Step 1: Check Your Decree for Name-Restoration Language

Pull out your certified Decree of Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1116) and look for explicit language restoring your maiden or prior surname. If your attorney or the court included it, you already have your court order — skip to Step 2.

If your decree does not mention name restoration, you need to file two forms with the district court that handled your divorce:

• JDF 1824 — Verified Motion and Affidavit for Name Restoration After Dissolution of Marriage
• JDF 1825 — Order for Name Restoration

Both are available on the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The critical deadline: if you file JDF 1824 within 60 days of the decree signature date, the court waives the standard motion fee. File after 60 days, and you pay $105.

This only applies to restoring a maiden or prior surname. If you want an entirely new name (not one you previously used), you must file a separate name-change petition under C.R.S. § 13-15-101 — that costs $268, requires CBI and FBI background checks, and may require a court hearing.

Step 2: Update Your Social Security Record First

Before touching anything at the state level, register the change with the Social Security Administration. Colorado's DMV verifies names against the SSA's SSOLV database in real time — if SSA still shows your married name, the DMV will reject your application.

Visit a local SSA office in person with:

• Your certified decree (JDF 1116) or court order (JDF 1825) — originals with the court seal, not photocopies
• Unexpired government-issued photo ID
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence

File Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Card). Processing takes 24 to 48 hours for the database to update. Do not visit the DMV until at least two business days after your SSA appointment.

Step 3: Update Your Colorado Driver's License

Colorado law requires you to update your driver's license within 30 days of a legal name change. Schedule an in-person appointment at a State Driver's License Office — select the "Driver License Renewal" option.

Bring:

• Your certified decree or JDF 1825 court order
• Your updated Social Security card (or the SSA receipt if the card hasn't arrived yet — the DMV checks the database directly)
• A current Secure and Verifiable ID
• Proof of physical address if it has changed since your last renewal

You will need a new photo and fingerprint scan. The fee is the standard renewal or duplicate credential fee ($7.20–$8.20).

Step 4: Update Your Passport

Once your SSA and DMV records match your restored name, update your passport:

• Passport less than one year old: Submit Form DS-5504. No processing fee for standard service.
• Passport more than one year old: Submit Form DS-82 with the standard renewal fee.

Include your current passport, a new passport photo, and a certified copy of your decree with the name-restoration order.

Other Accounts to Update

After the big three (SSA, DMV, passport), work through: bank accounts, credit cards, employer HR records, health insurance, voter registration, utilities, and the U.S. Postal Service. Each institution has its own documentation requirements, but most accept a certified decree plus your updated driver's license.

The Colorado After-Divorce Checklist includes a complete name-change tracker with every agency, form number, and the exact order to prevent rejections at each stop.

See more Colorado guides →