How to Change Your Name After Divorce in Connecticut

Restoring your maiden or former name after a Connecticut divorce is not automatic. Even if the judge granted name restoration in your dissolution decree, you still need to update every federal and state record in a specific sequence — and doing it out of order means rejected applications and wasted trips to the DMV.

Here is the exact order Connecticut requires, along with the forms, fees, and timing for each step.

Getting Name Restoration Into Your Decree

Under CGS § 46b-63, you can request name restoration at the time your final dissolution decree is entered. The court must grant the request — it is not discretionary.

If you missed that window, you have two options:

Post-judgment motion (no hearing required). File a motion with the same Superior Court that issued your dissolution. Under Public Act 18-75, the court rules on post-judgment name restoration motions without requiring a hearing or court appearance.

Probate Court petition. If you prefer a standalone process, file Petition Form PC-901 and Affidavit PC-910 with your local Probate Court. The filing fee runs $225 to $250, and the court may publish a legal notice in a local newspaper. This route is more expensive and slower — use the post-judgment motion first.

Step 1: Social Security Administration

Your SSA record must update before anything else. Federal databases feed into the Connecticut DMV verification system, so skipping this step means automatic rejection at the DMV.

Submit Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Card) at your local SSA office with:

• A certified copy of your divorce decree containing the name restoration language
• A valid government-issued photo ID
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate or passport)

There is no fee. The SSA database typically updates within 48 hours. Do not visit the DMV until at least two full business days after your SSA appointment.

Step 2: Connecticut DMV — License and ID

Once the SSA database has updated, schedule an in-person visit to a Connecticut DMV hub office or express branch. Bring:

• Completed DMV Form E-78 (Change of Name or Name Correction Request)
• Your current driver's license or ID card (you will surrender it)
• An original certified copy of your divorce decree with the name restoration order

The fee is $30 for a duplicate credential. Express DMV locations, AAA offices, and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union locations may add a convenience fee of up to $8.

To update your vehicle registration at the same visit, bring a completed Form B-301 (Registration Affidavit). If you are also transferring a vehicle title from joint names to your sole name, you will need Form H-13B (Application for Registration and Title) and the current certificate of title signed on the reverse.

Step 3: U.S. Passport

After your driver's license reflects your restored name, update your passport:

• Mail renewal (Form DS-82): If your current passport is undamaged, was issued within the last 15 years, and was issued after age 16.
• In-person application (Form DS-11): If your passport does not meet mail renewal criteria.

Include your certified divorce decree and a new passport photo. The standard renewal fee is $130.

Step 4: Everything Else

With your updated Social Security card, driver's license, and passport in hand, work through these updates:

• Banks and credit cards: Bring your new ID and certified decree to each institution
• Employer/HR: Update payroll records and benefits enrollments
• Insurance policies: Auto, health, homeowner's, and life insurance
• Voter registration: Submit an updated card to your town's Registrar of Voters or update online through the Secretary of the State's portal
• Professional licenses: Notify licensing boards (DPH, DCP) with your certified decree and updated license

Birth Certificate Amendment

If you want your Connecticut birth certificate amended to reflect your restored name, submit a notarized affidavit to the Vital Records office in the town where you were born. Include your certified divorce decree and current photo ID. Certified copies of the amended certificate cost $20 from the town clerk or $30 from the State Department of Public Health in Hartford.

The Administrative Sequence Matters

The single biggest mistake people make is trying to update their driver's license before the SSA processes their name change. The DMV's verification system checks the federal database in real time — if it does not match, your application is rejected on the spot.

The Connecticut After-Divorce Checklist maps this entire sequence with exact forms, fees, and deadlines so you do not waste time backtracking through agencies.

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