How to Update Your Driver's Licence and Passport After Divorce in New Brunswick

Updating your ID documents after divorce follows a specific order. Your driver's licence and passport both require proof of the name change — which means you need your Certificate of Divorce first. Trying to update these documents before you have the certificate in hand is a wasted trip.

Updating Your Driver's Licence

You must visit a Service New Brunswick service centre in person. This cannot be done online or by mail.

What to bring:

• Your current valid driver's licence
• One primary photo ID (your current licence counts)
• Two proof-of-residency documents from the most recent billing cycle (utility bill, bank statement, or lease agreement showing your current address)
• Your original, certified Certificate of Divorce — or your Legal Name Change Certificate if you changed to a name other than your birth name

If you're restoring your birth surname, bring your original Canadian Birth Certificate along with the Certificate of Divorce. Service New Brunswick uses these documents together to verify the name you're returning to.

Fees:

• Replacement licence (same expiry date): $22
• Full renewal (new expiry date): $90

The licence replacement is issued the same day if you're updating at a full-service centre. Some smaller locations may require additional processing time.

Updating Your Vehicle Registration

If your name has changed, your vehicle registration should be updated at the same Service New Brunswick visit. The process is straightforward — present the same name change documentation and they'll update the registration record.

If you're transferring a vehicle between you and your ex-spouse as part of the divorce settlement, the process involves additional steps. Normally, vehicle transfers are subject to a 15% Provincial Vehicle Tax. But transfers pursuant to a marital separation qualify for the Family Gift Exemption — both spouses must appear together at SNB and complete Form PVTB-104 (Family Gift Affidavit).

Updating Your Passport

A Canadian passport cannot be amended. If your name has changed, you must submit a completely new passport application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Required documents:

• A new passport application form
• A certified copy of your Certificate of Divorce or Legal Name Change Certificate
• Two new passport photos meeting current specifications
• Valid supporting identification that shows your new name
• The standard passport fee

If your current passport is still valid and you simply need it reissued with your new name, you can submit a simplified renewal application. But if your passport has expired or you're changing more than just the surname, you'll need a full new application with guarantor references.

Processing time: Standard processing for a Canadian passport is currently 10 to 20 business days at a passport office. Mail applications take longer.

Tip: Update your driver's licence first. The updated licence then serves as supporting identification on your passport application, making the process smoother.

Updating Your Social Insurance Number

Your SIN number itself doesn't change, but you need to update the name associated with it in Service Canada's records. This ensures tax filings, CPP statements, and EI records all match your current legal name.

Contact Service Canada in person at a local office or by mail. You'll need to present:

• Your Certificate of Divorce or Legal Name Change Certificate
• Your current SIN card (if you still have it — SIN cards are no longer issued, but your number remains the same)
• A primary identity document showing your new name

The Correct Order

Update your documents in this sequence to avoid complications:

1. Certificate of Divorce — obtain from the Court of King's Bench ($7, available 31 days after the divorce judgment)
2. Driver's licence — this becomes your primary photo ID for subsequent updates
3. Medicare card — submit the Medicare Updates and Changes Form
4. SIN record — update through Service Canada
5. Passport — submit a new application using your updated driver's licence as supporting ID
6. Banks and financial institutions — update account names with your new ID
7. CRA — update your name and marital status

Each step produces documentation that makes the next step easier. Going out of order means more trips and more delays.

The New Brunswick After-Divorce Checklist maps out the full identity update sequence with every form, fee, and document requirement — plus a tracking worksheet to mark each institution as you go.

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