Overview
What matters first
Address Change requirements depend on the agency, transaction type, and jurisdiction involved. Use this page as a practical overview, then confirm the final rule with the official source that controls your case.
National guide
Address Change
Learn the core steps, documents, and decision points for address change.
Prepare
Documents and details to confirm
- Current credential or identifying information when relevant
- Supporting records specific to the topic
- Payment method for fees if the transaction is paid directly through an agency portal
Typical steps
How the process usually unfolds
- Start with the official rules for the jurisdiction or federal program that governs this topic.
- Gather the documents, forms, and timing details that apply to your situation.
- Verify final requirements with the official source before paying fees or submitting forms.
FAQ
Common questions
- Will the same process apply everywhere?
Usually not. Document lists, fees, and eligibility rules change by jurisdiction and transaction type.
Related services
Go deeper into state-specific pages
Address and Name Change
Learn how to update the name or address attached to your DMV records, driver credential, and vehicle files.
Car Insurance
Understand minimum coverage rules, proof-of-insurance expectations, and when you must show insurance to drive or register a vehicle.
Car Registration
Find out what is usually required to register a vehicle, including title documents, proof of ownership, fees, and emissions or inspection rules.
DMV Point System
Review how traffic convictions and other events can affect a driving record, suspension risk, and defensive-driving eligibility.
State pages
Address and Name Change requirements by state
This guide explains the common process, but final document lists, deadlines, fees, appointment rules, and online options are set by each jurisdiction. Choose a state page below to continue with local guidance and official agency links.
Alabama Address and Name Change
Alabama treats address changes and name changes differently. After changing your Alabama address, the state gives you 30 days to notify the Driver License Division, and ALEA says you may update the state driver record without charge. But that free record update does not automatically buy you a reissued card. If you want a new physical credential showing the new address, you need a duplicate or eligible online transaction. Name changes are stricter. Alabama requires proper legal name-change documents and proof that the Social Security Administration has the updated name, and STAR ID holders must go to an ALEA office for the corrected credential.
Alaska Address and Name Change
Alaska treats address changes and name changes as different levels of work. The state requires notice within 30 days for either a name change or an address change, and Alaska lets you update the address for your vehicles and driver license through its online system. But that does not mean the same convenience applies to names. For a name change on a license, permit, or ID card, Alaska requires in-person proof of the change using original or certified documents, and the Social Security name record should already be updated before you ask DMV to change the credential.
Arizona Address and Name Change
Arizona separates the record update from the card update. An address change must be reported within 10 days and the record change is free, but Arizona also routes customers to a separate replacement-card transaction for the updated credential. A legal name change is a different workflow entirely: update Social Security first, wait two business days, then complete the change in person at MVD or an Authorized Third Party office.
Arkansas Address and Name Change
Arkansas treats address and name changes as mandatory record notices, not optional cleanup tasks. The core statute says a driver who moves or changes names must notify the Office of Driver Services in writing within 10 days, and a name-change request on the license must be backed by original or certified legal proof. DFA also maintains separate tools and forms for a change-of-address filing, a legal-name-change affidavit, and driver's-license or ID replacement. In practice, that means the record update and the physical-card reissue are connected but not the same transaction.
California Address and Name Change
California does not treat an address change, a driver license or ID reissue, and a legal name change as the same transaction. The practical path is to separate the jobs: update your address record within 10 days, decide whether you actually need a replacement DL/ID card, and handle legal name changes through a new DL/ID application plus any separate vehicle title or registration updates.
Colorado Address and Name Change
Colorado treats address updates and name changes very differently. Address changes are usually a record update first: you can do them online, by mail, or in an office, and Colorado tells most drivers to print their own label and attach it to the back of the current card because the DMV will not automatically mail a new credential. Name changes are stricter. Colorado requires the Social Security Administration to reflect the new name first if you have an SSN, then requires a DMV appointment with certified legal documents. The practical Colorado rules are the 30-day notice standard for address and name updates, the fact that the online driver-license address tool does not change vehicle registration addresses, and the separate purchase step if you want a fresh card showing the new address on its face.
Connecticut Address and Name Change
Connecticut treats address changes and name changes very differently. Address changes are mostly a record update: the DMV says residents must report the change within 48 hours, the online update is free, and the practical next step is usually to print or obtain an address label and place it on the back of the current license instead of waiting for a new card. Name changes are a separate in-person transaction. Connecticut wants the Social Security Administration updated first, can take up to 48 hours to recognize that SSA change, and then requires an appointment, certified legal documents, surrender of the old credential, and a $30 replacement fee.
Delaware Address and Name Change
Delaware gives address changes and legal name changes the same 30-day deadline but handles them very differently. Address updates can be reported online, in writing, or at DMV, and the DMV says you can update the driver license or ID to reflect the new address online or at a DMV location without an extra charge. Name changes are stricter. Delaware requires you to appear in person, update the Social Security Administration first, wait for the SSA record to sync, and bring the old credential plus the legal name-change documents. The state also reminds drivers that changing a license record does not replace the separate registration-side address or name work for vehicles.
District of Columbia Address and Name Change
District of Columbia address changes and name changes are not the same transaction. DC DMV says you must update your address within 60 calendar days of moving, and it offers remote or mail-based options if you already hold the right credential type, while a standalone in-person change can carry its own fee. Legal name changes are stricter. DC says to update your name with the Social Security Administration first, then go to a DC DMV service center with your current credential and original court, marriage, or divorce documents because photocopies and scans are not accepted.
Florida Address and Name Change
Florida does not treat an address change, a legal name change, and the title or registration follow-up as the same transaction. The practical Florida rule is to separate the jobs: update the driver license or ID within 30 days, handle legal name changes only after SSA and only in person, and then finish the title and registration side with the forms Florida requires if you want printed records to match.
Georgia Address and Name Change
Georgia splits address and name changes more sharply than many DMV pages suggest. Existing Georgia license holders generally have 60 days to change an address, new residents have 30 days after moving to Georgia, and name changes must be completed in person within 60 days with certified legal documents and Social Security verification.
Hawaii Address and Name Change
Hawaii counties separate address updates on the record from reissuing the plastic card. County pages in Maui and Kauai tell residents to notify driver licensing within 30 days of a mailing-address change, but they also make clear that a simple change-of-address request does not automatically generate a new license. Hawaii County says a mailed address change updates the record only; to get the new address printed on the card, you must use the duplicate-license process. Name changes are stricter still. HIDOT says changes to personally identifiable information generally require in-person documentary proof, and Hawaii County's duplicate page requires an in-person application, surrender of the current license, original or certified name-change proof, and current residence documents before the replacement card is issued.
Idaho Address and Name Change
Idaho splits address changes and name changes into two different levels of work. Address updates must be reported within 30 days and can be submitted online, by paper form, or by writing to the department, but that record change does not automatically print a new card. Name changes are stricter. Idaho routes them through a duplicate credential or a renewal transaction, requires legal proof of the new name, and expects the Social Security Administration to be updated first.
Illinois Address and Name Change
Illinois makes two things easy to miss after a move or name change: you must notify the Secretary of State within 10 days, and your driver's license/state ID file and vehicle registration file are separate systems. The other practical trap is that an electronic address change updates the record, but a corrected physical license or ID still requires a facility visit, and CDL holders face a stricter corrected-card deadline.
Indiana Address and Name Change
Indiana treats name changes and principal legal address changes as branch amendments, not light online edits. The key Indiana rules are the 30-day deadline to amend the credential after a legal change, the requirement to update your name with Social Security before going to the BMV, and the distinction between your principal legal address, which must be amended at a branch, and your mailing address, which the BMV still allows you to change online or at a kiosk.
Iowa Address and Name Change
Iowa treats mailing-address changes, residential-address changes, and legal name changes as three different jobs. If only your mailing address changed, you can update it online or by mail for free, and Iowa law says to report that change within 30 days, but that update does not change the address printed on your card. If the residential address printed on the card needs to change, Iowa requires an in-person replacement appointment and charges $10, although it says it will electronically verify the new residential address so you do not have to bring address documents for that replacement. Legal name changes are also in person and also cost $10, and Iowa insists on certified documents rather than photocopies or faxes.
Kansas Address and Name Change
Kansas law is direct here: after a move or legal name change, you must notify the Division of Vehicles within 10 days. The practical Kansas split is between updating the record and ordering new plastic. Kansas offers a free online address change that updates the record without issuing a new license, and it separately offers an online address change with a new credential for a $10 fee. Name changes are more formal. Kansas says you must update the Social Security Administration at least 24 hours first, then bring your Kansas credential, proof of current residential address, and legal name-change document. The state-specific trap is that duplicate marriage licenses are not accepted.
Kentucky Address and Name Change
Kentucky treats address and name changes as required credential corrections rather than casual profile edits. State guidance says you must update your name or address within 10 days of the change, and the official update paths are by mail or in person at a Driver Licensing Regional Office. Address changes need Kentucky residency proof, while legal name changes require certified name-change evidence plus proof that the Social Security record has already been updated. Kentucky also adds two practical details many people miss: the duplicate credential fee is $15, and credentials cannot be mailed to forwarding addresses.
Louisiana Address and Name Change
Louisiana treats address changes and name changes as related but not interchangeable transactions. For a move, state law gives you only 10 days to notify the driver's license division. Non-REAL-ID Class D and E licenses can generally have the permanent address corrected in person, by mail, or online, and the reconstructed license is mailed to the updated permanent address. REAL ID licenses are stricter: Louisiana law says the address change must be completed at a motor vehicle field office or at an authorized public license tag agent. Name changes are stricter still. Louisiana's own digital-license guidance says any personal-information change must be completed in person at an OMV office or Public Tag Agent, and the state's licensing law requires the credential to carry your full legal name with proof supporting any change.
Maine Address and Name Change
Maine law gives both address changes and name changes a 30-day deadline, but the state does not handle them like a simple self-service web update. The BMV says you cannot change your address using its online system. Instead, the licensing unit routes address changes through phone, email, or the Contact Us form. Name changes are stricter still: the online renewal service will not process changed-name renewals, duplicate service will not alter data on the credential, and REAL ID name changes require a clean paper trail linking the old and new names.
Maryland Address and Name Change
Maryland treats address updates and name corrections as related but distinct jobs. Address changes usually stay lightweight and can be done online or at a kiosk, but Maryland law still requires you to report the move within 30 days. Name changes are stricter: the MVA wants your Social Security Administration record updated first, then requires an in-person correction with original or certified legal documents and a corrected-license fee.
Massachusetts Address and Name Change
Massachusetts treats address changes as a fast record update and name changes as a more controlled credential correction. You must notify the RMV of an address change within 30 days, and the update can usually be done online, by phone, or in person without forcing you to buy a new card. Name changes are stricter because they must be completed at an RMV Service Center, and REAL ID customers need their name on the identity chain to match the lawful-presence documents they present.
Michigan Address and Name Change
Michigan treats address updates and name corrections as related but different jobs. Address changes can usually be filed online, by mail, or in an office, but they do not automatically update every vehicle record and the card-handling rules differ between standard and enhanced credentials. Name changes are stricter: Michigan wants the Social Security record updated first, then requires an office visit with legal proof before it issues a corrected credential.
Minnesota Address and Name Change
Minnesota treats address and name changes as related but distinct transactions. Address changes must be made within 60 days of a move, or within 30 days for commercial drivers, and they do not automatically update your motor vehicle registration record. Name changes are stricter: if you have a Social Security number, Minnesota wants the Social Security Administration updated first, then requires a visit to a renewal office with your current card and certified name-change documents.
Mississippi Address and Name Change
Mississippi treats address changes as a reissued-credential problem, not as a free background record update. The state's online address page says you must either order a duplicate credential or complete an eligible online renewal to change the address on a driver's license or ID card. That matters because Mississippi also refuses to mail credentials to post office boxes or alternate addresses. Name changes are stricter still. Mississippi says legal name changes cannot be handled online, must be done with original supporting documents at DPS, and are supported only by a marriage license, divorce decree, adoption order, or court order. State law also requires drivers to update the license with the new address within 30 days, even if the card is still valid and unexpired.
Missouri Address and Name Change
Missouri treats address updates and name changes as two different jobs. An address change can be handled as a record update through Missouri's online driver-license address tool or at a license office, but that does not automatically put the new address on the card in your wallet. If you want the printed card updated, Missouri requires a license-office transaction and uses the 184-day rule to decide whether that is processed as an early renewal or a duplicate. Name changes are stricter: you must go to a Missouri license office with legal name-change proof and the usual identity, Social Security, and residency documentation, then apply for a duplicate or, if you are close enough to expiration, an early renewal instead.
Montana Address and Name Change
Montana treats address changes and legal name changes as separate levels of work. For an address change, the state wants notice within 10 days and lets you update the electronic record online or by using Form 34-0300 without paying a fee. But that free record update does not automatically print a new license. If you want the new address on the physical card, you need a replacement transaction and fee. Name changes are more formal. Montana says your Social Security record must be updated first, at least 24 hours before the MVD transaction, and the name change must be handled in person with certified legal documents tying the old name to the new one.
Nebraska Address and Name Change
Nebraska gives both address changes and name changes a 60-day statutory clock, but the workflows are not the same. Address changes can often be handled through an online replacement process for Class O, Class M, and state ID holders, while permits and several other document types still require an office visit. Name changes are stricter. Nebraska does not let you update the name online and requires a driver's licensing office visit with identification, certified name-change evidence, address proof if needed, and a new photo.
Nevada Address and Name Change
Nevada treats address updates and legal name changes as related but very different jobs. Address changes must be reported within 30 days, can often be handled through MyDMV, and do not automatically update the address tied to your vehicle records. Name changes are stricter: Nevada wants the Social Security Administration updated first, asks you to wait at least two business days for the SSA record to sync, and then requires an in-person DMV visit with current ID and original or certified legal documents. If the vehicle registration name is changing too, the insurance record has to match the new legal name exactly.
New Hampshire Address and Name Change
New Hampshire gives address changes and legal name changes the same statutory clock: notify the director in writing within 30 days. The workflows are different after that. Address updates run through the DMV's Record Change Request form and update all DMV records, but a replacement card with the new address is its own step. Legal name changes are stricter and must be handled in person at a DMV office with supporting documentation. The current record-change form also makes clear that date-of-birth changes are office-only.
New Jersey Address and Name Change
New Jersey does not handle address and name changes as the same kind of transaction. Address changes are pushed into the MVC's online system and state law requires drivers to report the change within 1 week, while legal name changes are processed at a Licensing Center on a walk-in basis with original or certified proof. The practical split is that updating the record is one task and ordering replacement credentials is another.
New Mexico Address and Name Change
New Mexico treats address changes and legal name changes as different levels of work. For an address move, the state wants notice within 10 days and lets you update the MVD record online, by fax, or by mailing the signed change-of-address form. But that record update does not print a new card. If you want the new address to appear on the physical license or ID, New Mexico requires an in-person replacement with a new photo and the ordinary license fee. Name changes are more document-driven. The MVD requires original or certified name-change evidence, and REAL ID support materials make clear that your identification-number and residency documents need to line up with your current legal name or be tied by linking documents.
New York Address and Name Change
New York does not treat address changes and legal name changes as the same transaction. An address update is a record change that must be reported within 10 days, while a legal name change on DMV photo documents usually requires proof review and often an office visit. Vehicle registration and title records follow their own update path, which is where many name-change guides fall apart.
North Carolina Address and Name Change
North Carolina treats address and name changes as reportable events with real deadlines. The main practical details are the 60-day window to update your driver record and get a duplicate card, the fact that many address changes can be handled online or at a kiosk while name changes require an office visit after Social Security is updated, and the separate title and registration workflow for vehicle-record name changes.
North Dakota Address and Name Change
North Dakota treats address changes and name changes differently, and the 10-day rule is the key detail. For a name change, NDDOT says the driver must visit a North Dakota Driver License site in person and purchase a corrected license within 10 days, using certified documentation such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. For an address change, non-commercial drivers must update the address on record within 10 days, while commercial drivers are required by law to purchase a new license with the corrected address within 10 days. North Dakota also separates the record update from the physical-card issue: a non-commercial driver can update the address record online, but a site visit and duplicate purchase are still recommended if the driver wants a card with the new address printed on it.
Ohio Address and Name Change
Ohio separates a simple address notice from the step of replacing the card itself. The practical rules are that drivers must notify the registrar of an address change within 10 days, the state uses BMV 5756 or approved electronic means for that notice, and any name or card-detail change usually pushes you into a deputy-registrar duplicate transaction with document proof rather than an easy online reprint.
Oklahoma Address and Name Change
Oklahoma treats address changes and name changes as different levels of work. The state's driver manual and name-change guidance still say a license or ID holder should notify the state within 10 days of a change in mailing address, residential address, county of residence, or name. Address-only work is comparatively easy because Service Oklahoma offers an online address form and also lets drivers request an online replacement credential with the new address. Name changes are stricter. Service Oklahoma says you cannot change your name online, and the required-documents page makes the proof burden explicit: you need original or certified documents linking every name change from your identity document to your current legal name. REAL ID adds another wrinkle because first-time REAL ID work and REAL ID material changes are in-person document transactions.
Oregon Address and Name Change
Oregon treats address changes and name changes as related record updates with very different friction levels. Address changes are mostly administrative: you must notify DMV within 30 days, the update can be done online or by phone, and Oregon no longer issues address stickers or forces a replacement card. Name changes are stricter because they require a DMV office visit with proof of the legal name change, proof of identity and address, and fee payment. The practical Oregon distinction is whether you just need DMV's file corrected or whether you need a newly issued credential with a different identity or printed address.
Pennsylvania Address and Name Change
Pennsylvania separates address changes from name changes more sharply than many summary pages do. The practical rules are the 15-day deadline to report a move, the free address update card mailed after a non-commercial online change, and the in-person document review PennDOT requires for a legal name change on a driver's license or learner's permit.
Rhode Island Address and Name Change
Rhode Island treats address changes and legal name changes as different levels of work. The state says license holders must notify the DMV within 10 days of an address change, and Rhode Island allows address-only updates through online, mail, DMV-branch, and some AAA channels. But that convenience does not mean every update produces a new card. Rhode Island's own renewal guidance says an address change completed online or by mail does not generate a new credential by itself. Name changes are stricter. The DMV says the Social Security record must be updated first and that you must wait 24 hours before Rhode Island can process the change. The branch-office page also narrows AAA's role by saying AAA service is for address changes and middle-name updates only, not every full legal name-change case.
South Carolina Address and Name Change
South Carolina treats address changes as a light record-maintenance task and name changes as a formal identity transaction. You have only 10 days to update either one. Address changes can be done online, by mail, or at a branch, and online address updates are free. Name changes are stricter: the SCDMV requires you to update the Social Security Administration first, wait at least 48 hours, then go to a branch with the state forms and legal documents.
South Dakota Address and Name Change
South Dakota treats address changes and legal name changes as different levels of work. Address-only changes and duplicate-card requests can often be handled online, by mail, or in person, but the remote lane is limited: the license must still be unexpired, and the driver cannot have used the online or mail method for the last renewal or replacement. Name changes are stricter. South Dakota requires the driver to apply in person and bring original certified proof of the legal change, with every step of the name progression if the name changed more than once. The other practical cutoff is expiration: if the South Dakota license has been expired for more than 30 days, even an address-change or replacement request becomes an in-person visit with a knowledge-test requirement.
Tennessee Address and Name Change
Tennessee treats address changes and name changes as related but different jobs. Address updates are mainly record maintenance: you must notify the state within 10 days, and a record-only address change has no fee and does not automatically trigger a new card. Name changes are stricter because Tennessee requires an in-person visit with original or certified legal documents, and the state charges duplicate fees for the corrected credential. The key Tennessee distinction is whether you just need the database corrected or you also need a new physical license or ID mailed to you.
Texas Address and Name Change
Texas does not treat an address or name change on a driver license like a free record edit. The practical Texas rule is that a DL or ID address change is handled as a replacement-card transaction, while a legal name change must be done in person with original proof documents.
U.S. Virgin Islands Address and Name Change
The U.S. Virgin Islands BMV uses a single Change of Name or Address Notice form and gives a short reporting deadline. The form itself says the law requires notice within 10 days of any name or address change. The current BMV homepage also advertises online services for updating the primary physical address and mailing address. But a record update is not the whole card workflow. If you need a reissued physical driver's license after the change, the BMV's duplicate-license path still requires a lost, stolen, or destroyed affidavit and a reissuance process.
Utah Address and Name Change
Utah handles address and name changes very differently. Address updates are mostly an online record-maintenance task and must be reported within 10 days of moving; you are not required to buy a new license just because the address changed. Name changes are stricter. Utah requires an in-person Driver License Division visit and legal documentation that connects the old and new names, and the right transaction depends partly on whether the license expires within the next six months.
Vermont Address and Name Change
Vermont treats address changes and legal name changes as separate levels of work even though the reporting deadline is the same. The state says you must notify DMV within 30 days of any change in your mailing address, legal name, or physical residence. For a license or ID address change, Vermont offers three channels: online through the DMV portal, by mail, or in person using the replacement-license form. But the online lane is narrower than a full identity change. Vermont's web instructions say the online address update requires your name, date of birth, license or permit or ID number, and two forms of identification. Legal name changes are more document-heavy and are handled with paper DMV forms plus original or certified name-change evidence such as a marriage certificate or court order.
Virginia Address and Name Change
Virginia treats address updates and name corrections as related but distinctly different jobs. Address changes are usually easy and can be filed online, by phone, by mail, or in person, but the update does not automatically reprint your card and a non-Virginia address can trigger cancellation issues. Name changes are stricter: Virginia wants the Social Security Administration updated first, then requires a DMV visit with legal proof, a new photo, an updated signature, and payment for a replacement credential.
Washington Address and Name Change
Washington treats address changes and name changes as separate transactions even though users often think of them as one update. Address changes must be reported within 10 days and can usually be handled online or by mailing the official change-of-address form, with no fee unless you want a new card. Name changes are stricter: Washington wants the Social Security record updated first and then requires an office visit with certified legal proof before it issues the corrected credential.
West Virginia Address and Name Change
West Virginia treats address changes and name changes differently. For address changes, the state requires written notice within 20 days, and the standard change-of-address form updates the DMV database only. No new license is issued through that form and no fee is charged. Name changes are much heavier because the DMV requires proof of legal name change and must be able to link every prior legal name to the current one. If the card itself is being reissued after a name change or after a changed address, the driver must meet the corresponding document requirements for the card type.
Wisconsin Address and Name Change
Wisconsin treats address changes and name changes very differently. A move should be reported to WisDOT within 10 days, but you do not have to buy a fresh card just to show the new address on your record. Name changes are stricter: Wisconsin wants the Social Security Administration updated first, then requires an in-person DMV visit with proof of identity, proof of name change, surrender of the old card, and payment for a replacement.
Wyoming Address and Name Change
Wyoming treats address changes and legal name changes as different kinds of work. For an address change, the legal deadline comes first: Wyoming says a driver must notify Driver Services within 10 days after changing a mailing address, residence, or name. That notice can be handled through oneWYO, the state's online address-entry page, or the Notice of Change of Address form by email, fax, or mail. But that convenience only updates the record. If you want the new address printed on the license, Wyoming routes you into the renewal process and charges the standard renewal fee for a new five-year license. Name changes are stricter. Wyoming requires an in-person visit, surrender of the current credential, and legal proof of the new name. The state also requires the Social Security Administration record to be updated first, and its current document sheet adds a narrow rule many generic pages miss: a marriage certificate supports a last-name change only, while any other fresh name change requires a court order.