New legal name, now what?
September 15, 2014 2:31 PM   Subscribe

So for personal reasons, I've changed my birth name to my online name and now I'm chasing my tail trying to think of where I need to change my name. The givens are SSN (done), Driver's License, Passport, bills, lease, degrees, medical records (?)... But I'm wondering if y'all can tell me what I absolutely need to (like legally, I have to) change my name on and what I really shouldn't bother with.

Google really doesn't help because it gives me conflicting advice, mostly what to do after someone gets married, which is, I think, a little different than what I did. This is a completely different name than the one on my birth certificate.

And there's an example... should I get my birth certificate changed? My marriage certificates? Divorce decrees? Kid's birth certificates? There's a lot of paperwork involved in one life!

Or, do I just pretend that the one name died in certain areas and this one is a rebirth? Other than the fact that I kinda need to refer to the past to do things like get a job and prove I exist...

These are the questions I can't find conclusive answers to. I'm in the United States - WA in case it's important (but I wasn't born in WA, I was born in a different state).
posted by patheral to Law & Government (15 answers total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Credit cards and cheque books if you want everyone you deal with in a financial transaction to know ongoing. People are more likely to remember if they see it written (on a credit card or cheque) also.
posted by taff at 2:40 PM on September 15, 2014


Voter registration!
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:42 PM on September 15, 2014


The big ones I see missing here are bank accounts and credit cards.

Is there a reason you don't want to switch everything currently being used? It's annoying until it all gets done, and then your life is easier.

I didn't bother with changing my birth certificate, but I do have my original birth certificate plus a certified copy of my name change, should I ever need it.
posted by ktkt at 2:43 PM on September 15, 2014


Also...

There is probably no reason to change your degrees/certifications, unless you need to display them, I think. I certainly didn't. I do have notes on my CV about papers published under my old name, i.e. I list them as
Boring Research Paper I Did When I Was Twenty, Blah Blah Journal (as ktkt's-oldname).

You'll want to update your name with medical insurance and get an insurance card that matches your new ID, plus specifically let your doctors know; is that what you mean by medical records?
posted by ktkt at 2:51 PM on September 15, 2014


I was very glad I changed my library card registration; if you forget your card, they can check you out with a driver's license.

Otherwise, I think you've hit the big ones.

I only carried my name change papers around for a year, and then I tucked them in my lockbox, and only needed them rarely in the years since.
posted by julen at 3:01 PM on September 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


I figured anything with a card, I should send a copy of my name change to and get a new card. This way all my cards match (including driver's license and passport). With my two name changes, I also updated all utilities, rental agreements, insurance (car and health), bank accounts, employer, Social Security, car registrations, records at veterinarian, pet tags, pet microchips, etc. I had a list of about 50 things the second time (first time was easier, I was only 16). If you have any domains registered, you should probably change those, too.

I did not change my birth certificate; instead I just keep certified copies of my two name changes with my birth certificate. That's the only thing I didn't change. I didn't know I could change it. I also did not change name/get new diploma for college, etc. I figure that is paperwork that, like a birth certificate, can be chained together with the name changes.

When I got married, I kept my last name. No way was I doing all that for a third time.
posted by AllieTessKipp at 3:35 PM on September 15, 2014


Response by poster: I forgot to mention a complication... there's a certain, dangerous to me, someone in my past that I don't want finding me. I've completely erased [old name] from the internet which is why I have an online name and why I changed it to my online name. I changed it now mostly because having two names was a PITA. Plus, I'm finally feeling well enough to work after so long, so I thought that now was a good time to get it done.

I guess I'm paranoid about somehow having the two names linked? The thing is, I don't know how much information he has about me. He stole a lot of important paperwork from my home when I ran from him and I've been hiding from him ever since. I'm pretty sure he does not have my SSN.

I don't have credit cards or library cards because of the above reason... all of the household bills are under my hubster's name.

Also, I recently moved so I'll let the doctors here know the change, but they need to get records from the doctors in places I've lived in the past... that's what I meant by medical records.
posted by patheral at 3:52 PM on September 15, 2014


Okay, you'll need to change your name for the SSN, or possibly you can get a brand-new SSN? Not sure about that, but a new number would help throw the jerk off the track.

New driver's license of course, and new passport, plus any other photo ID.
posted by easily confused at 4:01 PM on September 15, 2014


Do you belong to Costco? Your old name may be in your friends' cells or phone presets.
Suggest a new phone number with new name should be given only to those you trust; no one with ties to the dangerous person.
posted by Cranberry at 7:03 PM on September 15, 2014


The stuff you've mentioned having done (or that you're planning on doing) are the big ones. I agree that voter registration is important to do, too.

If you identify as male, you should also consider updating your Selective Service records. Not because we're going to reinstate the draft any time soon, but because applying for certain benefits or, more importantly, certain types of employment with the federal government can trigger a lookup of those records, and that can smooth things along.

The process for reissuing or amending birth certificates varies from state to state. I changed my name a few years ago and have not bothered with getting an amended birth certificate, but I have no illusions of my ability to bury my old name and identity. So likewise, I haven't bothered with updating the title of real property I own (i.e., mortgages and such).

Other than the stuff you mentioned that you're doing, if you "miss" changing your name with some entity, fixing it is as easy as presenting a certified copy of your name-change order.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 8:33 PM on September 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


The big four are birth certificate, passport, driver's license, and SSN. Anything else that needs updating will rely on some combination of those four documents (plus, sometimes, a certified copy of your name change order).

I would urge you to check with your bank now about changing the name on your accounts, especially if you use an online-only bank. I signed up for USAA well after I had legally changed my name, and used my accounts for a couple of years with no problems -- until the day I tried to initiate a wire transfer to make a down payment to a car dealership. Apparently that triggered some internal identity-checking process; when they saw that my SSN had two names (old and new) associated with it, they not only denied the transfer but completely shut off any and all access to my accounts, without any warning or notification. I only found out when I followed up with the dealership a couple days later and they said they hadn't received the down payment yet (for the car they'd let me drive off the lot).

My point is, check with your bank NOW, and ask if there is any additional identification you need to provide for their files to ensure a problem like this will not happen to you.
posted by zebra at 9:38 PM on September 15, 2014


When I changed my name, the biggie I missed was changing the name on my car loan, so when I paid the car off, the title was issued to my old name. It wasn't a really huge deal to change it, but it did require an in-person trip to the DMV and as a result I did lose part of my humanity in the process, so you might want to avoid having to do that in the first place. While you don't *have* to change your name on your titles, if your new name is so very different from the first that you could be mistaken for not being you (get ready for that, btw) I would go ahead and avoid any potential traffic stop drama and do it.

I also changed my name due to a weird situation (not like yours though) so if you have any questions you can also feel free to memail me.
posted by sephira at 6:12 AM on September 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


Retirement accounts.

Are you the beneficiary on anyone else's life insurance policy (like, your parents, or your favorite aunt)? They would need to update that information.
posted by vignettist at 8:05 AM on September 16, 2014


Hold on .. it seems that the biggest issue here is 'hiding' from someone and NOT being linked to old identity. If you go around and systematically and religiously changing every account/official document to the new name there will be links from old to new all over the place. Any one of which can be a source of the leak that that would allow someone to track you. Maybe not a leak from the passport office, but a store account or a phone company or other less disciplined place - and your dangerous person only has to find out once and the whole new id is opened up to them.

I'd suggest a change of SSN is needed (and possible in your situation). And then read up on some of the websites about changing identity. There lots of advice out there.
posted by Xhris at 2:14 AM on September 17, 2014


Response by poster: Here's the thing about getting a new SSN. There's no record of abuse. I didn't stick around long enough for him to do any "real" damage so there's no medical records and the one time I called the cops (the night before I ran away and went under the radar), they were... less than accommodating. So, no medical records, no police reports, no restraining order -- that makes it difficult to do things like get a new SSN.

I've been flying under the radar for many years now but it's hard to do, and now that I'm married again it's even more difficult. So yeah, the best I can do is go with the name I've been using for these past few years (that's why I was thinking to go all the way back to birth certificate) and hope the psycho ex doesn't connect the dots.
posted by patheral at 3:43 PM on October 3, 2014


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