Why, in this world where women have been changing their surname after marriage for hundreds of years, is it so difficult? Why isn't there some central database of information that all government offices can access so I don't have to drive to 10 different places just to add a new last name? Why can my bank show me within 10 mins a check card withdrawal but government computers take 24 hr for information to appear?
Here's the story. I got married. I wanted to add my husband's last name onto mine. I checked internet resources for a list of the places/records that need to be changed. They suggested the Social Security Administration and driver's license to do first. In this great state of Alabama, most of the information you need is not online and calling any government office is a study in futility SO I thought, I'll change my license (which also needed a transfer from out of state) first, then SSA, and then I'll have all documents for changing for everyone else. Well, it would've worked out just fine except I can't find my SS card that I put in a safe place and now can't remember where the safe place is located. (Typical for me) When I went to the DMV, the woman was abrupt, bordering on rude, and wouldn't let me tell her that I needed both a transfer and a name change and all I got out before she yelled at me was that I needed the transfer. She sent me to SSA, luckily there's a close office, to "get a printout" with my information on it. Apparently, a government student loan statement with my social, a 1099 with my social, a statement of benefits from the SSA, nor a pint of blood is enough for the DMV. So, off I went to the SSA office, which was an entirely painless process, surprisingly. I changed my name and requested a new card without any issue, and the people there were quite nice. Not surprisingly, I could've made the "printout" up on my own word processor and printed it myself. There was no letterhead or anything to show it was actually from SSA.
I went back to the DMV with printout in hand at 11:58 am and the same mean woman yelled that I would have to come back because they were going to lunch. I went to lunch myself, went back at the appointed 1 pm, and was told that I had to wait 24 hr because THE COMPUTER WOULDN'T SHOW MY NAME CHANGE! Now, if she hadn't been so rude, I would've told her the first time I went there that I needed a name change, went off to SSA, and come back the next day. Since she was such a cow, I had now wasted most of my day and was incredibly late for work so I called her supervisor. When I asked for the name and number, she had her sidekick give it to me like she thought I wouldn't call. HA! I called and now am going back the next business day and am to be taken care of immediately. I also got an apology from the supervisor, unlike the cow in the office. The thing that really irks me is that a guy came in the 3rd time I was there and she was incredibly nice to him and never even asked for his SS card!
To top this all off, I tried to change my vehicle registration, while I was in the courthouse, to my new address and new name and was told I would A) have to change my name on the title on the car before they would change the registration and B) would have to show proof of my new residency. The proof of the new residency would be .......a driver's license! ug. FYI, you can use a utility bill for the residency proof.
So, my advice to new brides is to go to the Social Security Administration, take your current driver's license, your original marriage certificate (no copies), and fill out the form there. Go the next day to get your new license and be sure to take your printout from the SSA and your social security card, an original or certified state issued copy of your birth certificate, your current driver's license, and a flask. After you have the new license and new SS card, then change everything else. I will post further details once I get everything else changed.
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