Methods Required To Get A Pasport Name Change
There are times when someone needs to get a legal name change other than the one on his or her passport. The most common reason is marriage, but there are other circumstances that may warrant a legal name change, and the passport must be changed as well. A U.S. passport name change is not very complicated for someone to do on his or her own or through a passport service.
Whichever method is chosen, a few things remain constant through both. The first of these is to provide a court issued document showing the name change and when it went in to effect. This can either be a certified or original copy of the marriage certificate or a certified copy or original of the court document showing the change.
Many people do not like to send in the originals to affect these United States passport name change, which makes using the certified copies a more viable option. These can be obtained from the court records office where either the marriage or name change ruling took place. They are usually relatively inexpensive and can give the passport holder some peace of mind when submitting the documentation.
A passport name change necessitates sending in the DS-5504 document to the service provider or Department of State. This application is for people who have a valid passport in their possession, but need to make some changes. Individuals can look on the Internet, find the form and download it. The forms must then be completed in their entirety before they are sealed and mailed to the service provider.
As this is starting the passport application process all over again, individuals must submit photos with their application. A professional service provider should be the one to help make sure all of the passport photo rules are being followed. Applicants must submit two photos that are the same to complete the application process.
Be sure to choose a traceable mail service like FedEx or UPS when sending the paperwork and old passport in. These are highly sensitive documents containing personal information and every precaution should be taken with them. This will allow not only the passport holder to track their package but also the service provider or passport agency.
While the Department of State does charge a fee for the name change service, it can take several weeks to go through. However, people can pay an extra $60.00 for help process the application sooner. Even this method that is supposed to expedite the process takes a long time. A lot of passport services help customers get their name changed with little hassle and with a good deal of speed for a mild fee.
