Over the past two months, I have been trying to assume my husband’s name by changing all of my identification and information from my maiden name to my married name. The process hasn’t been too difficult but it hasn’t been too accommodating either. Some places have been easy, just click, erase and retype your new name, while others have been tedious, needing three pieces of government issue ID, at least one of which needing to be photo ID, multiple signatures, a marriage certificate, (not just the licence or Record of Solemnization of Marriage) having your picture taken and I’m pretty sure I donated my organs while I was at it. Other than the difficulties that come anytime you are dealing with a bureaucrat, assuming my husband’s name has been an easy task to accomplish on the whole, as it is not that alien of a concept for most of the clerks that have helped me, after all, most women get married at some point in their life and the majority of them do change their name afterwards. The following is a list of places you need inform of your name change.
Can Be Done Immediately:
- Internet shopping websites you use frequently (shipping and billing information)
- Social media websites (Facebook)
- Email information and any automatic signatures you use
- The bank
- Visa
- Your utilities and bills (phone/internet/cable, hydro, gas, water)
- Your boss / human resources / payroll
- Your college/university (if applicable)
Need the Marriage Certificate:
- Passport (Passport Canada)
- Driver’s licence (Service Ontario)
- Vehicle Registration (Service Ontario)
- Vehicle insurance
- Canadian Health Card (Service Ontario)
- Canadian Outdoors Card / fishing licence (Service Ontario)
- Social Insurance Number card (Service Canada)
Essentially, you need to change your name everywhere that it appears, except for on your birth certificate, when assuming. It may take several months to have everything changed over simply because you keep stumbling upon more things that have your name on them. It can be annoying and time consuming to take your husband’s name, but in the end, the pride and happiness my husband and I feel when I can be called his Mrs. makes it all worth while.