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Congratulations, you tied the knot! You’re probably ready to kick back and enjoy your newlywed bliss.
But if you haven’t thought about it already, you might want to take care of some paperwork, especially if you decided to change your name.
Our first post filled you in on what you need to do before the wedding to make it official. Now, read up on some key things you’ll need to take care of in your first year of marriage, including how to get proof of your marriage, obtain new identification, and file taxes in the second part of our Getting Married in Massachusetts blog series.
Getting Proof of Your Marriage
There are many reasons why you may need to provide proof of your marriage, like changing your health insurance or getting a new license.
After your wedding, the officiant should file your marriage license with the city or town clerk in the place where you got it. You can pick up a copy of the license at the Registry of Vital Records in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (HHS).
You can order a copy of your marriage certificate online, by phone, by fax, or by mail. Service fees vary depending on how you order it. The original and any certified copy serve as proof of your marriage.
Changing Your Name and Getting a New ID
You can choose to change or keep your name when you get married in Massachusetts. If you’ve chosen to change your name, you should have included the new one when you filled out your marriage license before your wedding. Your name is automatically changed to the one listed on your certificate after your wedding.
After you get a copy of your marriage certificate, you can apply for identification with your new name, including a Social Security card, Massachusetts driver’s license, and U.S. passport. You should get your Social Security card first, because the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will check your Social Security number when you apply for a new license.
Once you have a new license, you should also update your voter registration with your new name to avoid any issues at your polling place. If you’re taking your honeymoon right away or soon after your wedding, you might want to wait until after you get back to get all of your IDs changed over. The names on all of your documents, including plane tickets, need to match.
Keep in mind that you may also need to change your name with other organizations, including your employer, health insurer, bank, and more.
Changing Health Insurance After You Get Married
If you don’t have health insurance, you may be eligible to sign up for health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector within 60 days of your wedding. You’ll need to provide your marriage certificate to enroll.
Filing Taxes After You Get Married
Once you and your spouse are married, you can choose to file your state and federal income taxes as a couple, known as “Married Filing Joint,” or you can continue to file individually, known as “Married Filing Separate.” However you choose to file your taxes, you don’t need to provide proof of your marriage to the Department of Revenue (DOR) or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
If you file separately, there are limitations on the tax deductions and credits you can claim, so you should discuss both options with your spouse to figure out what makes sense for you. You may not be able to file a joint return in Massachusetts right away in certain situations, including if you and your spouse weren’t Massachusetts residents for the same portion of that year or if you weren’t legally married as of the last day of the year.
Marriages Outside of Massachusetts
If you’re a resident of Massachusetts getting married out-of-state or if you move here after you’re married, don’t worry. Ceremonies conducted in other states — as well as by designated people in foreign countries — are recognized as valid in the Bay State. To provide proof of your marriage or get new IDs in Massachusetts, just follow the same process with your out-of-state marriage certificate, as well as any additional steps you may need to take to convert an out-of-state license. Massachusetts doesn’t keep records of out-of-state marriages, so you’ll need to get your certificate from the state where you were married.
By taking care of all your newlywed paperwork up front, you and your spouse can relax and enjoy life as a married couple.
Do you have questions about getting married in Massachusetts? Ask us! Comment below or tweet @MassGov.
Tags: changing your name, destination wedding, filing taxes, getting a driver's license, getting married, marriage, marriage certificate, marriage license, married, name changes, out-of-state marriages, out-of-state weddings, social security card, taxes, wedding, weddings
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Persons changing their name should coordinate carefully if they have any upcoming air travel, honeymoon or otherwise. Be sure the name under which the flight is booked is the same name as is on your govt-issued photo ID that you will be using at the time of that travel. While mismatches can be handled, it's a LOT easier to just get it right ahead of time.
Thank you for your post.I want to mention that after marriage filling taxes is causing me problems.
I am a non US resident.
I got married in FL Nov 2016 but reside in MA. I wanted to wait until our international trip was over before I changed my name. What is the next step now? Do I need to file a petition for name change or do I go straight to get a new Social Security Card. My marriage license does not have my new last name stated on it.
Thank you!
Hello Gen,
Because your new last name isn't stated on your marriage license, you will have to go through the full name change process before applying for a new Social Security card. You can find out how to legally change your name in Massachusetts at our blog: http://blog.mass.gov/blog/government/how-to-legal-name-changes-in-massachusetts-3/.
Hope this helps!
Best,
The MassGov Staff
I will still need to go through this process even if I will be taking my husband's last name?
Hello Gen,
Unfortunately, yes. If you did not list your husband’s name as your new last name on your marriage license, you’ll need to go through the legal name change process to make the change. The name on your marriage certificate is your legal name after the ceremony, so any further changes would have to be made through the courts.
Best,
The MassGov Staff
I'll be getting married in the state of Maine but I am a resident of Massachusetts. I will be taking my fiancé's last name. I have heard that since the Maine marriage certificate doesn't have a area where you indicate your intention to change your last name that I may run into a situation where I have to file my intent via court. Is this the case? I'm hoping that the marriage certificate and maybe some document through the SS Office would be sufficient and that I won't have to go through the court process and fees. Any input would be helpful so I can look to plan ahead!
Hello,
Unfortunately, you may need to go through the full court process to change your name. You should contact the Social Security Administration to find out if your marriage certificate from Maine (which would not reflect your desired new name) would serve as enough proof for them to issue you a Social Security card with your married name.
If you do need to change your name through the court system, you can learn about that process at our name change blog.
Hope this helps!
Best,
The MassGov Staff
Hi,
I got married in RI but live in MA. My marriage license does not have my husband's name listed as my new last name. Do I have to go through the probate court to formally change my name prior to going to the Social Security office, DMV, etc? Thanks!
Hello Carina,
Unfortunately, you may need to go through the full court process to change your name. You should contact the Social Security Administration to find out if your marriage certificate from Rhode Island (which would not reflect your desired new name) would serve as enough proof for them to issue you a Social Security card with your married name.
If you do need to change your name through the court system, you can learn about that process at our name change blog.
Hope this helps!
Best,
The MassGov Staff
This is a pretty useful and thorough guide on getting married in Massachusetts. There is so much to think about when planning a wedding. <a href="https://www.chocostudio.com/">Choco Studio Photography</a>
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