signature to a married name?

[marlyn24 2]

hi there... we married yesterday.. and i just noticed that i didnt signed to the marriage contract during the ceremony just the few witness. i ask my husband about that, and he said when we apply married license we signed already to marriage contract, but i used my maiden name when i signed the papers. how can i change my signature to my married name? and can i change my name in SSN dont have yet our marriage license?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

hi there... we married yesterday.. and i just noticed that i didnt signed to the marriage contract during the ceremony just the few witness. i ask my husband about that, and he said when we apply married license we signed already to marriage contract, but i used my maiden name when i signed the papers. how can i change my signature to my married name? and can i change my name in SSN dont have yet our marriage license?

Maybe it's state dependant but I signed my marriage certificate... The marriage certificate isn't binding until you marry. Your licence is just permission to marry... if you signed the "contract" then then your wedding would be the day you signed it... doesn't make sense to me.

You can't change the name on your SSN until you get the marriage certificate.

You're confusing terms. You have a marriage LICENCE that gives you permission from the state to get married. The marriage CERTIFICATE (which you're calling the marriage "contract") is the document AFTER you have married. It will be signed by the minister or whoever did the ceremony and the witnesses as well as you and your husband.

[missicy 87]

Maybe it's state dependant but I signed my marriage certificate... The marriage certificate isn't binding until you marry. Your licence is just permission to marry... if you signed the "contract" then then your wedding would be the day you signed it... doesn't make sense to me.

It is state dependant. In California for example, you sign marriage license when it's issued to you but you don't sign anything on the day of the marriage (only witness/es and wedding officiant sign the license on the day of your marriage). Marriage certificate is actually just a copy of the license on official stationary (example).

If that's the case with OP's marriage certificate, then marlyn24, you don't change your signature on your certificate.

[katie & sifa 25]

Yes, in Texas the marriage license and the marriage certificate are actually one and the same and the bride and groom don't sign it at all. You sign some other paperwork at the clerk's office, they issue the license, the officiant fills it out and signs it (and two witnesses CAN sign but it is not required) and the officiant mails it in, the clerk's office stamps and copies it and then mails you back the original.

Once you get your marriage certificate back you can use it to change your name to your married name, if you wish, with the SSA and DMV, etc and you can sign your name however you want.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

In Iowa the marriage cert and licence are also one and the same. We gave the licence to the officiant. She bought it the day before the ceremony and had the witnesses sign it at the rehersal. We signed it the day OF the wedding as did the Pastor... as it should be imo. They then sent it off to the clerk who mailed it to us printed on pretty paper.

We signed something else at the licence office when applying for the licence that included all our ID info on it (passport for me, drivers licence for Tony, SSN for Tony etc). This process makes more sense to me... maybe because it's similar to home. At home the "signing of the certificate" is an important photo opportunity. It's very strange to me that you sign that you WANT to marry, but then don't have to sign again that you DID marry. The licence is just intent, doesn't mean you actually WILL marry. Things sometimes change. Sounds like anyone could fake a Pastors/ministers signature and two other random signatures and make you married when you never actually ATTENDED a wedding... very odd.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[AlinaH 38]

Yeah, in Nevada we didn't sign our certificate, just the license. I thought it was strange too.

OP, you can't change the signature on your marriage license, it's not necessary. From now on you can just sign things in your married name....UNLESS if something is still in your maiden name, then I'd continue to use your old signature. Maybe I'm wrong on that.

You can't change your name until your marriage certificate gets mailed to you.