Marriage License and passport question?

Question

I have two questions:

1. What is the difference between a public and confidential marriage license? I'm a California resident. The only benefit I see is that people cannot get information about you w/out a court order. Other than that I don't see the point.......anyone??

2. When getting married and your name changes how do you handle this on the passport? If you are planning to travel out of the country should you keep your current last name until after you get back then change it? If you apply for your marriage license, they are only good for 90 days and that doesn't leave much time for the passport to be renewed.

Help!

Answer 1

If public: You can get married anywhere in the State of California, you need at least one witness during your ceremony, and the marriage record is made available to the public

If confidential: You must be living together, getting married in the County where you purchased your license, no witnesses are required, and the marriage record is only available to the husband and wife.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/ChangeName/ChangeName_851.html
You are probably better off waiting until you come back to change your name.

Answer 2

I am not sure about the first question but for the passport question I will tell you what I am doing. We are leaving for Jamaica the day after the wedding so I got my passport with my maiden name on it because your drivers license or id has to match your passport. Then later when I get back I am going to go change my name on all of my documents.

Answer 3

When you get married, if you are taking your husband's name, you would change all your records, driver's license, passport, etc. There is a place on the passport application that gives a space for maiden name and current name by (marriage). Personally, I always hyphenated my name. I've alway kept my birth name. It's who I am.

Answer 4

Not a lot of benefit in confidential license.
For the passport, I left mine as is until it expired which was actually several years. Nobody insists that all of your documents are updated as soon as you're married even if you do opt to change your name. The only one that's really important is your driver's license.
Remember if you leave your passport with maiden name, that you have to remember to always book your international tickets in your maiden name.

Answer 5

well i can try to answer your second question. there is a form online that you can fill out and apply to have you r name changed. however you have to send your current passport to the government and they will send back both the old one and the new one (the old one will have a hole punch through it so it can't be used again.

you might be able to have the passport rushed to you. i would go to an office that deals with passports and ask about the name change thing. a lot of offices are at post offices.

try this site:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_831.html

Answer 6

2) You can change it by going to the passport office a few days before the wedding I'm not sure what you do with a holiday visa though.
You should ask at your local registry office or travel agent as they will have had experience of this and can tell you how to do it and what paperwork you need.

1) I don't know about this I don't think we have it in the U.K

Answer 7

carry your marriage license with you until you return. then use form DS-5504 to get a new passport with your new name (there is no charge other than the cost of the new photos and photos if done within one year of issue of the previous passport) - see below

U.S. Passport Re-Application Form: DS-5504

PLEASE PRINT OUT AND SUBMIT ONLY ONE-SIDED PAGES OF THE APPLICATION.

Please type or print legibly in black ink when completing all sections of this application.

This form should only be used for making a data change for a previously issued, currently valid U.S. passport WITHIN one year from the date of issue:

* When there is a change in your identifying information, such as a name-change due to marriage or by court order;
* To extend the validity of certain previously limited passports; or
* To correct a Passport Services’ printing error.

There is no charge for routine service , which is receipt of your replacement passport within 6 weeks from the date you submit it.

If Expedited Service is requested for any of the above, with the exception of an error by Passport Services, there is an additional charge of $60 per application, plus the cost of two-way overnight delivery for receipt within 2 weeks from the date you submit your application. For Expedited Service at a Regional Passport Agency, there is a $60.00 fee per application.

When submitting, please include:

* Re-Application Form DS-5504,
* The passport to be replaced,
* The documentation required for the change (see Instruction Page 2 of the form), and
* New photos.

Please follow the instructions on the form carefully. Complete, sign, and date the application. When submitting by mail, send the application form to:

If using the U.S. Postal Service

National Passport Processing
P.O. Box 13290
Philadelphia, PA 19101-3290

If using other delivery service

National Passport Processing
ATTN: Department 13290
1617 Brett Road
New Castle, DE 19720

If you need your passport back in less than 2 weeks for international travel or within 4 weeks for foreign visas, you may make an appointment to submit Form DS-5504 in person at a Regional Passport Agency. For a list of Regional Passport Agencies, including their addresses, please click here.

If it is MORE than one year since the date of issue , you must submit Form DS-82 (or DS-11, if appropriate) and pay the applicable fees. For more information on Form DS-82, click here.

Printing Errors by Passport Services.

If there is a printing error due to Passport Services and your passport was issued less than 30 days ago, please submit the following:

* A letter explaining the specific correction needed and the date by which the corrected passport is needed;
* The passport containing the printing error; and
* A completed form DS-5504.

Please send the above documentation and form to the Passport Agency that issued your passport. See the Passport Corrections Chart to determine which Passport Agency issued your passport. There is no fee to request a corrected passport if the printing error was due to Passport Services.

NOTE: These instructions are different than the instructions on the current DS-5504. Please follow these instructions. However, if you have already followed the instructions on the DS-5504, your correction will still be processed.

If it has been more than 30 days since your passport was issued, please submit the following:

* Two new passport photos;
* A letter explaining the specific correction needed and the date by which the corrected passport is needed;
* The passport containing the printing error; and
* A completed form DS-5504.

Please send the above documentation and form to the Passport Agency that issued your passport. See the Passport Corrections Chart to determine which Passport Agency issued your passport. There is no fee to request a corrected passport if the cause is a printing error by Passport Services regardless of the age of the valid passport.

Download DS-5504: U.S. Passport Re-Application Form

Guidelines for downloading and printing documents.

Answer 8

as far as the name change goes: keep your maiden name until after your honeymoon. you will end up getting yourself into a really big mess if you try to do it before you get married. most places required me to have an actual certified marriage certificate in order to change my name with them. I had to wait until I was actually married to do so.

it will take a few months to get everything switched over, so enjoy your honeymoon with your maiden name!