Main Article on Name/Gender Change
Updated April 2021: Read my article on Name/Gender Change (it has been viewed over 13,00 times) and is regularly updated.
Changing your driver's license after a name change.
Your Driver's License is one of the most widely used and accepted identity documents in the US. This section describes how to go about changing the name on your Arkansas Driver's License after you have obtained a Court Order that legally changes your name.
Lauro Law has assisted many clients with getting their name changed on their Arkansas Driver's License and below is the link to the Arkansas DF&A process. Our Individualized Detailed Roadmap will guide you through this process, provide Revenue Offices close to you and suggestions to get your name changed on AR driver’s license. Also, we can provide necessary information and instructions to get the gender marker changed on AR driver’s license, when necessary.
This information was collected from Driver's Services FAQ.
ALERT: Drivers' Services requires that ALL APPLICANTS for an Arkansas driver's license provide a verifiable social security number. The name you request on your license must match your name with the Social Security Administration. As a result, you should consider changing your name with the Social Security Administration BEFORE changing your name on your driver's license.
01. Driver's License Checklist
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You will need following items when you visit the local Drivers' Services office to change the name on your driver's license:
- $10.00
- Current Driver's License
- Court Order for Change of Name
- If over 18, proof of Age and Identification before exam given
- Proof of Legal Presence (see below) (usually Birth Certificate + Name Change Court Order)
- Proof of Identity (see below) (usually Birth Certificate + Name Change Court Order)
02. Proving Legal Presence
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To prove legal presence in the United States one of the following documents must be shown:
- U.S. Passport/U.S. Passport Card
- U.S. Birth Certificate
- U.S. Visa
- Photo Document from DHS - (Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration) - (No Border Crosser)
- Photo Military/Military Dependent ID
- Armed Forces Discharge Papers
- Naturalization Certificate
When you are proving legal presence by U.S. Birth Certificate AND YOUR NEW NAME IS DIFFERENT FROM THE NAME ON YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE, you will need to show your court order for name change ("Court Order for Change of Name and Amended Birth Certificate").
03. Proving Identity
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To Prove Identity, you must show either:
- One Primary and One Secondary Document, OR
- Two Primary Documents
A primary document must contain your full name and date of birth. It must also be "verifiable", which means you (or Driver's Services) must be able to contact the issuing agency to determine authenticity of the document.
Proving your identity is usually satisfied by your Birth Certificate (Primary Document) and your Name Change Court Order. (The Court Order will usually be a Secondary Document because it will not have your birth date on it . . . I need to check with the circuit clerk's office to see if the birth date falls in the category of confidential information that should not appear on pleadings filed with the clerk. If the birth date is not considered confidential, then it might be a good idea to include your date of birth on the Name Change Court Order, although it probably won't matter because you still only need to show 2 documents.)
Primary Document List (usually a certified copy of your Birth Certificate)
- Photo Driver License (cannot be expired more than thirty-one (31) days)
- Certificate of Birth (US only) (Must be original or certified copy, have a raised seal and be issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics or State Board of Health.)
- INS Documents, as follows:
+ Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-570, or N-578).
+ Certificate of Citizenship (N-560, N-561, or N-645).
+ Resident Alien Card (I-151, I-551, AR-3, AR-3A, or AR-103). - Court Order:
+ Must contain full name, date of birth and court seal.
+ Examples include adoption document, name change document, or gender change document. Does not include abstract of criminal or civil conviction.
Secondary Document List (usually your Name Change Court Order)
- Photo Work/School ID
- Vehicle Registration/Title
- Bureau of Indian Affairs Card/Indian Treaty Card (Tribal ID Card is NOT acceptable)
- Court Order (date of birth not present)
- Health Insurance Card (Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Kaiser, HMO, etc. which has been in effect at least five (5) years.)
- IRS/State Tax Forms (W-2 NOT acceptable)
- Marriage Certificate/License
- Medical Records (from Doctor/Hospital)
- Parent/Guardian Affidavit
+ Parent/guardian must appear in person, prove his/her identity and submit a certified/notarized affidavit regarding the child's identity. Applies only to minors. - Concealed Handgun License
- Pilot's License
- Certified School Record/Transcript
- Prison Release Document
- Court Records
- Photo Work/School ID
04. Transferring Out-of-State License to Arkansas
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If your out-of-state license is not expired over 31 days, is not suspended or revoked, you may exchange it for a Arkansas license. Otherwise, you will have to take a written and vision exam, but not the road exam. If your out-of-state license is expired for more than 1 year, you must take the written, vision and road exams.
You must also prove your legal presence in the U.S. by documents described in this section.
Drivers' Services requires that ALL APPLICANTS for an Arkansas driver's license provide a verifiable social security number. The name you request on your license must match your name with the Social Security Administration.
