ID and Records · Checklist · Reviewed July 14, 2026

ID, vital records, and address changes

Different papers live at different offices. Name the document first, and the right counter follows.

The short version

One life change usually means several separate updates

Tell DMV within 10 days after a move. The update alone does not bring a new card - that takes ordering a replacement. A California REAL ID needs one accepted identity paper and two different California residency papers, plus papers that connect any name changes. The copy type matters for vital records: an authorized certified copy can be used to establish identity, and an informational copy cannot. A court name-change order gives you the legal paper, but it does not update DMV, Social Security, a passport, voter registration, banks, schools, or benefits for you.

What changes the answer: Use the exact record the next office asks for. Mail forwarding is one task. A DMV address change, replacement card, REAL ID, certified record, and court order are separate tasks.

Official: Driver licenses and ID cards

A move, a marriage, or a name change starts a little paperwork relay. Each office hands you what the next one wants to see, and running them in the wrong order means running them again.

How it works

A DMV address change does not print a card

California gives a driver or ID holder 10 days to tell DMV about a move. The update changes the DMV record. It does not send a license or ID card with the new address. It does not send a new title or registration card either.

Order a replacement when a new card is needed. Check each vehicle record too. USPS forwarding uses its own address record. So do voter registration, insurance, a bank, and a benefit case. Save each confirmation.

REAL ID is a document-matching job

DMV's checklist starts with one accepted identity paper. It also needs two different papers that show California residency. Bring originals or certified copies. When the names do not match, bring papers that link each name. These may be marriage, divorce, adoption, or court papers.

Uploading documents can shorten the visit. DMV still checks the original or certified papers at a field office. A standard California license or ID remains useful for many state and daily needs. It is not a federal REAL ID.

Vital records come in two useful copy types

An authorized certified birth, death, or marriage copy can establish the identity of the person named on the record. An informational certified copy is marked so it cannot be used to establish identity. The receiving office decides which type it will accept.

For requests received in 2026, CDPH lists $31 for a birth copy. A death copy is $26. A marriage copy is $19. The fee also pays for the search. A no-record result may not mean a refund. A county office can be faster for a local record.

A court order starts the name-update chain

California Courts lists a $435 to $450 filing fee for an ordinary adult name-change case. A fee waiver may be open to a person who qualifies. The court says the process can take up to three months. Publication or notice rules can apply. Some safety and identity cases use an exception.

After the signed order arrives, update each record separately. A common order is Social Security first, then DMV, followed by passport, voter, employer, bank, insurance, school, and benefit records. The correct order can change when travel or a deadline comes first.

Federal papers stay with federal agencies

The Social Security Administration handles the Social Security record and card. The U.S. State Department handles passports. California DMV and a California court cannot change either federal record.

Keep certified copies, receipts, tracking numbers, and old documents until every update is finished. Send an original only when the official instructions require it. A surprise text or search ad is not a safe place to upload identity papers.

First useful action

Start with the route selector

Pick the closest task. The result will point to the focused page or official office that fits.

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Route selector

Start with the document needed next.

Pick the document to see one clear first path.

First moves

1
Name the exact paper needed next. It may be a DMV card, REAL ID, vital record, court order, Social Security card, passport, or mail forwarding.
2
Write down the current legal name and the name on each record. Add the date of birth, addresses, record county, and deadline.
3
Use the DMV route for a license, state ID, REAL ID, replacement card, or DMV address update.
4
Use the vital-record route for a birth, death, or marriage certificate. The record county and record date help choose CDPH or the county office.
5
Use California Courts for a court name-change or gender-recognition order. The order does not update every other agency automatically.
6
Use the Secretary of State for voter registration and SSA for a Social Security card. The State Department handles passports. USPS handles mail forwarding.
7
Keep every confirmation, receipt, certified copy, and court order. Save the old card and document checklist too. Do not mail an original unless the official instructions require it.

Watch for

1
One office's update does not update the others. DMV and voter records need separate steps. So do Social Security, passports, banks, and insurers.
2
REAL ID uses a specific identity document and two residency documents. Name differences can require a tracing document.
3
A certified copy and an informational copy are different. A plain photocopy is different from both.
4
A birth, death, or marriage record can involve CDPH or a county office. A divorce judgment comes from the court that handled the case.
5
Do not send ID photos or birth records through an unexpected message. Keep Social Security numbers out of unofficial forms too.
6
Replacing a lost ID is not the same as reporting identity theft. If someone may be using your information, use identity-theft recovery steps too.
7
A court order, Social Security update, DMV update, passport update, and voter update are separate steps.
8
Adoption, sealed records, custody, and domestic violence can need special handling. The same is true for immigration papers, court deadlines, urgent travel, or a benefit cutoff.

Official sources

Where to confirm this

Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.

Driver licenses and ID cards California DMV DMV card starting point REAL ID checklist California DMV identity, residency, and name-tracing documents DMV change of address California DMV license, ID, and vehicle address update Vital records California Department of Public Health birth, death, and marriage record starting point Authorized and informational copies California Department of Public Health copy type and identity-use difference Name change California Courts court order starting point Register to vote California Secretary of State voter registration and address update Social Security number card Social Security Administration federal card and name-update source Passports U.S. Department of State passport application, renewal, and replacement Mail forwarding United States Postal Service official mail-forwarding source Adult name change steps Cost and timing Apply for REAL ID Application and office visit steps Changing, replacing, and renewing a license Change your address Vital record fees 2026 fees

Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.

How to use California Porch safely

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfStart hereFind the right public office for everyday paperwork.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolLocal office routerCalifornia has layers, and the task picks the layer. Match the errand to the right counter, from city hall to a special district.Nearby toolConsumer problem and complaint routerComplaints work better in the right lane. Pick the path that matches the problem, from contractor trouble to a charge dispute.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.