.svg)
So you’ve completed the Colorado Name Change process. You’ve completed the court process and updated your other government forms (license, social security, etc.). What now?
The next step is to update your legal name with other organizations, like banks, colleges, and employers. In this blog post, we will explore how you can update your name with these organizations.
This blog covers some of the more important organizations to send your name change to and what many of their policies look like. Remember, if you are a Colorado Name Change member, we can help you create name change letters to send to them!
Changing your name at your bank or credit union should be a painless process. Most banks and credit unions have similar requirements. To change your name, you will almost always need a copy of your driver’s license or state ID and your final name change decree(form JDF 448). Below are some of the larger banks and credit unions that have name change policies online. If your bank or credit union is not listed, we recommend calling your local branch.
If you attend a college or university, you will need to update your legal name with the Office of the Registrar. The requirements may vary, but most colleges and universities will ask for proof of your legal name change and a copy of your identification.
We have listed name change policies for some of Colorado’s larger schools below. If your school is not on that list, or if you questions about the process, please call your school’s Office of the Registrar.
Colorado Mesa University (requires login to student account)
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Most employers have a lot of experience updating their employees' names. If your employer does not have a policy for this, there are various resources available online for them to review.
Usually you will need to update your name with the Social Security Administration (SSA) before updating with your employer. If you are a Colorado Name Change member we can also help you with this step.
Your employer will likely need to update your W4, and sometimes, your I-9 forms to complete your name change.
One of the most important organizations to change your name with is the United States Postal Service.
The postal service does not have a name change form. However, the process to change your address does let you change your name. The address change process is available here. There is a small charge to use this process if you submit the change online. However, you can print a change form before submitting. You can then take the form to your local post office to avoid paying the fee.
The postal service will usually want to see proof of your name change. If you pay online, you will want to change the name on your credit cards first. Credit card name verification is one option you can choose to verify your new name.
If you go to your local post office, we recommend taking a copy of your final name change decree (form JDF 448). This will verify your name change for them.
You can also call the postal service at 1-800-275-8777 to change your name by phone.
Our new interview will generate a name change letter that can be sent to any organization by mail. It will include the name and address of the organization being sent to. And an account or reference number if applicable. As we said, if you are a Colorado Name Change member we can help you create name change letters to send to the organizations where you need to be identified with your accurate name. Please contact us if you have any questions.
