Changing Your Name After Marriage in Canada: Documents, Fees and the Right Order

To take your spouse's last name in Canada, start by ordering your marriage certificate, because nearly every update depends on it. In Ontario, the certificate costs $15 for regular online service or $45 for premium, and it is not the Record of Solemnization your officiant gave you; you have to apply for it. ServiceOntario then updates your health card, driver's licence and Photo Card for free, with new cards arriving by mail in 6 to 8 weeks. A new passport needs a new application, not a renewal, at $163.50 for 10 years or $122.50 for 5 years for adults, as of 1 October 2026. Your SIN record, bank, employer and other accounts follow.

Ontario rules for assuming a spouse's name

Ontario's ServiceOntario page says you can assume your spouse's last name after marriage on government documents such as your health card, driver's licence and Ontario Photo Card, at no cost. It does not change the name on your Ontario birth registration or birth certificate. You must record the full last name as it appears on the marriage certificate, including a hyphenated name; if you want only part of a hyphenated name, you must apply for a legal name change. The old Election to Change Surname service is discontinued. Other provinces set their own rules; check with your provincial vital statistics office.

The marriage certificate

The $15 base fee is set in Ontario Regulation 511/01. The marriage must be registered first, so there can be a wait after the wedding before you can order. Ordering online is the simplest route; keep the confirmation number until it arrives. Order more than one copy if you plan to update several accounts at once.

Documents to update

ServiceOntario says that for other organizations you should contact each one and ask what they require, and that most will ask for a copy of your marriage certificate.

SIN record

Service Canada says you are required by law to update your SIN record when you change your legal name, and lists a marriage certificate, marriage statement or marriage solemnization as a supporting document for a family name after marriage, except for Quebec residents married after 1 April 1981, regardless of where the marriage took place. You can update online, by mail or in person. Service Canada's update page says there is no fee.

Passport

IRCC says that if you changed your name after marriage, you must apply for a new passport rather than renew, and include identity documents showing your new surname plus the marriage certificate. As of 31 March 2026, an adult passport costs $163.50 for 10 years or $122.50 for 5 years when applying in Canada. IRCC says that from 1 April 2026, applications are processed within 30 business days or the fee is refunded, subject to its conditions.

Order of operations

1. Order the marriage certificate (and extra copies) as soon as the marriage is registered.
2. Update provincial ID at ServiceOntario: health card, driver's licence, Photo Card.
3. Update your SIN record.
4. Apply for a new passport, unless you have travel booked soon (see below).
5. Tell your employer and the CRA.
6. Update banks, credit cards, investments, pensions and insurance.
7. Update utilities, phone, memberships, professional licences and loyalty programs.
8. Keep a list with dates, so nothing is missed.

Travel bookings

Check your airline's rules, but plan for the name on your ticket to match the passport you travel with. If your honeymoon is soon after the wedding, book tickets in the name on your current passport and wait until you return to apply for a new one. Applying for a new passport while a trip is booked risks travelling without one. Update loyalty programs after the new passport arrives.

Keeping your name or going back

You do not have to change your name. If you assumed a spouse's name and later want your previous name back, rules depend on how you changed it. In Ontario, if you used the discontinued Election to Change Surname, you can file an Election to Resume Former Surname (Form 2) for $25, which issues a change of name certificate and a new birth certificate if you were born in Ontario. Otherwise, a legal name change may be needed.

Example with made-up inputs

These numbers are an example with made-up inputs, apart from published fees. One spouse in Ontario orders two marriage certificates by regular service ($30), updates their health card and licence ($0), updates their SIN record ($0), applies for a 10-year passport ($163.50) with made-up photos at $25, and pays a made-up $35 to replace a professional membership card. Total: $253.50. Waiting until after the honeymoon to change the passport avoids a made-up $180 airline name-change fee.

Common mistakes

• Bringing the Record of Solemnization instead of the certificate.
• Using part of a hyphenated name without a legal name change.
• Renewing a passport instead of applying for a new one.
• Booking travel in a name that does not match your passport.
• Forgetting the SIN record or CRA.

Related: marriage licence fees and CRA marital status after the wedding.