I fiance and I recently got married. When they gave us the marriage license they told her to sign it with her maiden name and said that was the last time she would sign her maiden name.
When filling out the application for a new social security card I called them to ask how she should sign the application since she has no documentation proving a name change. The person I spoke with on the phone said she should have signed the marriage license with her married name and since she didn't she would have to get a legal name change.
I went back up to the courthouse to tell the clerk that she made an error when she instructed my wife to sign the license and the the social security office said she should have signed it as her married name and that the certified license should have listed the bride with her married name. After discussing it amongst themselves at the clerks office they said the person I spoke to on the phone was wrong and that the certified license is the document needed to prove marriage and can then begin the name change process.
This is in indiana. Does anybody know who is correct here? Any experiences?
Marriage license and evidence required to change name
A marriage license which clearly indicates the names of the individuals marrying should be sufficient, as far as Social Security is concerned.
From the SSA's POMS (Program Operations Manual System) :
Accept a name change document based on marriage, civil union or domestic partnership as evidence of the new name to be shown on the card, if the new name can be derived from the document.
Any of the following changes to the last name, using the names shown on the evidence, are permitted:
https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212055