Marriage Certificate Required

[SouthernCaribbean]

I would imagine this would ONLY come into play if you got married and your name changed AFTER the cruise docs were sent and BEFORE you had your name on your DL changed.

[Katiebug227]

I would imagine this would ONLY come into play if you got married and your name changed AFTER the cruise docs were sent and BEFORE you had your name on your DL changed.

 

Nope. I was told by our travel agent that if my birth certificate has my maiden name and my driver's license has my married name, I would need a copy of the marriage license to prove the legal name change between the two. The only way around bringing the marriage license along is having a passport with my married name (either originally on it or amended by the State Dept.).

 

So theoretically this could affect any married woman who changed her name, and uses the birth certificate/driver's license combo instead of a passport. A woman's name doesn't automatically change legally as soon as she's married - you have to put in some effort to change it, and that can take a few weeks.

 

If our honeymoon were right after the wedding, I'd have booked everything in my maiden name since clearly there wouldn't be time to get the name change done. But we've booked our cruise for 7 weeks after the wedding, which is more than adequate to get my passport amended to my married name (with expedited service).

[Lauri32]

Okay, this is going to get complicated. We just booked a last minute cruise to the Bahamas. I have my birth ceritifacte, driver's license and marriage license. However, my birth certificate last name is "Black." I was adopted by my step-father at young age and my last name was changed to "Smith". Now on my marriage license is my maiden name "Smith" as well as my married name "Doe". Am I going to need my adoption papers as well as my marriage license to prove my name changed three times? BTW, my driver's license is my married name "Doe" also. Sorry if this is confusing anybody, oh and I don't have time to get a passport, we leave in two weeks.

 

When you were adopted by your step-father it was changed on your birth certificate for the state records. I would see about getting a new copy of the birth certificate.

[Keico]

No it wasn't, I've gotten a copy since the adoption and it still says "Black."

[Lauri32]

Is your step father's name on the birth certificate?

[Keico]

Nope, it still has my birth father's name on it.

[irishgirl]

This question has always plagued me whenever someone posts it. So, seriously, why would you even take the chance of being denied boarding just because of a piece of paper???

 

Either get a passport or don't change your name when you get married. Simple!!!

[Lauri32]

I know things could possibly vary from state to state. But when my husband adopted my girls, their birth father's name was removed from the certificate. They were issued new certificates with their new last names and my husband's name in the place of birth father. I would check with your state department about that if I were you. I don't know if they would have time to change it in 2 weeks though. I would take all the documentation you have, just to be sure. Yes, it can be a pain lugging everything around but it's better safe than sorry. You could wind up with someone who's a stickler checking you in.

[sea_u_onboard]

Okay, this is going to get complicated. We just booked a last minute cruise to the Bahamas. I have my birth ceritifacte, driver's license and marriage license. However, my birth certificate last name is "Black." I was adopted by my step-father at young age and my last name was changed to "Smith". Now on my marriage license is my maiden name "Smith" as well as my married name "Doe". Am I going to need my adoption papers as well as my marriage license to prove my name changed three times? BTW, my driver's license is my married name "Doe" also. Sorry if this is confusing anybody, oh and I don't have time to get a passport, we leave in two weeks.

 

Love it - more common than you think.

[MistyandShane]

So if my maiden name is on my DL as my middle name will that be OK or do I need to take my marriage license?

Misty

[sumer]

Hey guys ! I have a question... do you all know if the marriage license has to be a certified copy? Mine has a raised seal ,but states "not a certified copy".Thanks.

[lilsonicfan]

 

(snip) If not, proof of name change (i.e., a marriage license) OR a valid driver’s license or government issued photo ID (i.e., U.S. Military ID) must be presented.

 

 

But didn't the OP have her driver's licence.. shouldn't that have been enough without a marriage licence??? I don't get it.

[Marge M]

I brought along my marriage license, because at the last minute remembered my names wouldn't match (birth certificate/driver's license). Our son and daughter were traveling with us, and when the lady at embarkation asked for their birth certificates I pulled 2 papers out of my envelope and showed them to her. She looked at them intently for several seconds, then nodded and said, "Thank you."

 

As we walked away, I looked at the papers in my hand and realized I had handed her my son's birth certificate and my marriage license...not my daughter's birth certificate! Then I knew she hadn't read any of it, but she gave a pretty good show of it :confused:

[Katiebug227]

So if my maiden name is on my DL as my middle name will that be OK or do I need to take my marriage license?

Misty

 

Mine will be like that too - but I wouldn't chance it. Better to bring it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

[yl1]

We recently was on the Conquest Jan. 2nd and as often happens at the New Orleans terminal, which is the most mismanaged of all carnival ports in the US, there computers were down. They just wrote on a piece of paper our credit card number and checked our drivers license. They never checked our birth certificates atall. The place was not organised at all, then with the computers down they were lost.

I have been through the Miami Carnival terminal twice and it was well managed and all documents were well checked.

[nrdsb4]

[quote name='Kathy555']This past August we flew to Bermuda and I was asked for my marriage certificate, in the past I had only brought along my drivers license and BC. They still let me in but he suggested I bring it along next time. I just ended up getting a passport. Much easier but it seems you still need the drivers ID to.[/QUOTE]


A passport is proof of identification, proof of citizenship, and is also a photo id. There is no reason why you should ever need to show a driver's license also if you have a passport (unless you are attempting to rent a car).