POMS Reference

RM 10212: Legal Names and Changes to the Numident

TN 1 (02-10)

A. Acceptable US evidence

Accept as evidence of a legal name change a US issued:

  • divorce or annulment decree

  • order of dissolution of a civil union or domestic partnership

B. Acceptable foreign evidence

Evaluate all foreign divorce or annulment decrees under the guidelines on reviewing SSN and foreign evidence.

  • Have a foreign divorce or annulment decree translated, if necessary. See GN00301.340 to determine who is an authorized translator for SSA purposes.

  • Accept a foreign divorce or annulment decree that meets the SSN and foreign evidence guidelines.

    NOTE: If GN 00307.000 is silent regarding the country where the name change document was issued, assume the document is acceptable.

C. Reference

  • GN 00307.000, Foreign Evidence

  • RM 10210.200, General Information on Reviewing and Verifying Evidence for an SSN Card

  • RM 10212.065, Evidence Required to Process a Name Change on the SSN based on Divorce, Dissolution, or Annulment