Name Change Order May Be Required for GA Driver's License

There are new federal requirements that may prevent you from getting your Georgia driver's license renewed if the name on your birth certificate does not exactly match the name on your driver's license regardless of whether you have been able to renew your license for years without any problems.  Those same requirements may prevent a new resident from being able to obtain a Georgia driver's license if the name on the birth certificate does not exactly match the name wanted on the new Georgia driver's license.

The federal law known as the REAL ID law was passed as a result of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and was enacted to make identification documents more secure and consistent across the United States.

If you do not have a valid Georgia Secure License or ID then you will be required to produce government approved identity documents in order to renew your driver's license.  You can confirm whether or not you have a valid Georgia Secure License or ID by looking at your current driver's license to see if there is a gold or black star in the top right corner.  If so then your current license is a Georgia Secure License.  If you do not have a gold or black star on your license then you may be required to file a name change petition in order to get your name legally changed if the name on your birth certificate and your driver's license do not match.

It is very important that your Georgia driver's license is Real ID compliant because beginning on October 1, 2020, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is requiring that your driver's license be Real ID compliant or else you will not be allowed access through airport security. 

Name Change Order May be Required to Renew GA Driver's License

The Name Change Process in Gwinnett County and the Atlanta metropolitan area

If you need to legally change your name then please contact me to discuss your situation and also refer to my previous article on the process of legally changing your name in Gwinnett County and the 7 Top Reasons to Legally Change Your Name.

If you live in Gwinnett County or in the Metro-Atlanta area and are considering a name change please contact Douglas W. Lewis by filling out and submitting the request form found on this page, or by calling our office at 770-682-3765 for a free initial phone consultation.  Our office is located at 154 Stone Mountain Street, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.  Client reviews can be found on Mr. Lewis' Google page, Avvo page, and on his website.

Doug Lewis is a Lawrenceville-based Family Law attorney who for over twenty years has handled cases involving divorce, legitimation, paternity and child custody, name changes, personal injury, criminal defense, juvenile court, civil litigation and estate planning matters in the Gwinnett County and Metro-Atlanta area including Barrow, Walton, Jackson, Hall, Forsyth, Dekalb, Cobb and Fulton counties.