Pennsylvania Address & Name Change

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Pennsylvania drivers must report an address change to PennDOT within 15 days of moving. The same notification applies after a marriage, divorce, or court-ordered name change. The address change is free and online; a name change requires either a new license at the next renewal or a duplicate card now.

Address change — the 15-day rule

Title 75, §1515 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code requires every licensee to notify PennDOT within 15 days of changing address. The notification covers both the driver license and every vehicle registered in the licensee's name. Missing the deadline does not by itself produce a fine, but the driver loses the legal protection of the notice provision: court summonses, registration renewals, and PennDOT correspondence go to the old address, and missed deadlines are the driver's responsibility.

Updating online

The simplest channel is the Driver and Vehicle Services portal at PennDOT.pa.gov. Log in with your driver-license number and Social Security number, choose Change of Address, and enter the new address for both the license and any vehicles. Confirmation is immediate. The new address shows on your driver record within one business day. The change is free; no new license card is issued unless you specifically request one.

Updating by mail

If you prefer mail, complete form DL-143 (Notification of Change of Address) and send it to PennDOT's Bureau of Driver Licensing. The form covers the license; a separate MV-13 covers vehicle registrations. Mail-in turnaround is two to three weeks. The change is free unless you also request a new license card with the updated address ($5 fee for a duplicate).

Why a license card is not automatic

An address change does not reissue the license card. The card you carry continues to show the old address until you renew or proactively request a duplicate. Pennsylvania permits a current license with an old address to be used as ID indefinitely (TSA only verifies the photo and expiration date), but for any state, federal, or financial transaction that requires a current address, you may want to request a duplicate. The duplicate fee is $5 and the card arrives in 7-15 business days.

Name change — documents required

To change your name on a Pennsylvania driver license, bring one of these certified documents to a driver-license center:

A certified marriage certificate showing both the prior and new name.
A certified divorce decree restoring the prior name.
A court order granting a name change (Court of Common Pleas).
An updated U.S. passport showing the new name.

Bring the current driver license, a completed DL-80 (Application for Replacement Driver License), and the new-name document. Pay the duplicate-license fee of $5 (or $30 if the change coincides with a renewal). The Social Security Administration must be notified before PennDOT will accept the change — the system checks the SSN database in real time at the counter.

Updating registrations after a name change

The vehicle registration must also be updated to match the new license. Bring the same name-change document plus the current registration to a PennDOT agent or driver-license center; the registration is reissued under the new name for $5. The vehicle title is updated separately by submitting form MV-38O with a $58 fee — details on the title replacement page.

Address change for a suspended license

The 15-day rule still applies if your license is currently suspended or revoked. Reporting a new address does not lift the suspension and does not interfere with reinstatement — it just keeps the PennDOT record accurate. Drivers serving an out-of-state suspension on a Pennsylvania license should also update the address so reinstatement notifications reach the right place.

Voter registration and EZ-Pass

The PennDOT online address-change form includes optional check-boxes to forward the new address to the Pennsylvania Department of State (voter registration) and to your E-ZPass account. Both updates happen automatically once you submit. Other agencies — the IRS, your insurance carrier, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — must be notified separately. PennDOT does not share the change with private parties without authorization.

REAL ID and address change

If you already hold a REAL ID-compliant Pennsylvania license, an address change does not invalidate it. The card remains valid until expiration. However, a name change does require a new REAL ID card with the standard six-point document re-verification, since the federal REAL ID Act requires the name on the card to match the underlying identity documents. Plan for an in-person visit if your name has changed since the last issuance.