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How to Change Your Last Name With the FAA

Agency has a specific process to follow to keep a married pilot’s certificate legal. 


FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. [Credit: Shutterstock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

Question: I am a flight instructor and I have just taken on a client who is soon to be married and is concerned about the legal ramifications of taking her spouse’s last name and her aviation career.

How big of a hassle is it for her to change her name on her pilot certificate? Can she still fly with her old (maiden name) ID, or does she have to get a new one to be legal?

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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