Texas refuses driver's license to female attorney because she didn't provide marriage license

[MineralMan]

43. Marriage license. Have one.

If they ask for a bill in your name, have one. My wife and I (she never changed her name) split up the utility bills, so there's always one lying around with either name on it. Most bills don't come in the mail, but we leave a few as mailed bills for that reason.

Marriage licenses are rarely needed, but when they are, they are, so everyone should have theirs. We ordered a replacement of ours when we were shopping for a new house, just in case. It's in the lock box with other important papers. We did need it, too, for the house, since it had to do with the way ownership is listed in the records. We are shown as a married couple, instead of two single people. So, you just pull out the marriage license and you're done.

This is probably a Real ID issue. My wife has her MN DL as Real ID. I do not, since I could renew it online during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I did. Long wait for the upgrade to Real ID. We just changed addresses on our licenses. My wife had to show bills. I did not. Real ID. She also used her Voter Registration card as proof of residence.

I didn't have to show squat, because my license is still the old standard DL, so that's how I know it's a Real ID issue.

Changing one's name because of marriage makes no sense anyhow. You have to change SS info, passport info, Driver's License info. All of them are a hassle. Just keep your birth name and you don't have to do any of that nonsense. I don't get it, anyhow. My wife's name is my wife's name. She's had the same one since she was born. Why on Earth would she change it?