I'm Not Sure What My Legal Name Is Supposed To Be Because Of A Woman At The Department Of Driver Services. (fl/ga)

I (40f) have been married twice, and I'm not sure what my legal name is supposed to be because of a woman at the Department of Driver Services.

My first marriage ended in divorce, and I resumed my maiden name. However, I recently found out that I never changed it with the Social Security Administration. It was on all other documentation though, including the divorce decree (2012).

When I remarried in Hillsboro County, Florida, I chose to keep my maiden name, knowing that I could get it hyphenated, should I decide otherwise. From what I can see on the marriage license, there is no option that says I would be taking my husband's name, and the only version of my name is the one I was given at birth, and I signed it as such (2015).

Fast forward a year (2016) and we end up moving to Gwinnett County, Georgia. I went to the DDS to change my Florida license to a Georgia license. I brought my marriage certificate as another form of name verification, should I need it--that ended up being a mistake. After seeing my marriage license, the attendant informed me that I was not allowed to use my maiden name and I was required to take my husband's last name. I told her that my legal name is what is on that marriage certificate and what it said on my birth certificate, but she told me that was not the case.

That was almost 10 years ago, and since then, I've just accepted that I had to take my husband's last name. He recently passed in October 2023, and I've been dragging my feet a little with the name change thing because of the depression that the grief brought, and the sentimentality that came with the name.

However, in light of recent proposed legislation of HR 22, the SAVE act, I started looking into how I might get my maiden name back, and I also need all my documentation to match so I can file taxes. Am I going to have to schedule a court hearing to petition for a name change or do I have a case to go to DDS and get it reverted to my maiden name on my license without that step?