A new Social Security number won t protect you. It s just another way to help. It s necessary to change your name and everything else at the same time your job, address, phone number, driver s license, credit cards, bank account, utility accounts everything. The problem, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime, is that a name change is sometimes too easy to discover. Court records are public, and unless a victim lives in a state such as Washington, which seals court documents on a name change in domestic abuse cases, anyone can look up the new name.
Some states even require name changes to be publicly announced in a local newspaper.
But there are some laws that give people the option of keeping at least some of their personal information confidential, such as the Drivers Protection Act, passed in 1994. Although the Department of Motor Vehicles is allowed to give out some pertinent information to law enforcement and insurance companies, anyone can request that their information not be given to direct marketers or to anyone else who asks. Getting a New Social Security Number People who do decide to change their name and Social Security number need to notify all pertinent government agencies, businesses and credit bureaus. They should also request that their files be given extra protection, such as multiple pin numbers or passwords, says Neris. Other evidence might include restraining orders, letters from shelters and letters from family members, friends, counselors or others with knowledge of the domestic violence.