SAN FRANCISCO -- Same-sex couples are doing what many people do after they get married -- heading to the Department of Motor Vehicles for name changes, television station KNTV reported.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE? Survey: Allow Gay Marriage? FROM OUR PARTNERS Government: Is It Gay-Friendly? Retirement: Issues For Gay Couples Who: Really Benefits From Benefits? Business: Deals Await Couples

And the DMV is recognizing the San Francisco city marriage certificates as legal for the purposes of making name changes.

The licenses will allow gay couples to change their names at the Social Security Administration to preserve their benefits.

Same-sex couples also are expected to win another victory in the city of San Jose, where the city council is expected on Tuesday to adopt a resolution officially recognizing the marriages.

"We're going to make sure that we recognize that marriage as valid and legal, and that we will be offering those couples who work for the city of San Jose the same benefits as we could any married couple," said City Councilor Ken Yeager.

If the resolution passes, same-sex couples who get married in San Francisco and have a marriage certificate would be eligible for the city benefits, officials said.

Thousands of same-sex couples have gotten married in San Francisco in the last month after Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered clerks to begin issuing licenses, possibly in violation of state law. It is part of a series of incidents that have ignited a wide-ranging national debate on the issue.