How to Legally Change Your Name in Pennsylvania

Legally changing your name in Pennsylvania is a fairly straightforward process and can usually be accomplished in less than three months. As long as you have a valid reason for changing your name, have not committed a serious crime and are not attempting to avoid a debt or legal judgment, your request will likely be granted. The name change process is not difficult and only requires that the petitioner take a few steps to begin the process.

Things You'll Need

• Name change petition
• Fingerprint card
• Newspaper advertisement
• Applicable fees

Instructions

1. File a petition with the Court of Common Pleas in the jurisdiction in which you live and pay the filing fee. The petition must include: your name and address, the reason for the name change and any other addresses you have lived at in the past five years. Your spouse and adult children may be listed as party petitioners for the name change if desired.

2. Provide a fingerprint card. The petition must be submitted along with your fingerprints. Both items are forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Police. Fingerprints must also be included for any party petitioners. The State Police will then determine if you have a criminal record and pass this information on to the Court of Common Pleas within 60 days.

3. Publish a notice of your intention to change your name in two newspapers in the county in which you live or in nearby counties if there is are no newspapers in your county.

4. Attend the name change hearing. The hearing will be scheduled any time from one to three months after the petition is filed. Bring copies of the notices that you placed in local newspapers. The petition will not be granted if there are judgments or decrees of record against your current name. The judge will ask if anyone present at the hearing objects to your name change and may take any objections into consideration before making a decision. Minor children of the petitioner will be given the new surname, unless the judge rules otherwise.

Tips & Warnings

• In some cases, you may be permitted to change your name if you have a criminal record. The petition might be granted if at least two calendar years have passed since the completion of your sentence and you are no longer on parole or probation or if you have been pardoned. You will usually not be permitted to change your name if you have been convicted of murder, rape, voluntary manslaughter, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, arson, aggravated assault, robbery, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the crimes listed above.

• If you are divorcing and want to resume using your original last name, you can do so by filing a written notice with the Office of the Prothonotary in the county in which you filed for divorce. Include the caption and docket number of the divorce proceeding in the notice.

• Changing your last name as a result of marriage in Pennsylvania is a simpler process. Your marriage certificate will serve as evidence of your marriage which you can then use to notify the various financial and government institutions of your name change.

• A name change will not be granted if the court determines that you wish to change your name to avoid obligations, debts or legal actions or wish to defraud another person.

Resources

• Name Change Law Pennsylvania Information