How to Change a Child's Last Name to My Married Name

Changing a child's last name involves a legal petition.

Confucius said, "If names are not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things." The government also believes names are important, so therefore the legal process of changing a child's name includes a court visit once the child is older than the age of 2. While changing the child's name is possible, it requires a legal petition, paperwork and many weeks, if not months, of waiting before the change is deemed legal.

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Proof of parent's identity
Child's birth certificate
Child's Social Security card

Instructions

- 1
  
  Contact the county clerk in which the child was born and determine which court to visit. Some states have separate family and probate courts and require an appointment with that branch for name changes, while other states use more general courts. File a legal petition supplied by the court for the child's name change.
- 2
  
  Provide the county with a copy of the child's birth certificate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides the location of each state's Vital Records Bureau or similar agency for obtaining certified copies.
- 3
  
  Prove the other parent of the child is in agreement of the name change. If the parent is not, the court will still consider the case with valid arguments in regards to why the change is in the child's best interest. Legal counsel is advised in these situations.
- 4
  
  Provide the approved court-ordered name change to the Vital Records Bureau in the state of the child's birth. Request a new birth certificate.
- 5
  
  Submit the new birth certificate along with parent's proof of identification to the local Social Security Administration office. Online services are available through the SSA but still require original documents to be mailed to a local office.
- 6
  
  Contact the child's health insurance, doctor and school to notify them of the name change and complete the process.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vital Records in Each State

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How to Change a Child's Last Name to My Married Name

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