In most situations, changing your name in Mississippi is not difficult, but it does require a lot of paperwork. Before you change your name, obtain copies of any supporting documents, such as a marriage certificate, court order or decree of divorce. You can get these documents from the court they were filed at, by calling the clerk's office and asking for your legal copies.

Get a Mississippi Name Change form (see Resources). Complete the form, which asks for your birth name, residence information and parent's information. You will need to provide legal proof along with the form.

Visit a notary public. Sign your name change form in front of the notary and show her proof of your identity. You need one notary to witness and sign the form. You can find notary services in the telephone directory.

Contact your county clerk to determine the filing fees for your name change form. You can find your county courthouse and clerk information on the Mississippi Judiciary website (see Resources).

Visit the court and file your legal name change form plus fees. The court will approve your name change.

Fill out an SS-5 form to change your name with Social Security and the IRS (see Resources). You will need to provide proof of the legal name change, proof of your identity and proof of citizenship. Your approved legal name change form and a valid United States identifcation (such as passport) will suffice. Send off copies of the enclosed materials to legally change your name.

Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles with the documentation you've used to change your name. Submit these materials to the DMV officer to change your name on your driver's license.

About the Author

A successful website writer since 1998, Elton Dunn has demonstrated experience with technology, information retrieval, usability and user experience, social media, cloud computing, and small business needs. Dunn holds a degree from UCSF and formerly worked as professional chef. Dunn has ghostwritten thousands of blog posts, newsletter articles, website copy, press releases and product descriptions. He specializes in developing informational articles on topics including food, nutrition, fitness, health and pets.

SHARE