How to Obtain a Legal Name Change Document

Changing your name legally varies by state, but is generally simple.

There are many reasons you might want to get a name legally changed. You may have recently gotten married or divorced, or you may have adopted a child whose last name needs to be changed to your own. There are times when you want to change your name for purely personal reasons, such as your own preference or as public proof that you've committed yourself to a religious way of life. The process of getting your name legally changed varies by state. Once you have changed your name, you must have many documents altered as well, including your Social Security card, driver's license, health insurance forms, retirement account, and voter registration cards.

Instructions

1. Choose to change your name by usage if you're not interested in pursuing the matter legally. Most states allow you to change your name simply by starting to call yourself a different name. If you want to take this course, you will still need to sign your given name on legal documents such as binding contracts, banking applications, and insurance applications.

2. To have your name legally changed, file for a court order at the county courthouse where you live. In California this is called a Petition for Change of Name. You may also need to fill out an Order to Show Cause.

3. Have your Order to Show Cause published in the area newspapers. This serves as legal notice to the area in which you live. Depending on your state, you may need to have this notice published for four weeks or longer before your final order is granted.

4. Fill out a Decree Changing Name prior to your court date. Bring with you the Decree and the proof that you had your name change published in the newspapers. The judge will provide you with a certified copy to take with you as proof that you now answer to a new name.

5. Take the certified Decree Changing Name with you to places such as the DMV, hospital, and Social Security office to have all your identification and documentation legally changed to your new name.

Tips & Warnings

• The exact document names and procedures do vary from state to state. Check with the clerk of court at your local county courthouse for instructions specific to your state, or visit your state's judiciary website.

• You cannot change your name to evade creditors.

• You cannot change your name to anything offensive, including racial slurs and profanity.

References

• U.S. Legal Forms: Name Change
• Legal Zoom: Name Change