To file the Petition for Name Change in New Hampshire, the petitioner must use the TurboCourt website. They will also need a copy of their photo identification (in PDF format). If a passport is used, a proof of address must also be included (e.g., a gas bill, electric bill, or phone bill).

After the petitioner creates their account, they will click “Start a New Case” and follow the instructions to complete the form.

After completing the five sections of the name change request application, the petitioner must pay the filing fee for their documents to be submitted. Petitioners who wish to pay in person may file their online application and pay at their local circuit court.

Petitioners who are incarcerated or on probation must arrange for the sheriff’s department to serve a copy of the Petition to the Department of Corrections.^[1]

Registered sex offenders who the Department of Corrections no longer supervises must have the sheriff’s department serve a copy of the Petition to both the Department of Safety and the initial prosecuting authority.

In some cases, a hearing may be required, and the petitioner must attend and provide support for their petition. Otherwise, the petitioner will receive a Certificate of Change of Name via email within 45 days of filing if the Court approves the name change.

The Certificate will be used to update the petitioner’s name with official government agencies. The petitioner must complete a Record Change Request and submit it to the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of the name change.^[2]

When a couple applies for a marriage license at their local city or town clerk’s office, they can indicate if they want to change their last name.^[3] They can also elect to change their middle name to their pre-marriage surname.

The court may restore an individual’s former surname in the official divorce decree, regardless of whether the request was made in the petition.^[4]