The petitioner must complete the Petition for Name Change document and have it notarized. Some courthouses may offer notarization services; otherwise, the petitioner will need to find a licensed notary public for the acknowledgment.

The Request for Hearing and Notice of Hearing (date and time left blank) must be completed by the petitioner. They can be found in the Petition for Adult Name Change Forms Packet.

The Petition for Name Change, Request for Hearing, and Notice of Hearing must be filed with the clerk of the district court in the county where the petitioner resides, along with the filing fee.^[1] The petitioner should check with their local court beforehand, as some may require the petitioner to bring copies of the forms.

The court will set a date and time for a hearing for a judge to review the name change request.^[2] The petitioner must bring an Order for Changing Name to the hearing. If the name change is approved, the judge will sign the order.

The petitioner must take the signed Order for Changing Name to the court clerk for filing. Certified copies of the Order will need to be obtained for the petitioner to update their name on other vital records. The petitioner must then take a certified copy to their local county clerk’s office to have the Order officially recorded.

Individuals getting married may use their marriage application to change their name. After the wedding, the marriage certificate will be used to update the name on official identification and documents.

During a divorce, if a petitioner wants to restore the name they had before marriage, they can make a request as part of the divorce decree. If an individual wants to change their name after divorce proceedings, they must file a Petition for Name Change with the court.