How to Change Your Name in the US: Cost & Steps by State
All 50 states + DC, verified against official court and .gov sources. Last verified July 16, 2026.
An adult court name change in the US costs about $25 to $500, depending on your state and county. The arc is the same everywhere: file a petition, publish a notice if your state requires it, get the signed order, then update Social Security → DMV → passport. Marriage and divorce name changes usually need no court petition.
Start here: pick your state
Pick your state and situation for your exact filing fee, court, forms, and ordered steps.
Name change cost by state
Adult (court) name change. Fees are official government filing fees, not service prices, and many vary by county — confirm with your court.
| State | Typical fee | Court | Publication | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $435–$485 | Superior Court (Civil) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Texas | $150–$360 | District Court | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
| Florida | $400–$414 | Circuit Court | Not required | 4–8 weeks |
| New York | $210 | Supreme or County Court (NYC Civil Court in New York City) | Required | 4–12 weeks |
| Pennsylvania | $142–$350 | Court of Common Pleas (Civil Division) | Required | 8–16 weeks |
| Illinois | $200–$400 | Circuit Court | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
| Ohio | $100–$175 | County Probate Court | Required | 6–10 weeks |
| Georgia | $200–$330 | Superior Court (Clerk of Superior Court, county of residence) | Required | 5–10 weeks |
| North Carolina | $120 | Clerk of Superior Court, Special Proceedings (county of residence) | Required | 4–10 weeks |
| Michigan | $175 | Family Division of the Circuit Court (county of residence) | Required (waivable) | 8–16 weeks |
| New Jersey | $250 | Superior Court, Law Division — Civil Part | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
| Virginia | $30–$50 | Circuit Court | Not required | 2–8 weeks |
| Washington | $50–$300 | District Court (in the county where you live) | Not required | 2–6 weeks |
| Arizona | $236–$350 | Superior Court of Arizona (Civil) | Sometimes | 3–10 weeks |
| Tennessee | $100–$250 | Circuit, Chancery, or Probate Court (which court hears name changes depends on the county) | Not required | 1–6 weeks |
| Massachusetts | $165 | Probate and Family Court (county of residence) | Sometimes | 6–12 weeks |
| Indiana | $157 | Circuit or Superior Court (civil miscellaneous / MI case) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Missouri | $90–$200 | Circuit Court (county of residence) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Maryland | $165 | Circuit Court (Family/Domestic) | Required (waivable) | 6–12 weeks |
| Wisconsin | $165 | Wisconsin Circuit Court (Civil) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Colorado | $98 | County Court or District Court (Civil) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Minnesota | $310–$325 | Minnesota District Court (county of residence) | Not required | 4–8 weeks |
| South Carolina | $150 | South Carolina Family Court | Not required | 8–16 weeks |
| Alabama | $25–$100 | Probate Court | Not required | 2–8 weeks |
| Louisiana | $250–$500 | Judicial District Court (in the parish of residence) | Sometimes | 6–16 weeks |
| Kentucky | $40–$120 | District Court (filed through the Circuit Court Clerk) | Not required | 2–6 weeks |
| Oregon | $124 | Circuit Court (Civil) | Not required | 1–6 weeks |
| Oklahoma | $154–$170 | District Court (Civil) | Required | 3–8 weeks |
| Connecticut | $0 | Probate Court | Not required | 4–8 weeks |
| Utah | $375 | District Court | Not required | 4–8 weeks |
| Iowa | $195 | Iowa District Court | Not required | 5–10 weeks |
| Nevada | $200–$300 | Nevada District Court | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Arkansas | $150–$175 | Arkansas Circuit Court | Not required | 3–8 weeks |
| Mississippi | $140–$160 | Mississippi Chancery Court | Not required | 3–8 weeks |
| Kansas | $173–$200 | Kansas District Court | Sometimes | 4–8 weeks |
| New Mexico | $132 | New Mexico District Court | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
| Nebraska | $89–$178 | Nebraska District Court | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Idaho | $120–$176 | Magistrate Division of the Idaho District Court | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| West Virginia | $200 | Circuit Court or Family Court | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Hawaii | $50 | Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii (processed administratively with the Attorney General — not a court) | Required | 6–10 weeks |
| New Hampshire | $140 | Circuit Court, Probate Division | Sometimes | 4–10 weeks |
| Maine | $40–$100 | County Probate Court (in the county where you reside) | Not required | 4–12 weeks |
| Montana | $170 | Montana District Court (of the county where you reside) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Rhode Island | $30–$150 | Municipal Probate Court (city or town of residence) | Not required | 2–8 weeks |
| Delaware | $85 | Court of Common Pleas for the State of Delaware | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
| South Dakota | $70 | South Dakota Circuit Court (Civil) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| North Dakota | $160 | North Dakota District Court (county of residence) | Required | 6–12 weeks |
| Alaska | $200 | Superior Court | Required | 8–16 weeks |
| Vermont | $150 | Superior Court — Probate Division | Not required | 3–10 weeks |
| Wyoming | $100–$120 | District Court | Required | 8–16 weeks |
| District of Columbia | $60 | DC Superior Court — Civil Actions Branch | Not required | 4–10 weeks |
A machine-readable version is at /data/name-change.v1.json.
What varies by state — and what doesn't
The biggest differences between states are the filing fee, the court that handles the case (Superior, Circuit, District, Probate, Common Pleas, or Chancery), and whether you must publish a notice in a newspaper. Fees range from $0 in Connecticut to roughly $500 in Louisiana, and a handful of states run a fingerprint or background check on adult petitioners.
What's the same everywhere: after a court signs your order — or after you get a certified marriage certificate or divorce decree — you update your IDs in the same sequence. Social Security comes first because the DMV and the US passport agency both verify your new name against the Social Security record. Pick your state above for the exact fee, forms, and steps.
After the court: who to notify
The universal post-order sequence is Social Security → DMV → passport → USPS → banks → employer → IRS → voter → insurance.