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Restoring Your Name After Divorce in Pennsylvania: Steps, Cost & Forms

Verified against Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and .gov sources · Last verified July 16, 2026.

Quick answer

In Pennsylvania, you restore your former or maiden name after divorce through the divorce decree — request it in the divorce and the decree is your legal proof. A separate request costs about $0–$20 (typical $7, varies by county). Then update Social Security first, then the DMV, then your passport. No newspaper notice is required.

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What it costs

Filing fee
$0–$20 (typical $7, varies by county)

A small filing fee applies to the Notice of Intention to Resume Prior Surname (about $6.75 in Pike County); the amount varies slightly by county

Court
Court of Common Pleas (through the county Prothonotary / Office of Judicial Records)

Court of Common Pleas in the county where you live

Timeline
1–4 weeks

Step by step

  1. 1

    File a Notice of Intention to Resume Prior Surname with the Prothonotary / Office of Judicial Records in the county where your divorce was filed — under 54 Pa.C.S. § 704 you may do this before or after the divorce decree with no separate petition, hearing, or newspaper publication.

  2. 2

    Pay the small county filing fee and obtain a time-stamped copy of the filed Notice from the Prothonotary.

  3. 3

    Use the filed Notice (and your divorce decree) to update Social Security with Form SS-5, then PennDOT, then your passport and financial accounts.

  4. 4

    There is no fingerprinting or background check for resuming a former surname through a divorce.

Official forms

Every link goes to the official court or government host — never a paid re-host.

FormCodeOfficial link
Notice of Intention to Resume Prior Surname—Open ↗
Newspaper publication: Not required
Background check: No background check
Good to know in Pennsylvania:
  • • Resuming a prior surname after divorce is governed by 54 Pa.C.S. § 704 and does not require the full Court of Common Pleas name-change petition, fingerprints, or publication.

Then update your IDs

Once you have the signed order, update Social Security first, then your Pennsylvania license, then your passport and accounts.

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Divorce name change in nearby states

New York →Illinois →Florida →Ohio →

Restoring Your Name After Divorce in Pennsylvania: FAQ

Can I restore my maiden name without paying again in Pennsylvania?
Usually yes. If you asked to restore your former name in your divorce, the decree is your proof at no extra cost. In Pennsylvania you can also request it after the fact.
What if I forgot to ask for my former name in the divorce in Pennsylvania?
You can still restore it. Pennsylvania lets you file a short request to restore your former name after the divorce is final — see the forms below.
Do I need to publish a notice to restore my name after divorce in Pennsylvania?
No. Restoring a former name through a divorce decree does not require newspaper publication in Pennsylvania.
What's the first ID to update after a divorce name change in Pennsylvania?
Social Security first (free, Form SS-5), then your Pennsylvania driver's license, then your passport and financial accounts.

Sources

Every fee, court, rule, and form on this page traces to an official government source:

See our verification methodology and themaster source list.

Last verified July 16, 2026Reviewed by the Name Change Atlas Editorial Team against official court and .gov sources.