Name Change FAQs

What documents are required for changing my name?

Although the exact forms and their titles for the name change process vary from state to state, and even from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, you will always start by filing a Petition for Change of Name. In Los Angeles County, for example, you are also required to file a form entitled Order to Show Cause for Change of Name. This form gives interested parties the opportunity to object to your name change. If anyone objects, then a hearing is set to discuss the objection. Finally, you'll need a Decree Changing Name, which is the actual order that authorizes your name change and which becomes the official record of your name change.