How to Ask for a Name Change for Your Family or Your Minor Child

Fill out your forms using the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool. Please note that completing the documents on Michigan Legal Help or Law Help Interactive does not file anything with the court.

Sign the Petition for Name Change as the petitioner. (If you’re requesting not to publish notice of the hearing, the full name of the form will be “Petition for Name Change and Ex Parte Request for Nonpublication and Confidential Record.”) If your spouse is changing their name on the same petition, they must sign in the “Consent by Spouse of Petitioner” section.

Each court decides how it will accept documents for filing. Contact your court to find out which methods are available. Depending on your court, you may be able to file by:

• In-person filing
• E-mail
• E-Filing using MiFILE or the court’s own e-filing program
• Mailing or dropping off documents

You can find contact information for your court on the Courts & Agencies page of Michigan Legal Help.

MiFILE is only available for some courts. Even in courts where it is available, you can only use it for some case types. The State Court Administrative Office keeps a chart of courts that use e-Filing. To learn more, read What Is E-Filing?. The case-type code for name change is NC.

NOTE: Skip this step if only adults are changing their names.

In general, if your child has another legal parent, that parent must also agree to your child's name change and sign the petition (see exception for noncustodial parents below). They should sign in the “Signature of Parent/Guardian for Minor” section. If the other parent has joint legal custody of your child and they do not agree to sign the petition, you can't change your child's name.

If your child's other legal parent is a noncustodial parent (meaning they do not have legal custody), the name change process will be easier if they agree to sign the petition. Some courts will also accept a Waiver/Consent form signed by the noncustodial parent. 

If a noncustodial parent does not agree to the name change, the judge may still approve it if that parent:

• (A) Had the ability to pay support, but did not provide substantial support for the last two years, AND had the ability to contact or visit the child, but has not had substantial contact in the last two years; OR
• (B) Has been convicted of child abuse or a sexual assault crime and the child or one of their siblings was the victim; OR
• (C) Has been convicted of first or second degree murder.

If (B) or (C) applies, attach a copy of the Judgment of Sentence to your petition when you file.

If you are a child’s legal guardian, you must submit letters of guardianship with your Petition for Name Change for that child.
 

To learn more about filing methods that may be available, read Step 1. File the following completed forms at the circuit court in the county where you live:

• Petition for Name Change (If you’re requesting not to publish notice, this will be called “Petition for Name Change and Ex Parte Request for Nonpublication and Confidential Record.”)
• Addendum to Protected Personal Identifying Information form
• Confidential Case Inventory form (if applicable)
• Order Regarding Ex Parte Request for Nonpublication and Confidential Record (You only need this if you are requesting not to publish notice.)

Save the other forms to use later in the case. You may not need all of them.

You will have to pay the filing fee of $175.00 when you file the petition. If you cannot afford this, you may qualify for a fee waiver for the filing fees. Read the Fee Waivers in Court Cases article to get more information about fee waivers. You can use the Do-It-Yourself Fee Waiver to complete the form.

NOTE: Skip this step if only adults are changing their names.

If your child’s other parent did not sign the petition, and you know their address, send them a copy of the petition after you file it. If a court clerk tells you to make changes to your petition, make the changes, and make sure the copy you send to the other parent has those changes.

Complete the Proof of Service form for the Petition for Name Change and file it with the court. The Proof of Service form is one of the forms you got from the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool.

If the other parent signed a Waiver/Consent form instead of the petition, and you haven’t filed it already, file the Waiver/Consent form now. 

NOTE: If there’s a noncustodial parent whose address is unknown, you can skip this step. In a later step, there will be instructions for trying to notify them.

NOTE: Skip this step if everyone changing their name is younger than 22.

Anyone listed in the petition who is 22 years old or older must have a criminal background check done. You must get fingerprinted for the background check.

Some courts require you to send your fingerprints in on a Michigan Applicant Fingerprint paper card (RI-008). Other courts accept an electronic or "Live Scan" submission. Call the court where you are filing your petition to find out which option the court will accept.

For Fingerprints Submitted on an RI-008 Card:

First, everyone age 22 or older should get fingerprinted at a local police agency. The cost to get fingerprinted will depend on the agency. Then mail the fingerprints, a copy of your Petition for Name Change, and check or money order for $43.25 for each person over 22 (made out to the State of Michigan) to:

Michigan State Police
CJIC
P.O. Box 30266
Lansing, Michigan 48909

This fee amount and address were listed on the Michigan State Police Department website as of July 2023. It is a good idea to confirm the fee and address before sending your information and payment. 

For Live Scan (Electronic Submission) Fingerprints:

The court should give you a Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request form and tell you what Live Scan vendor to use. 

The Live Scan vendor will collect the $43.25 processing fee per person and submit your fingerprints for processing. The Live Scan vendor may charge an additional fee for the fingerprinting. Contact the Live Scan vendor for their hours, fees, and any other information about the process.

Background Check Results:

For fingerprints on an RI-008 card, it usually takes three to five weeks to complete the background check. Live Scan fingerprints usually take about seven business days. The state police department will report its findings and any information it got from the FBI to the court. They will not send you a copy.

If there are no pending charges or criminal records for anyone, the state police will destroy its copy of the fingerprints.

Some courts require you to call and schedule the hearing, while other courts will schedule it for you and send you a Notice of Hearing. If anyone on your petition is over 22, the court may wait to schedule the hearing until it gets the background check results. You can ask the court clerk about scheduling your hearing.

NOTE: if you requested not to publish notice of the name change:

The court probably won’t schedule the hearing until the judge decides whether to grant or deny your request not to publish. Check the judge’s orders carefully to see if they set a name change hearing. If no name change hearing was set, you can ask the court clerk about scheduling the hearing.
 

NOTE: Skip this step if only adults are changing their names.

If your child’s other parent did not sign the petition, send them a copy of the Notice of Hearing at least 14 days before the hearing. 

If the other parent is a noncustodial parent, send them a copy of the Notice of Hearing even if they did sign the petition. If the noncustodial parent’s address is unknown, you must notify them in Step 9 instead.

Then complete the Proof of Service form for the Notice of Hearing and file it with the court. The Proof of Service form is one of the forms you got from the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool.

Find the option that applies to you. Publishing notice under Option C is most common.  

Option A. Use this option if:

• The judge granted your request not to publish notice of the name change; and
• There is no parent who still needs to be notified of the hearing. (This could be because the parent was already notified in Step 8 or because there are no parents who need to be notified at all.)

You don’t have to publish anything. Continue to Step 10.

Option B. Use this option if:

• The judge granted your request not to publish notice of the name change; but
• There’s a noncustodial parent with an unknown address who must be notified of their child’s name change.

You have to publish a special notice just for the noncustodial parent . It won’t have your child’s name, just your name and the other parent’s name. 

Use form PC 50c, called “Publication of Notice of Hearing Regarding Petition for Name Change (Noncustodial Parent).” This is one of the forms you got at the end of the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool. 

Different courts have different processes. Contact your circuit court to find out its publication requirements. Click on Courts & Agencies to get contact information for your circuit court. To learn more about the publication process, read the section below called “Basic Publication Information.”

Option C. Use this option if:

• You never asked the judge for nonpublication; or
• The judge denied your request for nonpublication.

You must publish notice of the name change hearing in a local newspaper. This gives people the name change may affect a chance to object to it. If the judge ordered that you don’t have to publish notice, choose one of the options above instead.

Use form PC 50, called “Publication of Notice of Hearing Regarding Petition for Name Change.” This is one of the forms you got at the end of the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool.  If there’s a noncustodial parent with an unknown address, include their name on Form PC 50 under the line that starts “TO ALL PERSONS.” 

Different courts have different processes. Contact your circuit court to find out its publication requirements. Click on Courts & Agencies to get contact information for your circuit court. To learn more about the publication process, read the section below called “Basic Publication Information.”

Basic Publication Information (This section applies to Options B and C.)

Contact your circuit court to find out its publication requirements. Click on Courts & Agencies to get contact information for your circuit court.

Some courts work directly with the local Legal News for publication. These courts will send a copy of the Publication of Notice of Hearing form to the Legal News when you file the form. The Legal News will bill for the amount owed. After the fee is paid, the Legal News will mail you the original Affidavit of Publication for you to file with the court.

Other courts require you to contact a local newspaper to publish your notice. You may need to ask the newspaper to publish your notice right away.

After the local newspaper publishes the name change notice, submit a copy of the published notice and Affidavit of Publication to the court. The newspaper must complete the Affidavit of Publication, not you. The Affidavit of Publication must list the qualifications of the newspaper and the date or dates the notice was published.

Most newspapers have a standard affidavit form they use. If the newspaper publishing your notice does not, you can use this standard Affidavit of Publication Form.

The judge will not sign the order granting the name change without the published notice and the Affidavit of Publication.

The notice must be published before the name change hearing. Depending on the county you live in, the notice needs to be published between two and eight weeks before the hearing. Some courts require you to check with them three days before your hearing to make sure they got the publication information. 

Publication Fees and Fee Waivers

There is usually a fee for publishing notice of a name change. Some newspapers also charge a fee for the Affidavit of Publication. The prices depend on your county and the newspaper.

If you get a fee waiver, the court must pay the publication and affidavit costs. Read Fee Waivers in Court Cases to learn more about fee waivers.

Everyone whose name is changing should go to the hearing. You must also go if you are the petitioner, whether or not your name is changing. 

On the day of the hearing, bring any documents related to the name change, including the Order Following Hearing Regarding Petition for Name Change. The order is one of the documents you got from the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool. If there’s a 14 to 17-year-old changing their name, you also should bring an unsigned copy of the Minor’s Consent to Name Change form.

It is always a good idea to have three copies of the documents. You may need to give one copy to the judge and one to your child’s other parent, if any. You should always keep a copy of all documents related to the name change for your records.

At the hearing, the judge will likely ask you questions about the information in your petition. The judge will also give anyone who objects to the name change a chance to talk about their reasons for objecting.

Any minor child listed on the petition who is 14 years old or older must agree to the name change and sign the Minor's Consent to Name Change form in front of the judge during the hearing. For any child younger than 14 years old, the judge will decide if the child is able to say what they want, and will consider that child’s wishes.

For more information about in-person court hearings, go to What to Expect When You Go to Court. If your hearing will be over video or phone, go to Remote Hearings.

If the judge approves your petition, the judge will complete and sign the name change order.

There is a $10.00 fee to have the court enter the order. If you were granted a fee waiver, this fee will be waived. A certified copy of the order costs another $11.00. This may not be covered by a fee waiver. It is usually a good idea to get two certified copies.

NOTE: Skip this step if only adults are changing their names.

If your child’s other parent did not sign the petition and you know their address, send them a copy of the Order Following Hearing Regarding Petition for Name Change. 

Then complete the Proof of Service form for the order and file it with the clerk’s office. The Proof of Service form for the Order Following Hearing Regarding Petition for Name Change is one of the forms you got from the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool. 

After a name change, other records that use your child or family’s old names will not change automatically. Contact any agency or organization that normally deals with your child or family under your old names to tell them about the change. For a list of agencies and organizations you may need to contact, read the article After Your Name Change.