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Click the link below to fill out the interest form.
File a Petition for Name Change to start the process of changing your name. You can use the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool to complete your petition.
Along with the other information required in your petition, you must say why you want to change your name. You can’t change your name for fraudulent reasons. Fraudulent reasons include wanting to deceive creditors or escape a criminal history.
Once you complete the petition, make a copy of it. File the original with the circuit court in the county where you live. You must have lived in that county for at least one year before you file your petition. It will cost $175 to file your petition. If you cannot afford to pay this, you can ask the judge to waive the fee. Read the article Fee Waivers in Court Cases to learn more about fee waivers.
If You are a Minor
If you are a minor who is at least 14 years old, you can ask the judge to change your name, but both your parents must agree to it.
If your noncustodial parent objects to the name change, the judge may still approve it if that parent:
Had the ability to pay support, but did not provide you with substantial support for the last two years, AND had the ability to visit or contact you, but has not had substantial contact with you in the last two years,
Was convicted of child abuse or a sexual assault crime and you or one of your siblings was the victim, OR
Was convicted of first-degree or second-degree murder.
Your noncustodial parent must be given legal notice of the hearing and have a chance to object to the proposed name change. If you do not know their address, you must publish a notice with their name, to try to notify them about the name change. The Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool will create the forms you need to do this.
If one of your parents is deceased, and your other parent has custody of you, that parent must agree to your name change. If that parent does not have custody of you, you must still notify your parent about your proposed name change and the hearing date.
If both your parents are deceased, your legal guardian must agree to your name change. You must submit letters of guardianship with your Petition for Name Change.
If You Have a Criminal Record
When you file your petition, the forms will ask you to report your criminal record. You must be as honest as possible. After receiving your petition, the court may choose to run an ICHAT search to confirm whether you have a criminal record.
Having a criminal record does not mean your cannot change your name. It may mean that the court will schedule a hearing to decide whether you are trying to use your name change to hide your criminal record. You can explain the real reasons for your name change at the name change hearing.
If the judge grants your name change, the order will be sent to the state police, and maybe:
The department of corrections if you are now in prison, on parole, or you were in prison during the last two years,
The sheriff of the county where you were last convicted, if you were in a county jail anytime during the last two years, or
A court that has jurisdiction over you. A court has jurisdiction over you if you were the Plaintiff (or Petitioner) or Defendant (or Respondent) in a case in that court.
Publishing Notice of the Name Change
The Process
Most notices of name change hearings must be published in a local newspaper. This gives people your name change may affect a chance to object to it. You can use the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool to get your Publication of Notice of Hearing form.
Some courts work with the local Legal News for publication. In these courts, a copy of the Publication of Notice of Hearing form is sent to the Legal News for publishing when you file it. 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. File it with the court.
Other courts require you to contact a local newspaper to publish your notice. Ask the newspaper to publish your notice right away.
After the local newspaper publishes your 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 send it this Affidavit of Publication Form.
The judge will not sign the order granting your name change without the published notice and the Affidavit of Publication.
The notice must be published before your name change hearing, if there is one. 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. You can contact your local circuit court to find out its publication requirements. Use the Courts & Agencies section of this website to get contact information for your local circuit court.
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.
Asking the Judge NOT to Publish Notice of the Name Change
If you have a good reason you don’t want to publish notice of the name change, you can ask the judge to keep the record of the proceedings confidential. The Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool will give you the forms you need.
You need to show there is “good cause” not to publish. The Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool includes options to explain that there is good cause for any of these reasons:
Publishing would put someone in physical danger;
Publishing would put someone at risk of discrimination (for example, discrimination against transgender people); and/or
Publishing would be harmful for another important reason.
After you file your petition the judge may either agree or disagree with your request. If the judge agrees and grants your request, you can continue the name change process without publishing. (Note, if a minor is changing their name, and one of their parents has no known address, you may still have to publish the parents' names.)
If the judge decides not to grant your written request, you have three choices:
You can publish notice of the name change and continue with the process.
You can stop the name change process. You can file again in the future if you want.
You can request a special hearing about publication. At the publication hearing, you explain why publishing notice of the name change would be harmful. If the judge still doesn’t agree with you, you will have another chance to choose one of the two options above.
For step-by-step instructions, go to Filing for a Name Change, and find the instructions that apply to you.
The Name Change Hearing
Not everyone will have a hearing. After reviewing your petition, the court will decide whether to schedule a hearing or enter an order to change your name without a hearing.
On the day of your name change hearing, bring any documents that are related to your name change. It is always a good idea to have two copies of the documents, so you can give the judge one.
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 your name change a chance to talk about their reasons for objecting.
If your petition is approved, the judge will complete and sign the order changing your name. The order is one of the documents that you can get by using the Do-It-Yourself Name Change tool. There is a $10 fee to have the court enter the order. A certified copy of the order costs another $11. It is generally a good idea to get two certified copies, if possible.
If the judge ordered your name change records be kept confidential, then the records will be kept in a sealed envelope marked confidential and placed in a private file. Only you will have access to these records, unless a judge orders otherwise.
Family Name Changes
When you ask to change your own name, you can also ask the judge to change your child’s name or the last name of your entire family using the same petition. The same general rules apply.
Complete and file the Petition for Name Change with the family division of the circuit court in the county where you and your child or family live. Anyone listed on the petition must have lived in that county for at least one year. Pay the fees associated with a name change. Publish the Notice of Hearing (unless the judge orders your case be kept confidential).
If you are not currently living with your child’s other parent, you must notify your child’s other parent.
If your child’s noncustodial parent objects to the proposed name change, to have the name change approved you must prove that parent:
Had the ability to pay, but failed to provide your child with substantial support for the last two years, AND had the ability to visit or contact your child, but has not had substantial contact with your child in the last two years;
Was convicted of child abuse or a sexual assault crime and your child or one of your child’s siblings was the victim; OR
Was convicted of first-degree or second-degree murder.
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. If any child listed on the petition is younger than 14 years old (typically seven or older), the judge will decide if the child is capable of expressing a preference, and will consider that child’s wishes.
After Your Name Change
Not all documents that have your old name on them will automatically change. To learn more about what you should do after your name change, read the article After Your Name Change.
Finding a Lawyer
You might decide you want a lawyer to help you. If you have a low income, you may qualify for free legal services. Whether you have a low income or not, you can use the Guide to Legal Help to find lawyers in your area. If you are not able to get free legal services but can’t afford high legal fees, consider hiring a lawyer for part of your case instead of the whole thing. This is called limited scope representation. To learn more, read Limited Scope Representation (LSR): A More Affordable Way to Hire a Lawyer. To find a limited scope lawyer, follow this link to the State Bar of Michigan lawyer directory. This link lists lawyers who offer limited scope representation. You can narrow the results to lawyers in your area by typing in your county, city, or zip code at the top of the page. You can also narrow the results by topic by entering the kind of lawyer you need (divorce, estate, etc.) at the top of the page.
