How To Change Your Middle Name In Pennsylvania

Updated March 09, 2022

A Pennsylvania name change form is to be completed past an applicant petitioning for a name change through their canton's Court of Common Pleas. Name changes are often granted past the assigned judge as long as the petitioner files the forms properly, meets the full general requirements set forth by State law and is not committing fraud or fugitive debts/convictions. A recently divorced individual who wishes to revert back to their maiden name can practise and then relatively easily. Similarly, changing one's proper name after union is as elementary equally entering the new proper name on the marriage document. An developed may petition for a name modify for personal reasons, which involves a much lengthier procedure. Changing the proper name of a minor (person under eighteen (18) years of age) is much like the adult name changing procedure, but too requires the consent of (typically) both parents.

Laws – 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701-704

Name Alter After Marriage

Those who are wondering how to take their spouse's proper noun afterwards marriage, will find the solution to be simple. Sign your wedlock license using your new name and, in one case the license is filed with the canton courthouse, you will receive a certified copy of your marriage certificate. This certificate serves as documentation that you have legally inverse your name. However, you will still need to notify authorities agencies, such as the SSO and the DMV, to update your licenses and SSC.

Name Alter After Divorce

Visit the Prothonotary office in your county and enquire for a Notice (or Election) to Resume Maiden Name Form (or download in Adobe PDF). Bring a copy of your birth certificate (to show proof of maiden proper name) and a copy of your divorce decree. (It's only necessary to provide a copy of your divorce decree if you are filing the proper noun change exterior the county in which you were divorced.) Complete the Detect to Resume Maiden Proper noun Form and sign it in front end of a notary public. The notary will complete the second folio. File the Detect Form, a copy of your birth certificate, and a re-create of your divorce decree with the Prothonotary'south Part (you may exist charged a minor filing fee). By law, you can start using your maiden name immediately afterwards filing the notice.

Adult Name Change (No Spousal relationship or Divorce)

You may wish to change your name for a multitude of personal reasons. Proceed in mind that a name change cannot be made for fraudulent purposes, to avoid criminal conviction, if yous have have been convicted of a felony, or if you have claimed bankruptcy and/or have outstanding judgments. Furthermore, yous cannot change your proper noun to something that could affect the rights of another person and you cannot use a curse word, racial slur, or offensive linguistic communication in your new proper name.

Although the forms provided on this site are compliant with Country law, some counties crave proper name alter applicants to use the forms provided by their county'southward court. Check with your local court clerk or Prothonotary's office to make certain you're following the proper filing procedures. The post-obit forms will have to exist completed and filed with your canton'due south Courtroom of Common Pleas (do non consummate all forms at once – follow the steps carefully):

Petition for Alter of Name
Order of Publication
Ceremonious, Court, and State Cover Sheets (if applicable)
Fingerprinting Order (if applicable)
Fingerprint Menu
Publication Observe (Notice of Hearing)
Certifications
Decree for Change of Proper name

Step 1 – Petition for Change of Proper noun

Download the Petition for Modify of Proper noun Grade and fill it out. This form can also be used to petition for the name change of a modest. To petition for an adult name change, simply do not make full out whatever fields that pertain to a minor name modify. A argument of verification is attached to the Petition and must be completed by you, the petitioner. This section is used to swear to the truthfulness of the contents of the Petition.

Step 2 – Guild of Publication

Too referred to as the Discover of Hearing Lodge Grade, or simply the Society, the Society of Publication Form must be downloaded and completed. Enter only your proper name at the elevation of the grade, leaving the hearing date and approximate's signature fields blank.

Pace 3 – Cover Sheets (If Applicable)

Cover sheets are sometimes used to ensure a civil case moves through the court system without any issues. Not all counties require cover sheets, whereas other counties require a Civil Encompass Sheet, a Courtroom Assistants Cover Sail, a State Cover Sheet, or a combination of the three. Ask your local courtroom clerk if whatsoever of these forms are necessary and, if they are, collect them from the clerk, or download them, and fill them out.

Examples of Embrace Sheets:

Philadelphia County Ceremonious Comprehend Sheet
Lancaster County Civil Cover Canvas
Lancaster Canton Court Administration Cover Canvass
Pennsylvania Country Cover Sheet

Step 4 – File Forms

Make copies of the Petition, Lodge, Cover Sheets (if required) and file them with the Prothonotary Office in your county. The clerk volition enquire you to pay all associated filing fees (fees tin range anywhere from $100 to over $300). Sometimes the court clerk volition provide a hearing appointment on the spot; otherwise you volition receive the Order of Publication, completed by the approximate, in the mail. Hearings usually won't be scheduled until forty-five (45) days later you have filed your name change petition to allow time for the Discover of Name Alter to exist published in the newspapers.

Stride five – Criminal Background Bank check

In some counties, a Fingerprinting Order Form must exist submitted to the judge forth with the Petition. The judge will sign the Fingerprinting Gild and give it back to you then you can start the criminal background check procedure. If you lot reside in a county that does not require this Social club Course, simply ask the Prothonotary office to provide you with a fingerprint bill of fare after you have filed your Petition (see an instance of a fingerprint menu here). Visit your local police department (or land police section if your municipality does not have a local PD) and get your fingerprints taken. Mail or deliver the fingerprint carte du jour to the Prothonotary's office and they will have the PSP run a groundwork check. Provided y'all do not have a criminal history, you can continue with the proper noun change procedure.

Stride 6 – Publish Notice

Once you receive the Order of Publication from the court, download two (2) Publication Notice Forms (also referred to as a Notice of Hearing) and fill out all appropriate data. This Notice must be published in two (2) newspapers in your county, or a county contiguous to your county. Papers volition accuse a fee for the publication of legal notices – perform a paper search by county here. Make sure to request copies of the proofs of publication when you submit your Discover Class; this request can exist included in a cover letter of the alphabet (example cover letter).

Pace vii – Conduct Proper name Search

To ensure you exercise not have whatsoever outstanding judgments or decrees of tape, an official search must be conducted past the Prothonotary Office, the Clerk of Court's Office and the Recorder of Deeds' Function in all counties in which you resided for the past five (v) years. The staff at the Prothonotary Office and Clerk of Court'due south Part will conduct the search for you and provide signed Certification Forms one time the search is consummate (Prothonotary Certification Form; Clerk of Courts Certification Course). However, you lot must conduct your own search at the Recorded of Deeds' Office and prepare the certification yourself (employ the aforementioned certification forms as examples). You lot will bring these certifications along with you lot to the courthouse on your hearing date. It'southward important to note that certifications get void after two (2) days; make certain to complete this step right earlier the date of your hearing.

Footstep viii – Attend Hearing

Download the Prescript for Change of Name Class (also referred to as an Order of Proper noun Modify or a Judgment of Name Alter) and bring it to your hearing along with both proof of publication notices and your name search certifications. The Judge volition ask you lot questions regarding the proposed change and, if approved, they will sign the Decree/Order/Judgment. File the Decree with the Prothonotary and inquire for a certified copy. This will be used to update your name alter with various state and federal agencies.

Driver's License

If you lot've recently changed your name later marriage, later on divorce, or for any other reason, you should update your driver'due south license (or photo ID card) as before long as possible. Starting time, download the appropriate proper name change form from the list below.

Non-Commercial Driver's License
Commercial Commuter'due south License
Learner's Permit
Photo ID Carte

Complete the required form and visit your county's DMV offices. Bring your marriage certificate, divorce prescript, or a certified copy of the Decree for Modify of Proper name, depending on your situation. You may be required to nowadays your Social Security Card likewise as two (two) other documents with your new name on it. Fees for updating your name with the DMV are $29.50 for driver'southward license (commercial or not-commercial) and $5 for learner's permit or photo ID card.

Voter Registration

Updating your voter registration after a name change is a relatively quick and painless procedure that just requires you to re-register to vote. This can be accomplished past following 1 of the three (three) methods listed below.

Online: Go to www.votespa.com and click 'Update Your Registration'. You will be asked a series of questions and you will accept to accept a driver's license or ID with your new name on it.
In person: Visit your county's elections office and register in person. Make sure to bring valid ID with your new name on it.
By Mail: Consummate the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application and ship it by postal service to your county's elections function.

Minor (Child) Proper noun Alter

When a parent goes through the process of legally irresolute their last name, their kid automatically adopts their new surname. If a parent/guardian wishes to change the proper noun of a modest to a completely different name, they will have to go through a legal procedure like to that of an adult proper noun change, ie through the Court of Common Pleas. Bear in mind that if simply one parent is petitioning for the name alter of a small-scale, the other parent must receive copies of the Petition and Order of Publication, or they must provide written consent.

Step 1 – Download Forms

Each county in Pennsylvania has a slightly different process, and may include additional forms. Before you begin the minor name changing procedure, you may want to check with your local court clerk (and possibly an attorney) to brand sure that there aren't any additional steps, or specific forms required for the canton in which the minor resides. For nigh small-scale name changes in the State of Pennsylvania, the post-obit forms volition be sufficient:

Petition for Change of Name of Small
Order of Publication
Publication Notice
Consent Form
Decree for Change of Proper noun of Minor

Step two – Fingerprints (If Applicable)

Any minor anile 13 (thirteen) or older must have their fingerprints taken at their local police enforcement bureau. They will have the small-scale'south fingerprints on a Fingerprint Bill of fare (see an example here) and, most likely, charge you lot a small service fee. Skip this step if the minor for whom you are petitioning a name change is nether the age of thirteen (xiii).

Step iii – Complete Petition and Club of Publication

Complete the Petition for Change of Name of Small-scale Form and the Order of Publication Course (blank except for the minor'due south proper noun), and make copies of each class.

Footstep iv – Visit Courthouse

Bring the Petition, Fingerprint Card (if applicable), Society of Publication, and a copy of the small's nativity document to the County Courtroom of Common Pleas where the modest resides. File these documents with the Prothonotary's office and pay all associated fees (typically effectually $100). Accept copies to the Courtroom Administration's function so your petition can be assigned to a guess.

Step 5 – Publish Notice

Shortly after you file the Petition, you will receive the Order of Publication in the mail from the courthouse. The Society volition disclose the hearing date, fourth dimension, and whatsoever other pertinent information. Download and complete the Publication Detect Form and submit it to two (2) newspapers in the canton where the minor resides. In that location will be a fee for publishing a legal find; call around to find the to the lowest degree expensive pick. Each county has a dissimilar policy regarding the number of days the Notice must be published before the hearing date. The deadline tin can be xx, 30, or even 45 days prior to the hearing date;check with your county's court clerk to ostend the borderline. Request proof of publication from each newspaper so you can bear witness to the court that you published the Observe.

Step 6 – Parent's Consent

If there is just one (1) parent petitioning for the name change of their kid, they must get the other parent'due south consent. The aforementioned goes for if none of the parents are filing the petition. Have the parent(south) make full out the Consent Class and sign information technology in front of a notary public. If consent is not obtainable, you must send copies of both the Petition and the Social club of Publication to the parent(s) past regular and certified mail. The parent(due south) must sign the return receipt and then yous can bring it as proof of mailing to the hearing. (Some counties require petitioners to fill out an Affidavit of Service by Regular Mail and Affirmation of Service by Certified Postal service – bank check with your county'southward court clerk.)

Step vii – Judgment Cheque

In society for a small to be approved of a name modify, they must be clear of whatsoever judgments or decrees of record against them. Visit the Prothonotary Office and Recorded of Deeds Office in all the counties where the minor resided in the past five (five) years. They volition conduct an official proper noun search of the pocket-sized and, if no judgments exist, they will sign a certification (for a pocket-sized fee – usually around $10) that you can bring to the hearing.

Step 8 – Attend Hearing

On the date of the minor's name alter hearing, bring the proofs of publication, the certifications, the signed Consent Form (or signed return mailing receipts), and the Prescript for Change of Name of Modest Form. Leave the Decree Form bare, except for the modest's proper name at the summit; this will be completed by the estimate if they authorize the proper name change. You will have to explain the reasoning behind the name alter, even if it was mentioned in the Petition, and assure the estimate that it is in the child'due south best interest. If the estimate approves, they will grant the petition by signing the Decree for Change of Name of Minor Course. Visit the courtroom clerk and accept them make certified copies of the Decree so y'all tin can update the minor's proper noun change on any necessary documents and identifications.

Source: https://eforms.com/name-change/pa/

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