If you are not in the middle of a divorce, legal separation, or child custody proceeding, and interested in changing your name or your child’s name, you will need to file a petition for name change with the court. The petition must be filed in the county where you live. There is a filing fee that varies depending on the county in which you file in. The filing fee is currently around $135.00. If you are changing a child’s name, both parents have to consent to the name change. Without the other parent’s consent, the parent interested in changing the child’s name has to provide the other parent with notice of the pending lawsuit to change the child’s name so that the other parent may object and participate in the litigation.

Your name is officially changed as of the date the judgment is entered by the court. You may need a certified copy of the judgment in order to change your names on your accounts and driver’s license. In order to change your birth certificate, you need to mail a request to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, along with a certified copy of the judgment. There is a fee to receive a copy of your amended birth certificate. It is currently around $15.00. It can take 12-16 weeks to receive your new birth certificate.