How To Change Your Middle Name In Pennsylvania

Updated March 09, 2022

A Pennsylvania name change course is to be completed by an bidder petitioning for a proper name change through their canton'southward Court of Mutual Pleas. Name changes are often granted by the assigned guess every bit long as the petitioner files the forms properly, meets the general requirements set along past State police and is not committing fraud or avoiding debts/convictions. A recently divorced private who wishes to revert back to their maiden name can do so relatively easily. Similarly, changing 1'due south name after matrimony is as unproblematic as inbound the new proper noun on the marriage certificate. An adult may petition for a proper noun change for personal reasons, which involves a much lengthier process. Irresolute the name of a pocket-size (person under xviii (xviii) years of historic period) is much like the adult name changing process, but likewise requires the consent of (typically) both parents.

Laws – 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701-704

Name Change After Marriage

Those who are wondering how to take their spouse's proper noun after marriage, volition find the solution to be unproblematic. Sign your matrimony license using your new proper noun and, once the license is filed with the county courthouse, you will receive a certified copy of your matrimony certificate. This certificate serves as documentation that you have legally inverse your name. Withal, y'all will still demand to notify government agencies, such every bit the SSO and the DMV, to update your licenses and SSC.

Name Change After Divorce

Visit the Prothonotary function in your county and ask for a Observe (or Election) to Resume Maiden Proper name Class (or download in Adobe PDF). Bring a re-create of your birth certificate (to prove proof of maiden name) and a re-create of your divorce prescript. (It's only necessary to provide a copy of your divorce prescript if you are filing the name change outside the county in which you were divorced.) Consummate the Notice to Resume Maiden Name Class and sign it in front of a notary public. The notary will complete the second page. File the Notice Form, a copy of your birth document, and a copy of your divorce decree with the Prothonotary's Role (you may exist charged a small filing fee). By law, you can offset using your maiden proper noun immediately afterward filing the discover.

Adult Proper name Change (No Marriage 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 avert criminal conviction, if y'all have have been convicted of a felony, or if yous have claimed bankruptcy and/or have outstanding judgments. Furthermore, you cannot change your name to something that could affect the rights of another person and y'all cannot utilise a expletive word, racial slur, or offensive language in your new name.

Although the forms provided on this site are compliant with Land police, some counties require proper noun change applicants to use the forms provided by their canton'southward courtroom. Bank check with your local court clerk or Prothonotary'south office to make sure you're following the proper filing procedures. The following forms will have to be completed and filed with your county's Courtroom of Common Pleas (practise not complete all forms at once – follow the steps carefully):

Petition for Change of Name
Lodge of Publication
Civil, Court, and Land Cover Sheets (if applicable)
Fingerprinting Gild (if applicative)
Fingerprint Bill of fare
Publication Notice (Notice of Hearing)
Certifications
Decree for Change of Name

Step 1 – Petition for Change of Proper name

Download the Petition for Modify of Proper name Form and fill it out. This class can also be used to petition for the proper name change of a pocket-size. To petition for an adult name change, just practise not fill out whatever fields that pertain to a pocket-size name alter. A statement of verification is fastened 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.

Pace 2 – Guild of Publication

Also referred to every bit the Notice of Hearing Club Form, or simply the Society, the Guild of Publication Grade must exist downloaded and completed. Enter only your name at the top of the form, leaving the hearing date and judge's signature fields bare.

Pace 3 – Comprehend Sheets (If Applicable)

Embrace sheets are sometimes used to ensure a civil case moves through the courtroom system without any problems. Not all counties require encompass sheets, whereas other counties require a Civil Cover Canvas, a Court Administration Cover Sheet, a Land Cover Canvass, or a combination of the iii. Ask your local court clerk if any of these forms are necessary and, if they are, collect them from the clerk, or download them, and fill up them out.

Examples of Cover Sheets:

Philadelphia Canton Ceremonious Cover Sheet
Lancaster Canton Civil Encompass Sheet
Lancaster Canton Court Assistants Cover Sheet
Pennsylvania State Cover Sheet

Stride four – File Forms

Make copies of the Petition, Order, Cover Sheets (if required) and file them with the Prothonotary Role in your county. The clerk will ask you to pay all associated filing fees (fees tin can range anywhere from $100 to over $300). Sometimes the courtroom clerk will provide a hearing date on the spot; otherwise you lot volition receive the Order of Publication, completed past the judge, in the mail. Hearings usually won't be scheduled until forty-5 (45) days after you lot have filed your proper name change petition to allow fourth dimension for the Notice of Name Change to be published in the newspapers.

Stride 5 – Criminal Background Bank check

In some counties, a Fingerprinting Order Form must exist submitted to the judge forth with the Petition. The estimate will sign the Fingerprinting Order and give it back to you and then you can start the criminal background check process. If you reside in a county that does not require this Order Course, but ask the Prothonotary office to provide you with a fingerprint card later you take filed your Petition (come across an example of a fingerprint carte here). Visit your local police department (or land police department if your municipality does non have a local PD) and get your fingerprints taken. Mail or deliver the fingerprint card to the Prothonotary'due south part and they will have the PSP run a groundwork check. Provided you exercise not have a criminal history, you can continue with the proper noun change process.

Stride 6 – Publish Notice

Once you receive the Order of Publication from the courtroom, download 2 (ii) Publication Detect Forms (besides referred to as a Detect of Hearing) and fill out all advisable information. This Notice must be published in two (2) newspapers in your county, or a county contiguous to your canton. Papers will charge a fee for the publication of legal notices – perform a newspaper search past county here. Make sure to request copies of the proofs of publication when you lot submit your Notice Form; this request tin can be included in a cover letter (case cover letter of the alphabet).

Stride 7 – Carry Proper name Search

To ensure you do not have any outstanding judgments or decrees of tape, an official search must be conducted by the Prothonotary Office, the Clerk of Court's Office and the Recorder of Deeds' Office in all counties in which you resided for the past v (5) years. The staff at the Prothonotary Office and Clerk of Courtroom's Office volition conduct the search for you and provide signed Certification Forms in one case the search is consummate (Prothonotary Certification Form; Clerk of Courts Certification Form). Withal, you must conduct your own search at the Recorded of Deeds' Office and fix the certification yourself (use the aforementioned certification forms as examples). You lot volition bring these certifications along with you to the courthouse on your hearing date. It's important to note that certifications become void later on two (2) days; make sure to complete this step right earlier the date of your hearing.

Step eight – Attend Hearing

Download the Decree for Alter of Name Form (likewise referred to equally an Order of Name Change or a Judgment of Name Change) and bring it to your hearing along with both proof of publication notices and your name search certifications. The Judge will ask you lot questions regarding the proposed modify and, if approved, they will sign the Decree/Lodge/Judgment. File the Decree with the Prothonotary and ask for a certified copy. This volition be used to update your name change with diverse land and federal agencies.

Driver's License

If you've recently changed your proper name later marriage, later on divorce, or for any other reason, yous should update your commuter's license (or photo ID carte du jour) every bit soon equally possible. First, download the appropriate name change course from the list below.

Non-Commercial Driver'south License
Commercial Driver's License
Learner's Permit
Photo ID Card

Consummate the required course and visit your canton's DMV offices. Bring your matrimony certificate, divorce prescript, or a certified copy of the Decree for Change of Name, depending on your situation. Yous may exist required to nowadays your Social Security Card as well every bit 2 (two) other documents with your new proper noun on it. Fees for updating your name with the DMV are $29.fifty for driver'southward license (commercial or non-commercial) and $5 for learner's permit or photo ID card.

Voter Registration

Updating your voter registration later on a proper noun change is a relatively quick and painless procedure that simply requires y'all to re-register to vote. This tin be accomplished by following one of the three (3) methods listed below.

Online: Go to world wide web.votespa.com and click 'Update Your Registration'. You volition exist asked a serial of questions and you will take to have a driver's license or ID with your new name on it.
In person: Visit your canton'southward elections office and register in person. Make sure to bring valid ID with your new name on it.
By Mail service: Complete the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Awarding and ship information technology by mail to your county's elections office.

Minor (Kid) Name Change

When a parent goes through the procedure of legally changing their final proper noun, their child automatically adopts their new surname. If a parent/guardian wishes to change the proper name of a pocket-sized to a completely different proper name, they will have to go through a legal process similar to that of an adult name change, ie through the Court of Common Pleas. Carry in heed that if only one parent is petitioning for the proper name alter of a minor, the other parent must receive copies of the Petition and Social club 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 pocket-size name changing process, you may want to check with your local courtroom clerk (and possibly an attorney) to make sure that in that location aren't any additional steps, or specific forms required for the county in which the modest resides. For near modest name changes in the Land of Pennsylvania, the post-obit forms will exist sufficient:

Petition for Change of Name of Pocket-sized
Lodge of Publication
Publication Discover
Consent Class
Prescript for Alter of Name of Pocket-sized

Step 2 – Fingerprints (If Applicative)

Any minor aged thirteen (xiii) or older must have their fingerprints taken at their local law enforcement agency. They volition take the minor's fingerprints on a Fingerprint Card (see an example hither) and, almost likely, accuse you a small service fee. Skip this step if the small for whom yous are petitioning a proper noun modify is nether the age of thirteen (13).

Stride 3 – Complete Petition and Guild of Publication

Complete the Petition for Change of Name of Minor Form and the Order of Publication Form (blank except for the small's name), and make copies of each form.

Step four – Visit Courthouse

Bring the Petition, Fingerprint Menu (if applicable), Society of Publication, and a copy of the pocket-size's birth document to the County Court of Mutual Pleas where the small-scale resides. File these documents with the Prothonotary's role and pay all associated fees (typically effectually $100). Take copies to the Courtroom Administration's function so your petition can be assigned to a gauge.

Stride v – Publish Notice

Shortly after you file the Petition, you will receive the Society of Publication in the mail from the courthouse. The Club volition disclose the hearing date, time, and whatever other pertinent information. Download and complete the Publication Notice Class and submit it to 2 (2) newspapers in the county where the small-scale resides. At that place will exist a fee for publishing a legal notice; call around to notice the least expensive option. Each canton has a different policy regarding the number of days the Notice must be published before the hearing date. The deadline tin can exist twenty, 30, or fifty-fifty 45 days prior to the hearing date;check with your canton's court clerk to confirm the deadline. Request proof of publication from each newspaper so yous tin can testify to the court that yous published the Notice.

Footstep vi – Parent's Consent

If there is only one (1) parent petitioning for the name alter of their child, they must go the other parent'southward consent. The same goes for if none of the parents are filing the petition. Have the parent(s) make full out the Consent Form and sign it in front of a notary public. If consent is not obtainable, you must ship copies of both the Petition and the Order of Publication to the parent(s) by regular and certified mail. The parent(due south) must sign the return receipt so you can bring information technology as proof of mailing to the hearing. (Some counties require petitioners to fill out an Affidavit of Service past Regular Mail and Affidavit of Service by Certified Post – check with your county's court clerk.)

Pace seven – Judgment Check

In order for a small-scale to be canonical of a name change, they must be articulate of whatever judgments or decrees of record against them. Visit the Prothonotary Office and Recorded of Deeds Function in all the counties where the modest resided in the by five (five) years. They will conduct an official name search of the pocket-sized and, if no judgments exist, they will sign a certification (for a small fee – unremarkably effectually $10) that you lot tin can bring to the hearing.

Step 8 – Attend Hearing

On the engagement of the minor'southward name modify hearing, bring the proofs of publication, the certifications, the signed Consent Grade (or signed return mailing receipts), and the Decree for Alter of Name of Small Form. Leave the Decree Form bare, except for the modest'south name at the elevation; this will be completed by the judge if they authorize the name modify. You volition take to explain the reasoning behind the name change, even if it was mentioned in the Petition, and assure the guess that information technology is in the kid's all-time interest. If the guess approves, they volition grant the petition by signing the Decree for Change of Name of Minor Grade. Visit the courtroom clerk and take them brand certified copies of the Prescript so you lot can update the minor's name alter on any necessary documents and identifications.

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

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