How To Change My Name In Texas

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So, yous alive in Texas and want to legally alter your name. You may desire to alter your proper noun considering y'all have been recently married or divorced. You lot may want to alter your kid's proper noun if you have adopted him or her. Whatever your reason, post-obit the steps in this article will help you legally change your proper name in the state of Texas.

1
Determine if yous need a court order. You may not demand to use for a court social club to legally change your name in some circumstances.^[1] ^[2]
- If you inverse your surname equally office of your application for a spousal relationship license, yous do not need a court society to make that surname your legal name. The new surname you gave on your spousal relationship license application is your legal surname.
- If y'all inverse your surname when you got divorced, your new legal name should be included in the Concluding Decree of Divorce.
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Meet the age requirement. You must be at least 18 years sometime to change your name. Individuals younger than 18 must go through the procedure of changing a kid's proper noun, and must provide parental or legal guardian consent (see Method 2 of this article).^[3]

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Become your fingerprints taken. Y'all must submit your fingerprints to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI to get a legal name change in Texas. This is part of a criminal background check that must be performed before you can apply for a proper name change.^[4]
- The fee is $15 for the DPS and $xiv.75 for the FBI, for a full of $29.75. Y'all can pay via cashier's bank check, certified check, personal check, or money order payable to "Texas DPS."^[5]
- Call your local County Court Clerk'southward role to find out where to have fingerprints taken. Many Sheriff's offices and police departments will provide this service.
- You lot can also visit the website identogo.com and opt to be fingerprinted at a "Print and Go" location. Select the "fingerprint cards" option.^[6]
- Postal service fingerprints and payment to: Texas Department of Public Safety, Fundamental Cash Receiving, PO Box 15999, Austin, Texas, 78761-5999.
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Locate the county where you should file your name change petition. You must file your petition in the county in which you lot live.
- If you exercise not know which county yous live in, you lot can phone call your local mail service office and inquire. Online searches can as well give you lot this information. Your county should be listed on your voter registration carte, if y'all have one.
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Find the required form. You need two forms to change your proper name equally an adult. You may exist able to obtain these forms from your local county court. You can also apply online templates or PDFs, as long every bit they provide the necessary information.^[seven]
- Original Petition for Change of Name of an Adult. This is the form y'all will make full out to utilise for your name change.
- Order Granting Modify of Name of an Developed. This is the form the judge will sign when your name alter is granted. Do not sign this grade until the approximate approves your proper noun change.
- The Texas Young Lawyer'due south Association Guide to Name Changes has examples of these forms.^[8] The University of North Texas has a downloadable PDF re-create of the Original Petition for Change of Name of Adult form and the Order Granting Change of Name. The Collins County Law Library as well provides copies of the forms.^[9]
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Make full out the forms. You tin can utilise the downloadable PDFs from UNT, or y'all can use the template to re-create and paste the necessary information into a blank word processing document. Do not sign the forms yet. The petition must include the post-obit information:^[10]
- Your current legal name and place of residence
- Your sexual practice, race, date of birth, and social security number
- The full name you are requesting
- The reason you lot are requesting a proper noun change
- Whether you lot take been convicted of a felony
- Whether you lot must register as a sex offender in Texas
- Your driver'due south license number(southward) for all licenses issued within the past 10 years
- Any assigned FBI number, state ID number, or other reference number in a criminal history record organisation (or a reasonable caption of why yous cannot provide this information)
- Any offense above a Class C misdemeanor for which you lot were charged, or a statement that you have never been charged
- The case number and the court if an abort warrant was issued or a charging instrument was filed or presented for whatever offenses listed in the previous footstep
- Fingerprints on a fingerprint carte
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Sign the petition in the presence of a notary. Your information must exist verified to apply for a name alter. You lot can verify this information past providing a notary with appropriate identification and signing the form in his or her presence.
- Practise not sign the Order Granting Name Change. This must be signed by a guess commencement.
- You tin can observe notaries at nigh large banks during regular business hours. If you hold an account at the bank, the notary will usually witness and sign your grade for costless. If you practise not have an account, you may be charged a small fee.
- The Texas Secretary of Country has a search characteristic that can aid you find a local notary.^[xi]
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Make copies of your documents before filing your petition. Make several copies of your petition and your fingerprint card. You lot volition file the originals with your County Court Clerk'due south office.^[12]
- Once you have fabricated copies, staple the original fingerprint carte to your notarized Petition form.
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Become to the courthouse in your county of residence. You must file your name modify petition in the county in which y'all live. You lot can find your court'due south information by looking online or looking in the phone book. Bring your notarized petition, your fingerprint card, your copy of your form, and a grade of photograph ID.^[13]
- You exercise not need to make an date. But become to the courtroom during its normal operating hours.
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Pay the filing fee. You can expect to pay a filing fee of betwixt $250-$300. Have the Court clerk file-stamp your personal copy of the class.
- If you cannot afford this fee, you may apply to pay it in installments or asking a waiver of the fee.
- Once you file your petition, a engagement for your courtroom hearing will be set. You lot may exist able to schedule your own hearing.
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Nourish your court hearing. Ask your County Clerk'due south Function where and when you should go to your hearing.^[fourteen] Bring the Order Granting Change of Name of an Adult grade with you for the estimate to sign.
- The Social club must incorporate all of the data in the Petition. It must likewise land that your name modify is in the public involvement and volition do good you. You must adjure that you are not changing your name for fraudulent reasons.^[15]
- In some counties, you will demand to choice upward your file from the County Clerk'south Office and bring it with yous to your court hearing. Check with your Clerk'south office earlier attention your hearing.
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Prove. To prove that your name alter is to your benefit and in the public interest, you may be required to provide a sworn statement in front of the judge. This statement attests that all the information you accept provided is truthful. Information technology as well gives your reason for requesting your proper noun change.^[16]
- The University of North Texas provides a sample "prove-upward" script you tin can use to prepare your statement.
- Employ respect when addressing the court.
- The court must grant your proper name modify if you can demonstrate that yous are non a bedevilled felon, are not required to register as a sexual practice offender, and that your name change will do good you lot and is in the public involvement.^[17]
- The court may make exceptions for convicted felons or individuals who must annals as sex offenders. Nevertheless, these exceptions are at the judge'south discretion. You may wish to accept an attorney assist yous prepare your petition if whatever of these situations apply to you.^[18]
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File the signed society from the judge. If the judge approves your petition, south/he will sign the Society y'all provided. You must and so file the signed Gild in your commune or county clerk's office. Once the Clerk'due south Office has stamped the signed order, your proper name change is official.^[19]
- You lot may request a certified copy of the proper noun change order from your court. You lot may exist required to provide this copy for some proper noun change procedures with various institutions (banks, lenders, etc.).
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Ensure you are eligible to file a proper noun alter. Texas requires that you must exist a parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian of the child whose name you are wishing to modify.^[twenty] Both parents or guardians of the child must be served with the proper name modify petition.^[21]
- If both parents concord to the proper noun change, they tin sign the proper noun change petition or prove in courtroom to state their understanding.
- If both parents practice not agree to the name modify, a court hearing volition be ordered. Unlike forms and processes may apply.
ii
Determine if y'all need a court gild. Y'all practise not demand a courtroom order to change a child's proper name on his or her nativity certificate if yous are correcting a pocket-sized error, such every bit a misspelling.^[22] You tin can also file an amendment form with the Texas Department of State Health Services if you demand to add or correct data near the child's biological parents.^[23] If y'all have whatever other reason to change your child's proper noun, yous must request a court club to alter it.
- Whatsoever name change must be shown to be in the child'due south best interest. For example, changing a kid's proper noun because you have adopted him or her is in the child'due south best interest, because you desire to all have the same family proper name to build a cohesive family unit. Even so, changing a child'south name for frivolous reasons -- such as wanting to call your son "Khal Drogo Skywalker" -- is unlikely to be proven to exist in the child'southward best involvement.
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Get the child'southward written consent when applicable. If the child is 10 years former or older, you must get the child's written consent to change his or her name. This consent must be included with the proper noun change petition.^[24]
- You can get a course for your kid to provide written consent from your local court.
4
Provide the child's current information. You must include information nigh your kid and the reasons why you are requesting a name change. The data you lot must provide includes the following:^[25]
- The child's current legal name and place of residence
- The child'southward date and place of nativity
- The reason the name change is requested
- The full name you are requesting for the kid
- Whether the child is nonetheless subject area to standing courtroom jurisdiction
- Whether the child is required to register every bit a sexual practice offender
- Written consent from a child 10 years of age or older
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Fill out an Original Petition for Modify of Name of Child. Changing your child's proper noun requires a court order. You will need to go an Original Petition for Change of Proper name of Child form from the court serving the district or county in which you live. You tin can as well employ the online template from the Collins County Police Library.^[26]
- Do not sign the forms until you have brought them before a notary!
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Get your petition and verification statement notarized. Your information must exist verified to apply for a name alter. Equally the petitioner for the name alter, yous must provide a notarized statement that verifies the truth of all the information in your name change petition. You must as well verify all the information in your petition. Y'all can verify this data by providing a notary with appropriate identification and signing the class in his or her presence.
- The Verification argument tin be obtained from your local court, or you lot can utilize the Collins County Law Library sample.^[27]
- Do not sign the Order Granting Proper noun Modify. This must be signed by a judge first.
- Y'all tin find notaries at most large banks during regular business hours. If you lot hold an account at the bank, the notary will usually witness and sign your form for free. If you do not accept an account, y'all may be charged a pocket-sized fee.
- The Texas Secretary of State has a search characteristic that can help you lot find a local notary.^[28]
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Make copies of the completed forms before filing. Make at to the lowest degree two copies of all of your forms before filing the notarized originals with the court.^[29]
- You will need to pay a filing fee. If you cannot afford this fee, you may apply to pay it in installments or request a waiver of the fee.
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Receive the courtroom order. Once the court approves the name change, it will sign the Gild for Change of Name. Yous must file this social club with your county or district court clerk'south office. In one case the Clerk's Role stamps the signed order, your child'southward name alter is official.
- If your child has been involved in a custody or kid support order, you must send a copy of your child's name change ot the Cardinal Tape File at the Texas Agency of Vital Statistics.^[thirty]
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1
Get a new Social Security Card. You must change your name with the Social Security Administration. You tin bring the appropriate identification with you to a local Social Security function, or y'all can mail certified copies of your documents for processing.^[31]
- You can get an "Application for a Social Security Bill of fare" from the SSA website or at your local SSA function.
- You will demand to provide documentation of your name alter (due east.g., your court order, wedlock certificate, or divorce decree). This document must identify y'all by both your previous and your new name.
- You must also provide evidence of your age, such as a passport, nativity certificate, or adoption decree.
- You must provide evidence of your identity. This evidence must be current and unexpired. You tin can use a driver's license, a passport, or a US State-issued not-driver identity menu. The SSA may accept medical or schoolhouse records for young children.^[32]
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Modify your proper name on your driver's license. You must change your proper noun on your Texas driver's license within 30 days of your name change. You must apply in person for a replacement driver's license, and y'all must bring proper identification with you lot.^[33]
- If your proper name change is due to marriage, bring your original marriage license, divorce decree, or spouse'southward decease certificate. Texas accepts same-sexual activity spousal relationship licenses and divorce decrees as evidence as of 2015.
- If your name modify is due to court guild, bring a certified copy of the court order changing your name.
- Documentation must either be the originals or certified copies.
- If your original document is not in English, you must provide a certified translation into English language along with the original. A certified translation must be signed and dated by the translator and contain a argument that it is a true and accurate translation.
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Change your passport. If your name has been legally changed, you lot are required to apply for a new passport. You volition not exist able to use a passport with a unlike proper name to travel.^[34]
- If it has been less than ane yr since you applied for a passport, yous will non have to pay additional fees. Complete and submit Class DS-5504, forth with your current passport, your certified name modify document, and a new passport photograph. Y'all tin find this grade online, or print information technology out from the US Land Section's website.^[35]
- If it has been more than than one year since you applied for a passport and you tin use Form DS-82, you can submit that form with your current passport, your certified name change document, and a new passport photo, forth with applicative fees.
  - You tin can utilize Form DS-82 if you meet certain conditions, including being able to submit your nearly contempo passport, your passport was issued less than 15 years ago, and you were at least sixteen when your passport was issued.^[36]
- If it has been more than ane year since you lot applied for a passport and you cannot apply Grade DS-82, you must utilize in person for a new passport. Bring photograph ID, a certified copy of your proper name change document, evidence of your US citizenship, and a completed Form DS-xi.^[37]
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Modify your name with other institutions. Institutions such equally banks, credit carte lenders, car financers, etc., will non go automatic notification of your name change. You lot must contact each establishment and provide the documentation they crave.^[38] A curt listing of places to consider changing your name includes:
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Loans, leases, and mortgages
- Automobile title or house deed
- Voter registration
- Medical offices
- Post office boxes
v

Start using your new name. Introduce yourself with your new name. Use it to sign checks and other documents. Change your social media profiles and email addresses. Enjoy your new name!

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1
Become a doctor's letter of the alphabet. To modify your gender on Texas documents, such as birth certificates or driver's licenses, y'all must have a signed doctor'southward letter. This letter must state that you take received irreversible medical treatment that has changed your gender.^[39] The US State Department provides guidelines for what information this letter of the alphabet must include when you apply for a passport. It is a proficient idea to follow these guidelines when request your dr. to set up his or her letter.^[40] The signed dr.'s letter of the alphabet should be on official letterhead and include the post-obit information:
- Doctor's full proper noun
- Medical license or certificate number
- The issuing state or jurisdiction of his or her medical license or certificate
- Physician's address and phone number
- Language attesting that s/he is your attention doc and that southward/he has a md/patient relationship with y'all
- Language attesting that yous have had advisable clinical treatment for your desired gender transition
- Language attesting the post-obit: "I declare under penalisation of perjury under the laws of the United States that the foregoing is truthful and correct."
- If your gender transition is in process, you may take your dr. adjure to that in his or her letter. However, be aware that some jurisdictions in Texas are less amenable to changing gender markers for transitioning individuals.
- The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition offers a template md's alphabetic character at their website.
2
Petition to change your name and gender marker. The process to change your name volition exist largely the same as for adults in Method one. You must obtain an official courtroom order to modify your name and gender marker before y'all tin alter it on your documents.^[41] Y'all must too file a petition for a gender marker change at the same court. You must file both petitions at the court in which you live.
- Requite your reason for your gender change.
- Gender marker changes are awarded at the discretion of the private approximate. Unfortunately, some districts and counties are more willing to grant gender mark changes than others. Dallas appears to be fairly friendly to transgender petitioners.
- Attach a copy of your doctor's letter to this petition.
3
Receive your signed court orders. Once y'all have filed your name and gender marker modify petitions, a approximate will review them. If the estimate signs the order, you simply take to file the signed orders with the county court Clerk's Office.^[42]
- Exist aware that electric current case police indicates that many Texas officials and judges may exist uncooperative in issuing these court orders. Because the order to modify your gender is subject to the judge's discretion, you do not have much legal recourse if the judge refuses to sign your order.^[43]
4
Apply to amend your nascence certificate. Y'all may apply to ameliorate the sex on your Texas birth certificate. You lot must provide your dr.'s letter and the court club to modify your gender. Fill up out Class VS170, Application to Better Certificate of Nascency. Y'all can find this at the Texas Department of State Health Services' website.^[44] ^[45]
- If you do not take a physician'south letter, you must provide a notarized, sworn affidavit along with the courtroom club.^[46]
- There is a fee of $15 to file the subpoena. You lot must also pay a fee of $22 to obtain a certified copy of the amended birth certificate.
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Employ for a new passport. The US State Department has specific policies for transgender applicants. You lot must submit your physician's letter (aka "medico certificate") with your application. All other requirements are the same, including those for name alter.^[47]
- Your passport photo must be a reflection of your current appearance.
- If your transition is complete, you are eligible to receive a full x-year passport. If you are in transition, you are eligible to receive a two-yr passport. This passport tin be upgraded to the full 10-year form once your transition is consummate.
- Having a passport is not a requirement to change your other documents in Texas. Withal, considering it is a authorities-issued class of photo ID, a passport may carry more weight with other officials than other types of ID or documentation. It may as well serve to persuade resistant officials or institutions to cooperate with your applications.
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Use for a new driver'southward license. You lot must bring an original certified court order verifying your sexual activity change to the staff at the driver license office.^[48]
- To change the name on your commuter's license, bring the certified court order reflecting your name change. It is probably a expert thought to bring your amended birth certificate and your doctor'south alphabetic character, although these are not specifically required.
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Change your name with other institutions. In one case you have completed the basic documentation changes, you can change your data with other institutions, such equally banks. Take your doc's letter and court order for proper name and gender changes with you.

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It is easier to change your name after marriage by indicating your desired name on your application for a marriage license. That process does not require a courtroom club.
If you lot just need to correct a minor error, such equally a misspelling, you can usually do that with the appropriate agency (e.thou., Vital Statistics for birth certificates, Department of Public Safety for driver'due south licenses). You practise non need a court order to correct small-scale errors.
If yous take been convicted of a felony or are required to register every bit a sex offender, consult an chaser. The process to change your name may be dissimilar.^[49]

If you have non been a resident of Texas for at least 6 months, you lot may be denied your proper name modify asking.
Name changes do not salve you of legal responsibilities y'all had nether your previous name. For example, if y'all incurred debts under your previous name, y'all volition still be liable for them.^[fifty]

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Article Summary X

If you lot're at least xviii years of historic period and want to change your proper noun in the land of Texas, you'll need to be fingerprinted and submit the results to the Department of Public Safe and the FBI. The fee for this background check is $29.75. One time done, file your name change petition in the land where yous live by filling out the online forms and signing them in front of a notary. Then, take your forms to the courthouse, pay a filing fee of around $275, and promise that the estimate approves your petition! To acquire how to change a child'due south name in the country of Texas, keep reading!

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