Name Change
Texas Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
How to legally change your name in Texas under Family Code ch. 45: the fingerprint-card rule, felony/sex-offender restrictions, and divorce name restoration.
5 min read
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Name Change
Tennessee Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
How to legally change your name in Tennessee under TCA 29-8-101, and the state's permanent bar for murder and sex-offender convictions.
4 min read
Name Change
South Dakota Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
How to legally change your name in South Dakota: the circuit court petition under SDCL ch. 21-37, the four-week publication rule, and marriage-license changes.
5 min read
Name Change
South Carolina Name Change Laws: Family Court, SLED Checks, and the DSS Package
South Carolina name changes go through Family Court and require SLED and DSS background screenings. Here is the current process, fee, and exemptions.
5 min read
Name Change
Rhode Island Name Change Laws: No Publication and a Probate Court Petition
Rhode Island name changes go through your local probate court, and the law bars public notice or publication entirely. Here is the current process.
5 min read
Name Change
Pennsylvania Name Change Laws: Fingerprinting, Dual Publication, and the Offense Bar
Pennsylvania name changes require fingerprinting, a state police background check, and publication in two newspapers. Here is the full process and cost.
5 min read
Name Change
Oregon Name Change Laws: No Publication, a Flat $124 Fee, and No Criminal Bar
Oregon name changes need no publication and no in-person hearing in most cases. The flat fee is $124. Here is the current process under ORS chapter 33.
4 min read
Name Change
Oklahoma Name Change Laws: Court Process, Marriage-License Option, and the Sex Offender Bar
Oklahoma name changes go through district court and require published notice. Marriage-based changes are codified too. Here is the current process and rules.
5 min read
Name Change
Ohio Name Change Laws: Probate Court Process and the Two Parallel Tracks
Ohio runs two name-change tracks through probate court: a standard change of name and a separate track to conform your legal name. Here is how each works.
5 min read
Name Change
North Dakota Name Change Laws: Court Process, Fees, and Publication Rules
North Dakota name changes go through district court and still require newspaper publication. The filing fee rose to $160 in 2025. Here is the current process.
5 min read
Name Change
North Carolina Name Change Laws: Process, Forms, and the New 2025 Publication Repeal
North Carolina name changes go through the clerk of court, not a judge. Publication was repealed December 2025. Here is the current process, fee, and rules.
6 min read
Name Change
New York Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
New York eliminated newspaper publication in 2021. See the current Civil Rights Law process, court sealing, and codified marriage and divorce rules.
7 min read