Alabama Name Change Laws: Probate Court Process and Fees

Alabama does not run its adult name-change process through a single statewide statute the way many other states do. Instead, adults petition the probate court in their county of residence under a general grant of authority in the Alabama Code, and the practical details, fee, forms, and whether the court requires published notice, vary from one probate court to the next.

That county-by-county variation is the single most important thing to understand about changing your name in Alabama. This guide covers how the adult petition works, what limited options exist for minors, what happens to a name after divorce, and the restrictions that apply to registered sex offenders and people with certain criminal histories.

Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

How to Legally Change Your Name as an Adult in Alabama

Adults change their name in Alabama by filing a written declaration with the probate court in the county where they live. The authority comes from Ala. Code Section 12-13-1, which gives the probate court power over «the change of the name of any adult residing in their county, upon his or her filing a declaration in writing, signed by him or her, stating the name by which he or she is known and the name to which he or she wishes it to be changed.»

Alabama's general age of majority is 19 (Ala. Code Section 26-1-1), a year later than most states, which is consistent with the 19-and-older threshold reported by Legal Services Alabama for who may file as an adult.

Because Section 12-13-1 does not set a statewide procedure, the practical steps, the exact form, whether the court schedules a hearing, and whether it requires published notice, are set locally by each of Alabama's 67 probate courts. The Alabama State Bar publishes a statewide petition form, PS-12 (Request to Change Name), that many counties accept, but a reader should always start by contacting or checking the website of their own county probate court rather than assuming a single statewide process.

Filing Fee

No official statewide fee schedule exists for an Alabama adult name change, because the underlying statute does not set one. Secondary sources, including Legal Services Alabama, put the typical cost in the rough range of $25 to $100 in probate court filing fees, plus any background-check fee the county requires. Because this figure is not drawn from a single statewide schedule, confirm the current fee with the probate court where you plan to file before you go.

What the PS-12 Form Requires

The Alabama State Bar's PS-12 petition asks the adult petitioner to declare, under oath, that they have never been convicted of a felony, a crime of moral turpitude, or a criminal sex offense as defined in Ala. Code Section 15-20A-21. That declaration functions as a real, practical eligibility screen, separate from whatever discretion the probate judge exercises case by case.

Minor Name Changes

Alabama's Code does not contain a general, freestanding minor name-change statute. The one codified minor provision, Section 26-11-3, sits inside the legitimation chapter: it lets a father petition to change a child's name at or after legitimation, with notice to the mother, who has 30 days to object. If she objects, or the court otherwise finds it appropriate, the court appoints a guardian ad litem to represent the child's interests.

That narrow statute does not cover the more common situation of both parents petitioning together for an ordinary minor name change outside the legitimation context. Several county probate courts, including Walker County and Autauga County, describe handling «Name Change, Adult and Minor» as a single combined local process, which suggests probate courts generally extend their Section 12-13-1 adult jurisdiction to ordinary minor petitions as a matter of local practice. Anyone petitioning to change a minor's name for reasons other than legitimation should confirm the exact requirements, including consent from both parents, with the county probate court.

Name Change After Divorce

Alabama's divorce law is governed by Title 30 of the Alabama Code. Neither the research behind this guide nor the Alabama Code itself turned up a specific, numbered statute restoring a former or maiden name as part of a divorce decree. That does not necessarily mean no restoration mechanism exists, some Alabama divorce decrees include a name-restoration clause as a matter of court practice, but it is not confirmed as a distinct statutory right the way it is in many other states. Anyone seeking to restore a former name through divorce should raise the request directly with the family court handling the divorce, or ask about it in the divorce petition itself. See Alabama divorce laws for the broader divorce process.

Publication and Notice

Alabama has no statewide publication statute for name changes. In practice, notice requirements vary by county: some probate courts, including Mobile County, maintain published guidance suggesting local notice or publication is required, while others do not clearly require it. There is no single, confirmed statewide rule, so ask your county probate court directly whether publication applies to your petition.

Restrictions

Beyond the felony and moral-turpitude declaration on the PS-12 form, Alabama law places a near-total bar on name changes by registered sex offenders. Ala. Code Section 15-20A-36 allows a registered sex offender to change their name only if the change is incident to a change in marital status or necessary to exercise their religion, and any change that is granted must be reported to local law enforcement immediately. Beyond that statute and the PS-12 declaration, the probate court retains general discretion to grant or deny a petition.

Marriage-Based Name Change

Alabama has no statute specifically codifying a marriage-based name change process. In practice, a newly married person changes their last name by presenting their marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for a driver's license, which accept it as standard proof, the same customary practice used in most states without a dedicated marriage-name-change statute. See name change after marriage for the general steps.

Domestic Violence and Safety Considerations

Alabama's publication rules are unresolved rather than confirmed uniform statewide, so there is no single, confirmed statewide domestic-violence publication waiver for name-change petitions to point to here. Anyone changing their name for safety reasons, to get away from an abuser or stalker, should raise the concern directly with their county probate court and ask what confidentiality options, if any, that court offers.

Even where a state court seals or restricts a name-change file, that seal does not automatically make the new name confidential with federal agencies. The Social Security Administration and the U.S. State Department each apply their own rules, and a sealed state court record does not by itself keep a new name confidential in federal databases or on a passport application.

Related Alabama Records

An Alabama name change often overlaps with other state processes. See Alabama marriage and divorce records for obtaining certified copies of the marriage certificate or divorce decree a name-change petition may require, and Alabama court records for how probate court name-change files fit into the state's broader court-records rules.

For the general nationwide process, see how to legally change your name, what it costs to change your name, and the post-name-change checklist for updating your Social Security card, driver's license, and passport.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Alabama name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Because Alabama's adult name-change process is set locally rather than by a single statewide procedure, fees, forms, and publication requirements vary by county probate court and change over time. Verify current details with your county probate court or a licensed Alabama attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.