Georgia Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name

Georgia handles adult and minor name changes together in one superior court petition, with a newspaper publication requirement that runs four consecutive weeks unless a judge waives it. A separate restriction bars using a name change to defraud someone of a legal right, and divorce name restoration is handled through a different statute entirely, one that lives in Georgia's divorce title rather than the general name-change chapter.

Georgia's official codified statute text sits behind a paywalled legal database, so this guide draws on Georgia's own official consumer page and county superior court self-help materials rather than quoting the code verbatim. Readers with a case that turns on exact statutory wording should confirm the current text with the superior court clerk or a Georgia attorney.

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

How to Legally Change Your Name in Georgia

An adult files a name-change petition in superior court, in the county of residence. Georgia does not maintain a statewide standard form. Georgia's official consumer page states that petition, verification, and notice forms may vary by county and are provided by the clerk's office of the superior court where the petition is filed.

There is no statewide filing fee. Costs are set county by county; a general civil filing fee in the range of roughly $200 to $250 is a reasonable expectation, though the exact figure should be confirmed with the local clerk's office before filing. Budget separately for the newspaper publication fee described below.

Changing a Minor's Name in Georgia

A minor's petition requires the written consent of the minor's living, non-abandoning parent or parents. Where both parents are deceased or have abandoned the child, the guardian's written consent applies instead.

Restoring a Former Name After Divorce

Georgia handles divorce name restoration through a distinct statute in the divorce title rather than the general name-change chapter. A party who wants a maiden or prior name restored must pray for that restoration in the divorce pleadings; if granted, the name is specified and restored in the final judgment and decree. This is a separate track from the general superior court name-change petition described above, with no separate filing required.

Publication Requirements

Georgia requires notice of the petition to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks in the legal organ of the county where the petition is filed. A court may waive that publication requirement, and file the case under seal, where it finds the petitioner is a victim of family violence or human trafficking. That combination, a publication waiver paired with a sealed file, is a meaningful protective option worth raising with the court for petitioners at risk.

Restrictions on Name Changes

Georgia law bars using a name change to fraudulently deprive another person of a legal right. This guide could not confirm, from the sources reviewed, whether Georgia imposes a separate criminal-history or sex-offender-registry restriction the way several neighboring states do; anyone with a criminal-history or registration concern should raise it directly with the superior court clerk or an attorney before filing.

Marriage-Based Name Changes in Georgia

Georgia has no statute dedicated to granting a name change based on marriage. A spouse who wants to adopt a new name at marriage does so by custom, using the marriage certificate to update records with agencies like the Social Security Administration and the DMV rather than filing a court petition. See name change after marriage for the federal-level steps involved.

Related Georgia Records

For the marriage certificate or divorce decree that documents a Georgia name change, see Georgia marriage and divorce records. For how Georgia's court system handles case filings generally, see Georgia court records. For the broader dissolution process a divorce-based name restoration is part of, see Georgia divorce laws. For the full agency-by-agency update checklist once a name change is granted, see the name change checklist.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Georgia name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Georgia's codified statute text is not freely available online, and this guide relies on Georgia's official consumer page and county court self-help materials rather than a direct reading of the current code. Verify current fees, forms, and statutory requirements with your county superior court clerk or a licensed Georgia 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.