Indiana
Indiana Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
Indiana grants name changes by petition in circuit, superior, or probate court, with two notice requirements that stack on top of each other rather than substitute for one another: newspaper publication is required in every case, and anyone with a felony conviction within the past 10 years must also separately notify local law enforcement and the state's criminal-history repository. That second requirement is easy to miss if a description of Indiana law frames it as an alternative to publication rather than an addition to it.
Indiana's official code portal, iga.in.gov, is a JavaScript-driven site that could not be independently confirmed line by line this session, so some details below, particularly fees, forms, and exact residency and venue requirements, are less firmly established for Indiana than for most other states covered here. Anyone with a filing question should confirm current specifics with the local court clerk.
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 Indiana
An adult or minor's petition is filed in circuit, superior, or probate court under IC 34-28-2-1. Indiana has no statewide standard filing fee that could be independently confirmed this session, and every official state name-change resource page checked returned an error. Exact venue and residency requirements were also not confirmed. Contact the clerk of the court in the county where you live to confirm the current filing fee, required forms, and venue before filing.
Changing a Minor's Name in Indiana
A parent or guardian who wants to change a minor child's name files a verified petition stating the reason for the change. The other parent or guardian must be served with a copy of the petition, giving them the opportunity to respond.
Restoring a Former Name After Divorce
Indiana handles divorce name restoration through IC 31-15-2-18. The desired restored name is set out directly in the petition for dissolution, and the court grants the name change when it enters the divorce decree, rather than requiring a separate name-change petition.
Publication and Criminal-History Notice: Two Cumulative Requirements
Indiana requires notice to be published three times weekly in a newspaper of general circulation in the filing county, or the nearest newspaper in an adjoining county if none exists locally, with the final publication no less than 30 days before the hearing.
Separately, and in addition to publication, anyone with a felony conviction within the past 10 years must give notice at least 30 days before the hearing to the county sheriff, the prosecuting attorney, and Indiana's central repository for criminal-history information. These two requirements are cumulative, not alternatives to each other, so a petitioner with a recent felony conviction should expect to satisfy both. Failing to give the required criminal-history notice is a Class A misdemeanor.
Restrictions on Name Changes
Under IC 34-28-2-1.5, a person confined in a Department of Correction facility may not petition for a name change, nor may a person who is a lifetime sex or violent offender. This is narrower than a blanket bar on anyone required to register; it turns specifically on DOC confinement or lifetime registrant status. A sincerely held religious-belief exception exists, but it does not apply to a person currently required to register as a sex offender, and it requires written notice to law enforcement in both the county of conviction and the county of residence.
Marriage-Based Name Changes in Indiana
Indiana has no statute dedicated to a marriage-based name change. A spouse who wants to adopt a new name at marriage does so by custom, using the marriage certificate with agencies like the Social Security Administration and the DMV. See name change after marriage for the federal-level steps involved.
Related Indiana Records
For the marriage certificate or divorce decree that documents an Indiana name change, see Indiana marriage and divorce records. For how Indiana's court system handles filings generally, see Indiana court records. For the broader dissolution process, see Indiana 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 Indiana name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Indiana's fees, forms, and specific residency and venue requirements could not be fully confirmed from official sources this session; verify current details with your circuit, superior, or probate court clerk, or a licensed Indiana attorney, before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indiana require newspaper publication for a name change?
Yes, notice must be published three times weekly, with the last publication at least 30 days before the hearing.
If I have a felony conviction, do I publish notice or notify the sheriff for an Indiana name change?
Both. Publication is required in every case. A felony conviction within the past 10 years adds a separate, additional requirement to notify the county sheriff, the prosecuting attorney, and the state criminal-history repository. Failing to give that additional notice is a Class A misdemeanor.
Can a sex offender change their name in Indiana?
Not if confined in a Department of Correction facility or classified as a lifetime sex or violent offender. A religious-belief exception exists but does not apply to a person currently required to register as a sex offender.
How do I get my maiden name back after an Indiana divorce?
Request it directly in your petition for dissolution. Under IC 31-15-2-18, the court grants the restored name when it enters the divorce decree.
How much does an Indiana name change cost?
Indiana has no statewide standard filing fee that could be confirmed here. Contact the clerk of the circuit, superior, or probate court in your county for the current fee and required forms.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Indiana Code § 34-28-2-1, Petition for Change of Name(iga.in.gov).gov
- Indiana Code § 34-28-2-3, Publication of Notice(iga.in.gov).gov
- Indiana Code § 34-28-2-1.5, Persons Ineligible for Name Change(iga.in.gov).gov
- Ind. Code § 31-15-2-18(iga.in.gov).gov