Kentucky
Kentucky Name Change Laws: How to Petition the District Court
Kentucky runs one of the least restrictive name-change processes covered in this guide. An adult petitions the District Court in their home county under , a short, one-page statute with no newspaper-publication requirement and no criminal-history or sex-offender check anywhere in KRS Chapter 401.
This page covers how the adult petition works, what a Kentucky name change actually costs (fees are set county by county, not by state law), how minors are handled, and the separate, simpler route for restoring a former surname after divorce.
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 Kentucky
Under , any adult may petition the District Court of the county where they reside for a change of name. If the petitioner lives adjacent to a United States Army post, military reservation, or fort, they may instead file in the District Court of that adjacent county. The statute does not spell out a separate durational residency period beyond living in the county of filing.
Kentucky's general age of majority is 18 (KRS 2.015), which is also the threshold for petitioning as an adult under Chapter 401. The petition is filed on form AOC-295 (Petition for Name Change), and the court's order is entered on form AOC-296 (Name Change Order), both available through the Kentucky Court of Justice's legal forms library.
Filing Fees
Kentucky has no single, statewide name-change filing fee. Costs are set by each county's Circuit/District Clerk, and reported examples vary from around $43 in court fees plus roughly $8 in county clerk fees, up to about $128.50 total in Kenton County. Because there is no published statewide fee schedule, confirm the current amount with your county clerk before filing. A standard in forma pauperis fee-waiver process is available through the clerk, though it is not specific to name-change cases.
Changing a Minor's Name in Kentucky
Under , both parents petition on a child's behalf, unless one parent is deceased or absent, in which case the remaining parent may petition alone; a guardian petitions if no parent is living. The court considers the child's wishes and best interests among its statutory factors. The petition is filed in Family Court where one exists, or in Circuit Court instead of District Court if a related family case is already pending. There is no separate minor-specific filing fee or form beyond AOC-295/AOC-296, and Kentucky has no age-14 consent threshold for a minor petitioner the way some other states do.
Publication: Not Required
No newspaper-publication or public-notice requirement exists anywhere in KRS Chapter 401. Kentucky is one of the states that never had one, so there is nothing to waive for privacy or safety reasons, unlike states that build a publication-waiver process into their statute.
Criminal History and Other Restrictions
KRS Chapter 401 contains no criminal-history disclosure requirement, no background check, and no sex-offender-registry restriction. That makes Kentucky's process genuinely one of the least restricted in the country. County judges do retain ordinary equitable discretion, though, and can still deny a petition even without a statutory bar if they find the request improper.
Restoring Your Name After Divorce
lets a spouse ask to restore a former surname as part of the divorce case itself, rather than filing a separate name-change petition. The request goes in the petition for dissolution or a counterpetition, and the court grants it in the final Decree of Dissolution. The statute's text is worded as belonging to "a wife," a gendered holdover that should be read as applying to whichever spouse is requesting restoration. The court "may" restore the name, and "shall" do so if there are no children of the marriage. Kentucky has no statutory provision letting a Decree of Legal Separation, as opposed to a converted Decree of Dissolution, restore a name.
Changing Your Name After Marriage
Kentucky has no codified marriage-based name-change statute. In practice, the Social Security Administration and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet accept a certified marriage certificate directly as proof of the name change, so no court petition is needed for a routine marriage-based name update.
Related Kentucky Records
For related Kentucky record searches, see Kentucky marriage and divorce records, Kentucky court records, and Kentucky divorce laws for how the restoration request fits into the dissolution case itself.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Kentucky name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and court procedures change; verify current details with your county District Court clerk or a licensed Kentucky 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
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky's process is pro se friendly. There is no publication requirement and no background check, so most petitioners file AOC-295 without an attorney.
How much does a Kentucky name change cost?
It varies by county, since Kentucky has no statewide fee. Reported examples range from about $50 to roughly $128.50 in Kenton County; confirm the current fee with your county clerk.
Does Kentucky require me to publish notice of my name change?
No. There is no newspaper-publication requirement anywhere in KRS Chapter 401.
Can I restore my former name after a divorce in Kentucky without filing a new case?
Yes. Under KRS 403.230, you request restoration in the divorce petition or counterpetition itself, and the court grants it in the final decree.
Is there a criminal-history check for a Kentucky name change?
No. KRS Chapter 401 has no criminal-history disclosure or sex-offender-registry restriction, though the judge retains ordinary discretion to deny a petition.
How do I change my name after getting married in Kentucky?
No court petition is needed. Bring your marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to update your records.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on 3 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 401: CHANGE OF NAME
§ 401.010Adult may have name changed by District CourtIn force
Any person at least eighteen (18) years of age may have his or her name changed by the District Court of the county in which he or she resides. If he or she resides on a United States Army post, military reservation, or fort, his or her name may be changed by the District Court of any county adjacent thereto.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at apps.legislature.ky.gov
§ 401.020Parents or guardian may have child's name changed in District, Family, or Circuit Court -- Relevant factorsIn force
(1) Both parents, provided both are living, or one (1) parent if one (1) is deceased, or if no parent is living, the guardian, may have the name of a child under the age of eighteen (18) changed by the District Court, or if the Family Court or Circuit Court has a case before it involving the family, the Family Court of a county with a Family Court, or the Circuit Court of a county without a Family Court of the county in which the child resides. (2) If one (1) parent refuses or is unavailable to execute the petition for a name change, proper notice of filing the petition shall be served in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure. The court shall conduct a hearing on the petition no later than sixty (60) days from the date of service and make findings of fact and conclusions of law based on the best interests of the child.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at apps.legislature.ky.gov
Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 403: DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE -- CHILD CUSTODY
§ 403.230Legal separation -- Court may convert, to a decree of dissolution -- Restoration of former nameIn force
(1) No earlier than one year after entry of a decree of legal separation, the court on motion of either party shall convert the decree to a decree of dissolution of marriage. (2) Upon request by a wife whose marriage is dissolved or declared invalid, the court may, and if there are no children of the parties shall, order her maiden name or a former name restored.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at apps.legislature.ky.gov
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Sources and References
- Kentucky Revised Statutes, KRS 401.010, Petition for Change of Name(apps.legislature.ky.gov).gov
- Kentucky Revised Statutes, KRS 401.020, Change of Name of Infant(apps.legislature.ky.gov).gov
- Kentucky Revised Statutes, KRS 403.230, Restoration of Maiden or Former Name(apps.legislature.ky.gov).gov
- Kentucky Revised Statutes, KRS 2.015, Age of Majority(apps.legislature.ky.gov).gov
- Kentucky Court of Justice, Legal Forms Library(kycourts.gov).gov