Louisiana
Louisiana Name Change Laws: The District Attorney's Role in Your Petition
Louisiana is a civil-law jurisdiction, and its name-change process reflects that structure in a way no other state in this guide does. An adult petitions the district court, but the petition must also be formally served on the parish district attorney, who is cited to answer and has standing to object. Lawyers call this a "contradictory proceeding," and it is a genuine, unavoidable extra step, not paperwork that simply gets filed and forgotten.
This page covers that district attorney requirement, the felony restrictions that can bar a petition outright, how minors and divorcing spouses are handled, and why Louisiana treats a post-divorce surname change as something you elect rather than something a court restores.
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 Louisiana
Under La. R.S. 13:4751, an adult petitions the district court. Venue can be the parish of residence, the parish of birth if the petitioner was born in Louisiana, Orleans Parish through the Vital Records Registry venue, or the parish where the petitioner was sentenced if incarcerated. No separate durational residency period applies beyond satisfying one of those venue options. Louisiana has no single statewide self-help portal for this process; each Judicial District Court runs its own self-help resources, so check with the court where you plan to file.
The District Attorney's Role: A Contradictory Proceeding
This is the step that makes Louisiana genuinely different. La. R.S. 13:4752 requires that the district attorney, or a district attorney pro tempore, of the parish be served with a copy of the petition and cited to answer it. This is what Louisiana's civil-law tradition calls a "contradictory proceeding," meaning the case is not simply filed with the court and processed administratively. The district attorney has standing to appear and object, including on public-safety or fraud grounds. Anyone filing in Louisiana should plan for this as a real procedural step with its own timeline, not a formality.
Filing Fees
Louisiana has no statewide name-change filing fee. Costs are set parish by parish; reported examples run from around $250 in Jefferson Parish up to $300 to $500 in other parishes, plus any cost the court orders for publication. An In Forma Pauperis affidavit is available for petitioners who cannot afford the fee.
Changing a Minor's Name in Louisiana
The minor provision sits inside the same statute as the general adult petition, La. R.S. 13:4751. The petition must be signed by both the minor's father and mother, with defined exceptions: one parent may sign alone if they have sole custody and the other parent's rights were terminated; if the non-custodial parent, after being served notice, failed to pay court-ordered support for a year, neglected support for three years after a custody award, or abandoned contact for two years without justification; or if both parents are deceased, in which case the child's tutor or tutrix (legal guardian) signs instead. A single parent may also petition if the child's surname was assigned contrary to the birth-certificate surname statute, R.S. 40:34.2. The statute does not set out an explicit best-interest standard the way some states do; the court evaluates the petition and stated reasons generally, and the district attorney can appear and object here too.
Criminal History Restrictions
A person convicted of a felony cannot petition for a name change until the sentence, including any period of imprisonment, probation, or parole, is fully satisfied. Separately, people convicted of certain felonies enumerated in La. R.S. 14:2(B) face a permanent bar on petitioning, not merely a waiting period. The exact list of enumerated crimes in 14:2(B) was not independently reviewed for this article; anyone with a serious felony conviction should confirm their eligibility with the parish district attorney's office or an attorney before filing.
Changing Your Name After Marriage or Divorce
Louisiana Civil Code article 100 states that marriage does not automatically change either spouse's name. A married person may use the surname of either spouse, or both, without a court filing.
For a name change tied to widowhood, divorce, or remarriage, La. R.S. 9:292 works differently from the "restoration" framework used in most other states. It is a standing statutory election, not a court order: a person may, at their own option, use a maiden name, a present spouse's name, or a hyphenated combination while married, and if widowed, divorced, or remarried, may use a maiden name, a deceased or former spouse's surname, or a present spouse's surname. There is no need to ask a court to restore anything. The statute's text refers to "a woman," a gendered holdover that should be read as applying to whichever spouse is making the election.
Related Louisiana Records
For related Louisiana record searches, see Louisiana marriage and divorce records, Louisiana court records, and Louisiana divorce laws.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Louisiana name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and court procedures change and vary by parish; verify current details with your parish clerk of court, the district attorney's office, or a licensed Louisiana 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 Louisiana require me to publish notice of my name change?
No. Louisiana does not have a newspaper-publication requirement, but the parish district attorney must be formally served with your petition and can object to it.
What is a contradictory proceeding in a Louisiana name change?
It means the case is not simply filed and processed. The parish district attorney must be served with the petition and cited to answer, and has standing to appear and object.
Can a felony conviction stop me from changing my name in Louisiana?
Yes, for the length of your sentence including probation or parole. Certain serious felonies listed in La. R.S. 14:2(B) result in a permanent bar rather than a waiting period.
Do I need a court order to use my maiden name again after divorce in Louisiana?
No. Under La. R.S. 9:292, you may elect to use your maiden name, a former spouse's name, or a present spouse's name without going back to court.
How much does a Louisiana name change cost?
It varies by parish, since there is no statewide fee. Reported examples run from about $250 in Jefferson Parish to $300 to $500 elsewhere.
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.
Louisiana Civil Code
§ 100Surname of married personsIn force
Marriage does not change the name of either spouse. However, a married person may use the surname of either or both spouses as a surname.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at legis.la.gov
Louisiana Revised Statutes
§ 13:4751Petition for name change; adults; minorsIn force
A. The name of a person may be changed as provided in this Section. B. Whenever any person who has attained the age of majority desires to change his name, he shall present a petition to the district court of the parish of his residence, the parish of his birth, or the parish of venue for the Vital Records Registry, or, in the case of a person incarcerated in a penal institution, to the district court of the parish in which he was sentenced, setting forth the reasons for the desired change. C. If the person desiring such change is a minor or if the parents or parent or the tutor of the minor desire to change the name of the minor: (1) The petition shall be signed by the father and mother of the minor or by the survivor in case one of them be dead. (2) If one parent has been granted custody of the minor by a court of competent jurisdiction, the consent of the other parent is not necessary under either of the following circumstances: (a) The parental rights of the other parent have been terminated.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at legis.la.gov
§ 9:292Surname of married personIn force
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a woman, at her option, may use her maiden name, her present spouse's name, or a hyphenated combination thereof. If widowed, divorced, or remarried, a woman may use her maiden name, the surname of her deceased or former spouse, the surname of her present spouse, or any combination thereof.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at legis.la.gov
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Sources and References
- Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 13:4751, Change of Name; Petition(legis.la.gov).gov
- Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 13:4752, Citation of District Attorney(legis.la.gov).gov
- Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 9:292, Use of Surname(legis.la.gov).gov
- Louisiana Civil Code article 100, Surname(legis.la.gov).gov
- Louisiana State Bar Association, Self-Represented Litigant Petition for Adult Name Change Packet(lsba.org)