Michigan Name Change Laws: Criminal-History Disclosure, Fees, and the MCL 711.1 Process

Michigan handles adult petitions, minor name changes, publication, and criminal-history disclosure in one chapter of the Compiled Laws: MCL 711.1 governs the petition itself, and MCL 711.3 governs nonpublication and a confidential record. Every petitioner must disclose their own criminal record in the petition itself, or state under penalty of perjury that they have none; the court then has the discretion, but not the obligation, to independently verify that disclosure through the state's LEIN and ICHAT criminal-history databases, at the court's own expense, not the petitioner's.

This page covers that disclosure-and-verification mechanism, what a Michigan name change costs once every fee is added up, how minors are handled including the override that lets a parent with custody proceed alone, and the older, separate statute governing a name restored 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 Michigan

An adult petitions the family division of the Circuit Court in the county where they have resided for at least one year, using form PC 51 (Petition to Change Name). MCL 711.1 sets the standard as "sufficient reason for the proposed change exists and that the change is not sought with a fraudulent intent." The petitioner must disclose their criminal history in the petition, or affirmatively state that there is none; a false statement here constitutes perjury.

Criminal-History Disclosure and the Court's Verification Option

MCL 711.1 does not require fingerprinting, and its current text does not reference the FBI or any age-22 threshold anywhere. What it actually requires is disclosure: every petitioner must include their criminal record in the petition, or state in the petition that they do not have one. A false statement here is perjury under the statute. This disclosure duty covers any criminal record; no sex-offender-registry-specific eligibility bar, distinct from that general disclosure duty, could be confirmed in the statute's current text.

The court may independently verify that disclosure by checking the state's Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) or Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT), but it is not required to. Michigan law puts the cost of that check on the court itself, not the petitioner: the statute specifies that the court shall bear any cost associated with its use of L.E.I.N. or ICHAT. If the court grants an order for a petitioner who does have a criminal record, it must forward that order to the Michigan State Police central records division and, where applicable, the Department of Corrections, the county sheriff, or the family division of the court.

MCL 711.1 was most recently amended by 2024 PA 229, effective April 2, 2025; this article did not independently confirm what that amendment changed. The description above reflects the statute's current text as published by the Michigan Legislature. Confirm current requirements with your Circuit Court's family division or the Michigan court self-help resources before filing.

Fees and Forms

Costs stack up from several sources rather than one flat fee. Expect a base filing fee of roughly $150, though some counties report higher totals, for example around $187 in Kent County; an additional $25 e-filing system fee if you file electronically; roughly $60 in newspaper publication costs if the court orders publication; and about $30 for certified copies of the final order. Michigan does not charge petitioners a separate fingerprinting or background-check fee, since the statute does not require fingerprinting; when the court exercises its discretion to run a LEIN or ICHAT check, the cost falls on the court, not the petitioner. A standard indigency fee-waiver process is available. The relevant forms are PC 51 (Petition to Change Name), PC 51b (Minor's Consent to Name Change), and PC 51c (Petition for Name Change and Ex Parte Request for Nonpublication and Confidential Record).

Changing a Minor's Name in Michigan

Both parents sign the petition jointly, or a surviving parent, guardian, or sole-custody parent signs alone. If the minor is 14 or older, the minor's own written consent, on form PC 51b, must be signed and filed before the court enters the order. For a minor under 14, the court should consult the child about their preference if the court deems the child mature enough to have one.

Michigan also builds in an override. Under MCL 711.1(7), a parent with custody may petition using only their own consent, bypassing the usual both-parents requirement, on notice to the other parent and after a hearing, on any one of three grounds.

The first is abandonment in both of its senses at once. The other parent, having the ability to support or assist in supporting the minor, must have failed to provide regular and substantial support (or, where a support order exists, failed to substantially comply with it) for 2 years or more before the petition was filed; and the other parent, having the ability to visit, contact, or communicate with the minor, must have regularly and substantially failed to do so for 2 years or more before filing. Both halves have to be met, not just one.

The second is a conviction of the other parent under section 136b of the Michigan Penal Code (child abuse) or sections 520b, 520c, 520d, 520e, or 520g (criminal sexual conduct), where the minor or a sibling of the minor is a victim of the crime. The sibling clause matters: the child whose name is being changed does not have to be the victim.

The third is a conviction of the other parent for murder or manslaughter, under MCL 750.316 or MCL 750.317.

Publication

MCL 711.1 directs the court to order publication as provided by Michigan Supreme Court rule, but that direction opens with a carve-out: "Except as provided in section 3 of this chapter." Section 3, MCL 711.3, is not a discretionary favor the court may grant. If the court receives a petition that shows good cause, it must order that no publication of the proceeding take place and that the record of the proceeding be confidential.

A petition shows good cause by stating the reasons the petitioner or an endangered individual fears publication or an available record. Under MCL 711.3(1)(b), the court must presume that good cause exists if the petitioner or endangered individual is a victim of assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or if the petitioner seeks to affirm their gender identity.

MCL 711.3(1)(c) bars the court from requiring proof of an arrest or prosecution to find that a petition shows good cause. A petitioner does not need a police report, a charge, or a conviction to qualify.

Records made confidential under the section are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and a court officer, employee, or agent who divulges, uses, or publishes information from such a record beyond the scope of their duties with the court is guilty of a misdemeanor.

The request is made on form PC 51c, an ex parte filing that combines nonpublication with a sealed, confidential record.

Restoring Your Name After Divorce

MCL 552.391 lets the circuit court, "at the instance of the woman, whether complainant or defendant," restore a birth name, the surname legally held before the marriage in question, or allow adoption of another surname if it is not sought with fraudulent or evil intent, as part of the divorce decree. This is discretionary and decree-based, and the statute's terms are narrow as written: it speaks only of relief sought by the woman in the divorce action. A spouse outside those terms is not covered by this statute and would instead file a general name-change petition under MCL 711.1.

Changing Your Name After Marriage

Michigan has no codified general marriage-based name-change statute. Marriage-certificate-based updates are handled administratively through the Social Security Administration and the Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State), not a court filing.

Related Michigan Records

For related Michigan record searches, see Michigan marriage and divorce records, Michigan court records, and Michigan divorce laws for how the MCL 552.391 restoration path fits into a divorce case.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Michigan 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 Circuit Court family division or a licensed Michigan 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Michigan require a background check to change your name?

Michigan does not require fingerprinting or an FBI background check. The petitioner must disclose their own criminal record in the petition, and the court has discretion, but not an obligation, to independently verify that disclosure through the state's LEIN or ICHAT databases, at the court's own expense.

How much does a Michigan name change cost?

Several fees stack together: a roughly $150 base filing fee, publication costs if ordered, and fees for certified copies. Michigan does not charge a separate fingerprinting fee. Totals vary by county.

Can I keep my Michigan name change private?

Often yes, and it is not left to the judge's discretion. Under MCL 711.3, a court that receives a petition showing good cause must order that no publication take place and that the record of the proceeding be confidential. The court must presume good cause if the petitioner or an endangered individual is a victim of assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or if the petitioner seeks to affirm their gender identity, and it cannot require proof of an arrest or prosecution. Form PC 51c makes the request in a single ex parte filing.

Does a 14-year-old have to agree to their own name change in Michigan?

Yes. A minor who is 14 or older must sign a written consent, form PC 51b, before the court can enter the order.

Can one parent change a child's name in Michigan without the other parent?

Yes, in three situations set out in MCL 711.1(7), on notice to the other parent and after a hearing. A parent with custody may proceed alone if the other parent both failed to provide regular and substantial support and failed to visit or contact the child, each for 2 years or more before the petition was filed; or if the other parent was convicted of child abuse under MCL 750.136b or of criminal sexual conduct under MCL 750.520b to 750.520e or 750.520g where the child or a sibling of the child was a victim; or if the other parent was convicted of murder or manslaughter under MCL 750.316 or 750.317.

How do I restore my maiden name after divorce in Michigan?

Under MCL 552.391, request it as part of the divorce case; the court may grant it as part of the final decree. The statute is written narrowly, granting relief at the instance of the woman in the divorce action, so a spouse outside its terms would instead file a general name-change petition under MCL 711.1.