Utah Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name

An adult petitions Utah's district court for a name change after establishing one year of county residency, and the court decides what notice, if any, the petition needs, rather than requiring newspaper publication for the general public. That single design choice, discretionary notice instead of mandatory publication, shapes most of what makes Utah's process different from its neighbors in this batch.

Utah's criminal-history restrictions sit inside the name-change statute itself. Utah Code 42-1-1(2) bars a person who is an «offender», as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1, from filing a petition at all, and 42-1-1(3)(a) requires every petitioner to state on the petition whether they are required to register under the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry. What sits in other titles is only the supporting detail: Title 64 supplies the definition of «offender», and Title 53, Chapter 29 supplies the registry notice and publication mechanics.

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 Utah

An adult files a petition in district court after being a bona fide resident of the county for the full year immediately preceding filing. Utah Courts' self-help center provides Form 1700FA, Petition for Name Change, as the standard starting document.

The filing fee is set by statute. Utah Code 78A-2-301(1)(a) puts the fee for filing any civil complaint or petition invoking the jurisdiction of a court of record «not governed by another subsection» at $375, and a name-change petition falls under none of the other subsections, which cover damages-based claims, Title 81 dissolution actions, temporary separation, removal from the offender registry, and guardianship of the petitioner's own child. The $375 figure appears in both the currently effective version of the section and the version effective January 1, 2027. A clerk may add separate charges for service or certified copies, so ask what the total will be. A Motion to Waive Fees, along with a related Order on Motion to Waive Fees, is available through utcourts.gov for petitioners who cannot afford the cost.

The statutory language described here was read from the Utah Legislature's official chapter file for Title 42, Chapter 1, which carries the notes «Amended by Chapter 291, 2025 General Session» and «Amended by Chapter 299, 2025 General Session». The chapter is short: three sections in total, covering the petition, the notice and order, and the effect of the proceedings.

Changing a Minor's Name

Title 42, Chapter 1 contains no minor-specific name-change provision. Utah's general name-change section applies to «any natural person», which is understood to allow a parent to petition on a child's behalf, but the chapter sets out no separate consent, notice, or best-interest standard for minors. Utah Courts publishes separate self-help forms and instructions for a minor's name change, and anyone pursuing a contested one should confirm the current procedure with the district court clerk or a family law attorney.

Restoring Your Name After Divorce

Utah has no statute dedicated to divorce-based name restoration. Older references point to the Domestic Relations Code at Title 30, and those citations no longer resolve for a straightforward reason: the Legislature recodified Title 30 as Title 81, the Utah Domestic Relations Code, with the new title effective September 1, 2024. Title 81, Chapter 4, Dissolution of Marriage, is the current home of Utah's divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, and alimony provisions, and across all five of its parts it contains no name provision at all.

A divorced person who wants a court order changing the name therefore uses the same general district-court petition under 42-1-1 available to any other adult. Ask the district court clerk whether the divorce decree itself can carry the restoration, since local practice on that point is not set by statute.

Publication and Notice Requirements

Utah does not require newspaper publication for the general public. Under Utah Code 42-1-2, the court orders what, if any, notice of the hearing is given. That is a meaningfully lighter-touch approach than the mandatory publication several neighboring states in this batch require.

A separate and narrower track applies to petitioners required to register under the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry, and it is worth being precise about who does what. Under Utah Code 53-29-303(3)(b), the petitioner must give the Department of Public Safety notice at least 30 days before the day of the name-change hearing. That is the petitioner's only added step. If the court grants the change, 53-29-303(3)(c) requires the court to send the department a copy of the order within 10 days, and 53-29-303(3)(d) requires the department to publish the former name and the changed name on the registration website as an alias. The registry publication is a consequence of the order carried out by the department, not something the petitioner arranges.

Restrictions: Who Cannot File, and Who Must Disclose

Both of Utah's restrictions are written into the name-change statute itself. Utah Code 42-1-1(2) provides that «A natural person who is an offender, as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1, may not file a petition in district court to change the natural person's name.» That is an outright bar rather than a heightened-scrutiny standard. The only piece housed elsewhere is the definition: Section 64-13-1(13) defines «offender» as an individual convicted of a crime for which the individual may be committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections and who is committed to that custody, on probation, or on parole. A past conviction alone, with the sentence fully discharged, does not put a person inside that definition.

The second restriction is a disclosure rather than a bar. Utah Code 42-1-1(3)(a) requires a petitioner to indicate on the petition whether the individual is required to register under Title 53, Chapter 29, and 42-1-1(3)(b) lets the court request additional information from that person in order to make the determination described in Subsection 53-29-303(3). That determination is whether the name change is «not contrary to the interests of the public». A registrant who clears it may change the name in accordance with Title 42, Chapter 1, subject to the 30-day notice described above. A reader working from 42-1-1 will see both restrictions on the face of the statute; the cross-references lead only to the definition of «offender» and to the registry's notice and publication mechanics.

Name Change After Marriage

Utah has no statute dedicated to marriage-based name changes. A spouse who wants to adopt a new name at marriage does so administratively, presenting the marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and the DMV rather than filing a court petition. For the federal-level steps involved, see name change after marriage.

Related Utah Records

For the marriage certificate or divorce decree that may support a name-change filing, see Utah marriage and divorce records. For how the state's court system handles filings and case access generally, see Utah court records. For the broader dissolution process, see Utah divorce laws. For the full agency-by-agency update process once a change is granted, see the name change checklist and how to legally change your name.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Utah name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The statutory text described here was read from the Utah Legislature's official chapter files for Title 42, Chapter 1, Title 53, Chapter 29, Title 78A, Chapter 2, and Title 81, Chapter 4. Fees, forms, and local filing practice can change between legislative sessions, so confirm current requirements with the district court clerk or a licensed Utah 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

How long do I need to live in Utah before I can change my name?

One year. Utah requires bona fide residency in the county for the full year immediately preceding filing.

Does Utah require newspaper publication for a name change?

No, not for the general public. Under Utah Code 42-1-2 the court orders what notice, if any, is required. Petitioners on the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry instead owe the Department of Public Safety 30 days' notice before the hearing.

Can an offender change their name in Utah?

No. Utah Code 42-1-1(2) provides that a person who is an offender, as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1, may not file a name-change petition in district court. The bar is written into the name-change statute itself, and the definition it points to covers people committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections and people on probation or parole.

How much does it cost to change your name in Utah?

$375. Utah Code 78A-2-301(1)(a) sets that as the fee for filing a civil petition invoking a court of record's jurisdiction where no other subsection applies, and a name-change petition falls under no other subsection. Service and certified copies can cost extra, and a fee waiver motion is available through utcourts.gov.

Does a sex offender face extra requirements to change their name in Utah?

Yes. A person required to register under Utah's Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry must disclose that status on the petition and give the Department of Public Safety at least 30 days' notice before the hearing, and the change must be found not contrary to the interests of the public. If the court grants it, the department publishes the former and new names on the registration website as an alias.