Wisconsin
Wisconsin Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 11, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 11, 2026. · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Wisconsin's name-change law lives in an unusual place in the code, chapter 786, filed under a probate and property title rather than the family law chapters most other states use. Adult and minor petitions both run through it, filed in circuit court, with mandatory newspaper publication as the default.
Wisconsin also has the strongest sex-offender restriction confirmed anywhere across this cluster's research: a reporting-status sex offender is outright prohibited from changing their name at all while their reporting duty is active, not merely subject to a heightened standard, and attempting it is a felony.
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 Wisconsin
An adult or a parent on behalf of a minor petitions in circuit court in the county of residence, under Wis. Stat. 786.36. Wisconsin residency is required, though no specific duration is spelled out in the sections read. Standard forms include CV-450 (Petition for Name Change, Adult or Minor 14 and Older), CV-451 (Petition for Confidential Name Change), CV-455 (Petition for Change of Name, Minor Under 14), and CV-470 (Order for Name Change), available through the Wisconsin Court System's self-help center.
There is no single confirmed statewide filing fee; Dodge County's published fee, $164.50, is a representative county example rather than an authoritative statewide figure. Confirm the exact amount with your circuit court clerk.
A licensed professional faces one additional, narrower restriction: 786.36(3) lets a state licensing board or commission block a name change if it would unfairly compete with or mislead the public, with specific exceptions for teachers and for changes driven by marriage or divorce.
Using Wisconsin's CV Name-Change Forms
The Wisconsin Court System's self-help center has the standard forms: CV-450 for an adult or a minor 14 and older, CV-455 for a minor under 14, and CV-470 for the order. PDFelement is paid software you can use, if you choose, to type into those PDFs, correct text, or e-sign. It does not make a petition valid by itself, and the Class 3 publication step still applies unless the judge grants a confidential name change.
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Changing a Minor's Name
For a minor under 14 with both parents living, both parents ordinarily petition jointly, or a guardian or legal custodian petitions if parental rights have been terminated. A single parent may petition without the other parent's notice or consent if that other parent was convicted of one of roughly 25 enumerated violent or sexual offenses against a child (786.36(1m)(c)).
Where a single parent petitions under the general rule rather than that conviction exception, the nonpetitioning parent must be served notice in the same manner as a summons, in addition to publication (786.37(2)).
Restoring Your Name After Divorce
Wisconsin handles surname restoration inside the divorce case itself, not through a chapter 786 petition. Wis. Stat. 767.395 provides that, except as provided in s. 301.47, the court, upon granting a divorce, shall allow either spouse, upon request, to resume a former legal surname, if any. Because the statute says «shall allow», the request is granted as a matter of course when it is made in the divorce action, and it carries no Class 3 publication and no second filing fee.
The Wisconsin Court System's self-help center puts the practical point plainly: «a court order is typically not required if the divorce judgment provides that you can resume the use of your former last name.» With that judgment in hand, you obtain a certified copy and present it to the Social Security Administration and the DMV, the same administrative route used after a marriage.
The general 786.36 petition is the fallback rather than the default here. It is what you would use if the divorce judgment did not include the restoration, or if you want a name that is not a former legal surname.
Publication and the Confidential Alternative
A Class 3 notice under chapter 985 must be published before the court will hear the petition, stating the nature of the petition and the hearing's date and place (786.37(1)).
Wisconsin offers a genuine alternative to publication: a Petition for Confidential Name Change (CV-451) waives publication if the judge finds publication would endanger the petitioner and the change is not sought to avoid debt or conceal a criminal record (786.37(4)). Confidentiality protections for the resulting records are set out separately in 786.36(2m).
Restrictions: The Strongest Sex-Offender Bar in This Batch
Wisconsin's restriction structure works differently depending on who is asking. There is no general felony bar that stops an adult from petitioning on their own behalf. The enumerated-conviction list under 786.36(1m)(c) described above instead strips a nonpetitioning parent's notice and consent rights in a minor's case, rather than barring that parent from anything themselves.
For a reporting-status sex offender, the rule is categorical rather than discretionary: Wis. Stat. 301.47 makes it an outright prohibition to change your name, or to identify by an unregistered name, before your reporting requirement ends. This is stated plainly because it is easy to soften into generic «restrictions apply» language, and that would understate it: violating this ban is a Class H felony, with a lesser fine and imprisonment tier available for certain lower-level predicate offenses. Among the ten states in this batch, this is the strictest restriction confirmed, an outright ban independently backed by felony-level criminal exposure rather than a heightened court-review standard. The same 301.47 bar is written into the divorce-restoration statute, which restores a former surname «except as provided in s. 301.47».
Name Change After Marriage
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Records
For the marriage certificate or divorce decree that may support a filing, see Wisconsin marriage and divorce records. For how the state's court system handles filings and case access generally, see Wisconsin court records. For the broader dissolution process, see Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and publication requirements change; verify current details with your circuit court clerk or a licensed Wisconsin 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
Can a sex offender change their name in Wisconsin?
No, not while their reporting requirement is active. Wis. Stat. 301.47 makes this an outright prohibition, and violating it is a Class H felony.
Does Wisconsin require newspaper publication for a name change?
Yes, by default. A Class 3 notice must be published before the hearing, unless the judge grants a confidential name change because publication would endanger the petitioner.
Do I need to file a name change petition to go back to my maiden name after a Wisconsin divorce?
Usually no. Wis. Stat. 767.395 says the court granting the divorce shall allow either spouse, upon request, to resume a former legal surname, so you ask for it in the divorce action. A certified copy of the judgment is then what you show the Social Security Administration and the DMV.
How do I keep my Wisconsin name change confidential?
File a Petition for Confidential Name Change (CV-451). The judge can waive publication if it would endanger the petitioner and the change is not sought to avoid debt or conceal a criminal record.
What court handles a name change in Wisconsin?
Circuit court, in the county of residence, under Wis. Stat. 786.36, a chapter located under the state's probate and property title rather than its family law chapters.
How much does a Wisconsin name change cost?
There is no single confirmed statewide fee. Dodge County's published fee of $164.50 is a representative example; confirm the current amount with your circuit court clerk.
Updates
Corrected the divorce section: Wisconsin does have a name-restoration statute, Wis. Stat. 767.395, which requires the divorce court to let either spouse resume a former surname on request, so no separate name-change petition or newspaper publication is needed.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 786: Disposition Of Lands Of Wards; Specific Performance; Change Of Names; Establish Heirships
§ 786.36Changing names, court procedure.In forcecited in 2 of our articles
(1) Except as provided in sub. (3) or s. 301.47, any resident of this state, whether a minor or adult, upon petition to the circuit court of the county where he or she resides and upon filing a copy of the notice required under s. 786.37 (1), with proof of publication, may, if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary, have his or her name changed or established by order of the court. Subject to sub. (1m), if the person whose name is to be changed is a minor under the age of 14 years, the petition may be made by whichever of the following is applicable: (a) Both parents, if they are living, or the survivor of them. (b) The guardian or person having legal custody of the minor, if both parents are dead or if the parental rights of both parents have been terminated by judicial proceedings. (c) The minor’s mother, if the minor is a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry under s. 767.803 and if paternity of the minor has not been established. (1m) (a) 1. Subject to subd.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-02 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Cited in 8 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2024
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):State v. Hansford (1998) held Wis. Stat. 786.36 is not the exclusive way to change a name, so an adult may still do so at common law through continuous and consistent use absent a fraudulent purpose. State v. C. G. (2022) addressed a registered sex offender barred by s. 301.47 from petitioning under 786.36.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State v. Hansford (Wisconsin Supreme Court 1998, 219 Wis. 2d 226)✓A man told Madison police his name was Bryan Storm, not Ronald Hansford, and was convicted of obstructing. The court held Wis. Stat. 786.36 is not the exclusive method of changing a name, so a person may change it through consistent and continuous use absent a fraudulent purpose.
- State v. C. G. (Wisconsin Supreme Court 2022, 2022 WI 60)✓A transgender juvenile on the sex offender registry argued that a bar on petitioning for a legal name change violated free speech. The court read Wis. Stat. 301.47(2)(a) as an exception to Wis. Stat. 786.36 and held free speech does not compel the State to facilitate one.
- State v. Jerrell C.J. (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin 2003, 269 Wis. 2d 442)“…urteen may not change their name without parental consent, Wis. Stat. § 786.36 ; and girls under eighteen may not obta…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Name Change Laws by State: Court Process, Publication, and Restrictions
§ 786.37Change of name, notice of petition.In force
(1) Before petitioning the court to change or establish a name, the petitioner shall publish a class 3 notice under ch. 985 stating the nature of the petition and when and where the petition will be heard. (2) If the petition is for the name change of a minor under 14 years of age who has 2 living parents and if the petition is being made by one parent of the minor, the petitioner shall, in addition to publishing the notice under sub. (1), serve a copy of the notice and petition on the nonpetitioning parent in the same manner as a summons is served under s. 801.11 (1). This subsection does not apply to a petition for the name change of a minor under 14 years of age made under s. 786.36 (1m) (c). (3) This section does not apply to the name change of a minor if the parental rights to the minor of both parents have been terminated, guardianship and legal custody of the minor have been transferred under subch. VIII of ch. 48, the minor has been placed in a permanent foster home, and the guardian and legal custodian of the minor have petitioned to change the minor’s name to the name or names of the minor’s foster parents.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 301: Corrections
§ 301.47Sex offender name changes prohibited.In forcecited in 2 of our articles
(1) In this section, “sex offender” means a person who is subject to s. 301.45 (1g) but does not include a person who, as a result of a proceeding under s. 301.45 (1m), is not required to comply with the reporting requirements of s. 301.45. (2) A sex offender may not do any of the following before he or she is released, under s. 301.45 (5) or (5m), from the reporting requirements of s. 301.45: (a) Change his or her name. (b) Identify himself or herself by a name unless the name is one by which the person is identified with the department. (3) Whoever intentionally violates sub. (2) is subject to the following penalties: (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the person is guilty of a Class H felony. (b) The person may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 9 months or both if all of the following apply: 1. The person was ordered under s. 51.20 (13) (ct) 1m., 938.34 (15m) (am), 938.345 (3), 971.17 (1m) (b) 1m., or 973.048 (1m) to comply with the reporting requirements under s. 301.45 based on a finding that he or she committed or solicited, conspired, or attempted to commit a misdemeanor. 2.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Cited in 7 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2022
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State v. C. G. (Wisconsin Supreme Court 2022, 2022 WI 60)“…nder identity. Much of her argument focuses on how Wis. Stat. § 301.47(2), which prohibits her from petitionin…”
- State v. DeAnthony K. Muldrow (Wisconsin Supreme Court 2018, 381 Wis. 2d 492)“…19 The district court concluded that enforcing Wis. Stat. § 301.47 against a sex offender convicted before…”
- Doe v. Raemisch (District Court, E.D. Wisconsin 2012, 895 F. Supp. 2d 897)“…different than one by which he is identified with the DOC. Wis. Stat. § 301.47 . A person who has been convicted of a…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 767: Actions Affecting The Family
§ 767.395Name of spouse.In force
Except as provided in s. 301.47, the court, upon granting a divorce, shall allow either spouse, upon request, to resume a former legal surname, if any.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Sources and References
- Wisconsin Statutes § 786.36, Change of Name(docs.legis.wisconsin.gov).gov
- Wisconsin Statutes § 786.37, Change of Name; Notice, Order(docs.legis.wisconsin.gov).gov
- Wisconsin Statutes § 301.47, Registrant Not to Change Name(docs.legis.wisconsin.gov).gov
- Wisconsin Court System, Self-Help: Name Change(wicourts.gov).gov
- Wisconsin Statutes § 767.395, Name of Spouse(docs.legis.wisconsin.gov)