Wyoming
Wyoming Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
Wyoming covers name changes in a short, complete chapter of the code, Title 1, chapter 25, filed in district court after six months of residency. The process is straightforward on its own terms: mandatory publication as the default notice method, with waivers for confidentiality orders and for joint-parent minor petitions.
What sets Wyoming apart is what its statute does not contain. Confirmed independently across the statute text itself and the state's official self-help materials, Wyoming has no felony or sex-offender restriction on who may petition for a name change, one of only two states in this ten-state batch without one, alongside South Dakota.
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 Wyoming
An adult petitions district court in the county of residence after being a bona fide Wyoming resident for at least six months immediately before filing (1-25-102). The Wyoming Judicial Branch's self-help center provides a full Adult Name Change packet, including the petition, a Motion for Grant of Confidentiality, the Notice by Publication, the Order on Name Change, a Certificate of Service, and the vital statistics form.
A filing fee of roughly $120 is commonly cited by secondary and self-help-adjacent sources, but it was not independently confirmed on an official fee-schedule page for this article. Newspaper-publication costs are a separate line item and can exceed the filing fee itself, so budget for both before filing. Confirm the exact current amounts with your district court clerk.
Changing a Minor's Name
Wyoming's minor procedure runs through the same chapter as the adult process. Publication notice may be waived specifically when all of the minor's natural or adoptive parents, or legal guardians, sign the petition jointly (1-25-103). A related provision, 1-25-104, separately covers a child's name changing to the adopting parents' surname as part of an adoption proceeding, rather than a standalone name-change petition.
Restoring Your Name After Divorce
No dedicated Wyoming statute for divorce-based name restoration could be located, including a direct search of the state's Domestic Relations title. A divorced person appears to use the same general chapter 25 petition process as anyone else; confirm the current practice with your district court clerk or a family law attorney.
Publication Requirements
Public notice by publication is required, using the same method as service by publication on nonresidents in a civil action (1-25-103). Two distinct waiver paths exist: a general confidentiality order under a separate Wyoming statute, available to any petitioner who qualifies, and a minor-specific waiver available when all of the child's parents or guardians jointly sign the petition. These are separate grounds, not versions of the same rule, so a petitioner should confirm which one, if either, applies to their situation.
Restrictions: No Felony or Sex-Offender Bar
Wyoming has no felony or sex-offender restriction on who may petition for a name change. This was confirmed independently through two channels: the statute text of sections 1-25-101 through 104 itself, which contains no such language, and Wyoming's own official self-help page, which states directly that the only stated disqualifications relate to avoiding legal obligations, harming others, or a fraudulent purpose, without mentioning any criminal-history bar.
That makes Wyoming, alongside South Dakota, one of only two states in this ten-state batch with no criminal-history restriction on petitioning at all. It is worth stating this plainly on a comparison basis, since eight of the other nine states covered in this batch do restrict petitioning based on a felony or sex-offender-registration history. The court's own gatekeeping standard is that it must be satisfied the change is proper and not detrimental (1-25-101); no explicit clear-and-convincing-evidence standard was found in the accessible text.
Name Change After Marriage
Wyoming 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 Wyoming Records
For the marriage certificate or divorce decree that may support a filing, see Wyoming marriage and divorce records. For how the state's court system handles filings and case access generally, see Wyoming court records. For the broader dissolution process, see Wyoming 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 Wyoming name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees and forms change; verify current details with your district court clerk or a licensed Wyoming 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 Wyoming restrict felons or sex offenders from changing their name?
No. Wyoming has no felony or sex-offender restriction on who may petition, confirmed both in the statute text and the state's own official self-help materials, one of only two states in this batch without one.
How long do I need to live in Wyoming before I can change my name?
Six months. Wyoming requires bona fide residency in the county for at least six months immediately preceding filing.
Does Wyoming require newspaper publication for a name change?
Yes, by default. Public notice by publication is required, waivable only with a confidentiality order or, for a minor, when all parents and guardians sign the petition jointly.
How much does a Wyoming name change cost?
Roughly $120 per secondary sources, though this was not independently confirmed on an official fee schedule, plus separate newspaper-publication costs that can exceed the filing fee.
How do I get my maiden name back after a Wyoming divorce?
No separate divorce-restoration statute exists. A divorced person appears to use the same general chapter 25 petition process as anyone else; confirm with your district court clerk.
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 4 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Wyoming Statutes, Title 1 - Code of Civil Procedure - Chapter 25: Change of Name
§ 1-25-101Verified petition to be presented; information to be shown in petition; order of court making change; record to be made.In force
Every person desiring to change his name may petition the district court of the county of the petitioner's residence for the desired change. The petition shall be verified by affidavit setting forth the petitioner's full name, the name desired, a concise statement of the reason for the desired change, the place of his birth, his place of residence and the length of time he has been an actual bona fide resident of the county in which the petition is filed. If the court is satisfied that the desired change is proper and not detrimental to the interests of any other person, it shall order the change to be made, and record the proceedings in the records of the court. In the event a confidentiality order has been entered pursuant to W.S. 35-21-112 or any other court order allowing a party to maintain confidentiality of addresses, city or state of residence or other information identifying the residence, the address, city or state of residence or other information identifying the residence of the party shall remain confidential.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at wyoleg.gov
§ 1-25-102Residence requirement.In force
A person petitioning for a change of name shall have been a bona fide resident of Wyoming for at least six (6) months immediately preceding filing the petition.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at wyoleg.gov
§ 1-25-103Notice to be given by publication.In force
Except in a proceeding in which the court has issued a confidentiality order pursuant to W.S. 35-21-112 or any other court order allowing a party to maintain confidentiality of addresses, city or state of residence or other information identifying the residence of the party, public notice of the petition for a change of name shall be given in the same manner as service by publication upon nonresidents in civil actions. Upon good cause shown to the court or if the petitioners are petitioning to change a minor's name and are the minor's natural or adoptive parents or legal guardians and all natural or adoptive parents or legal guardians sign the petition, public notice shall not be required with respect to a petition for a change of name of a minor.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at wyoleg.gov
§ 1-25-104Change of name in adoption proceedings.In force
In all cases of the adoption of children in the manner provided by law, the court before which such adoption proceeding is held, may change the name of any child so adopted and make an order to that effect, which shall be recorded in the records of the proceeding of adoption. Each child who has heretofore, in Wyoming, been adopted according to law, may have his or her name changed to that of the parents who have adopted him or her, upon the parents, who have adopted such child, on behalf of such child, filing a petition therefor.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-30 · Read the full section at wyoleg.gov
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Sources and References
- Wyoming Statutes § 1-25-101, Change of Name; Petition; Notice; Order(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyoming Statutes § 1-25-103, Notice; Waiver(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyoming Judicial Branch, Legal Help by Topic: Adult Name Change(wyocourts.gov).gov
- Wyoming Judicial Branch, Self-Help Center: Family Law, Name Change(wyocourts.gov).gov