Florida Name Change: Petition, Hearing, and Updating Records

To change your name in Florida, you file a sworn petition in the circuit court of the county where you live under Florida Statutes Section 68.07, submit fingerprints for a state and federal background check, and appear at a short hearing. Filing costs roughly $400, fingerprinting adds another $50 to $75, and the whole process usually takes six to eight weeks. If you’re taking a spouse’s name after marriage or restoring a former name during a divorce, you can skip the petition entirely.¹

When You Don’t Need a Court Petition

A marriage certificate is itself a legal name change document. You can use it directly to update your Social Security card, driver’s license, passport, and financial accounts. The same is true of a hyphenated combination of both spouses’ names, as long as it appears on the certificate.

Divorce works similarly if you plan ahead. Ask the judge to include restoration of your former name in the final divorce judgment, and the certified decree does the same job as a marriage certificate. If you didn’t request it during the divorce, you can still file a separate name change petition later. One benefit of that route: restoring a former name is exempt from the fingerprinting and background check requirement that applies to other petitions.¹

Who Can File

You must be a Florida resident, and you file in the county where you’re domiciled. The statute calls for a “bona fide resident.”¹ There’s no minimum length of residency, but you’ll want documents that show a real connection to the state and county: a Florida driver’s license, voter registration, a signed lease, or utility bills in your name.

Recent movers should expect more scrutiny. Employment records, a lease, or proof of children enrolled in local schools help. Inconsistencies between your claimed address and your documents will raise questions.

What the Petition Must Include

Adult petitioners use Form 12.982(a) from the Florida State Courts website.² The petition is a sworn document, so accuracy matters. It asks for:

Your current name, the name you want, date and place of birth, and parents’ names.
Everywhere you’ve lived since birth, if known.
Your spouse’s name if you’re married, and the names, ages, and locations of any children.
Your occupation and where you’ve worked for the past five years. If you own a business, describe it; if you’re in a licensed profession, list your education and degrees.
Any prior name changes, including when, where, and which court approved them.
Your criminal history. This means any arrest, charge, guilty plea, or criminal finding, not just convictions, and regardless of whether you were formally adjudicated guilty.
Whether you’ve ever declared bankruptcy or had a money judgment entered against you.
Whether your civil rights have ever been suspended, and if so, whether they’ve been restored.
A sworn statement that you’re not seeking the change for any illegal purpose and that it won’t infringe on anyone else’s rights.

That last item is the one judges read carefully. They’re looking for signs that a name change is designed to dodge a debt, escape a criminal record, or mislead someone. Be straightforward about your reasons.¹

Fingerprints and Background Check

Every adult petitioner must submit fingerprints for a state and federal criminal background check before the court will schedule a hearing. The only exception is restoring a former name, such as a maiden name. Fingerprints are taken electronically through an FDLE-approved livescan provider, and results go directly to the clerk of court.¹ The clerk’s office can direct you to a provider, and FDLE maintains a public list.³

Fingerprinting typically costs $50 to $75, and the results take several weeks to come back. That wait is what stretches the overall timeline to six to eight weeks.

A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you. The statute requires the judge to consider the background check results, but there’s no blanket bar for people with convictions. Registered sexual predators and sexual offenders receive heightened scrutiny, and if such a petition is granted, the clerk must notify FDLE electronically within two business days.¹

Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

The court filing fee is approximately $400, with slight variation by county. Fingerprinting adds another $50 to $75. If your petition is granted, plan on getting three or four certified copies of the final judgment, because Social Security, DHSMV, your bank, and your employer will each want one.

If you can’t afford the filing fee, Florida law lets you apply for a waiver based on financial hardship through the clerk’s office. The clerk will approve the waiver if your household income falls at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. A denial can be reviewed by a judge, who can consider whether paying the fee would create a substantial hardship for your family.⁴

The Hearing

Once your background check reaches the clerk, the court schedules a hearing. The statute technically allows a hearing immediately after filing, but the background check creates the practical delay. Most petitioners see the full process take six to eight weeks.

The hearing itself is brief. The judge confirms your identity, reviews the background check, and asks about your reasons. If nothing is amiss and no one has objected, you leave with a signed Final Judgment of Change of Name. If the judge denies the petition, you’ll be told why and can often address the problem and refile.

Name Changes for Children

At least one parent or legal guardian must file for a child. A family can combine petitions: a husband, wife, and minor children can all be included in one filing.¹

When only one parent files, the other must be formally served with notice. If that parent lives out of state and can’t be found through reasonable efforts, Florida law allows constructive notice through publication, and proof of publication must be filed with the court.¹ This is one of the few situations where a Florida name change involves newspaper publication; petitions for your own adult name change do not.

If both parents agree, the process is quick. If the other parent objects, the court holds a hearing and evaluates whether the change genuinely benefits the child. Judges weigh the child’s relationship with each parent, the potential for confusion at school or in medical settings, and (for older children) the child’s own preference.

Updating Your Records After the Court Order

The court order is the halfway point. From here, work through your agencies and accounts in the order below, because each step builds on the last.

Social Security Card

Start with the Social Security Administration, because other agencies verify names against SSA records. You can begin online at ssa.gov or visit a local office. Bring your certified court order and a photo ID such as your current driver’s license or passport. SSA requires originals or copies certified by the issuing agency, not photocopies or notarized copies.⁵ The replacement card is free.

Florida Driver’s License or State ID

Florida law gives you 30 days after your name change to replace your driver’s license or state ID.⁶ Go in person to a DHSMV office or a tax collector’s office that handles driver’s licenses. Bring your certified court order, your updated Social Security card or proof that you’ve applied for one, and proof of your residential address.

U.S. Passport

The form depends on your situation. If your current passport was issued within the past year and is undamaged, Form DS-5504 corrects the name at no charge. If your passport is still valid but older than a year, use Form DS-82 to renew by mail (or online if eligible) with the standard renewal fee. If your passport has expired or you’ve never had one, apply with Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility.⁷ Include your certified court order in each case.

IRS and Tax Records

The IRS learns about name changes through the Social Security Administration, so the SSA update is the important one. If you’ve also moved or want to make sure the IRS has your new name before tax season, file Form 8822.⁸ A mismatch between the name on your return and SSA’s records can delay your refund.

Banks, Cards, and Credit Reports

Contact each bank, credit card issuer, mortgage servicer, and student loan servicer. Most will ask for a copy of your court order and a current photo ID. You don’t need to contact the credit bureaus directly. They receive updated names from your creditors, and your old name will remain in your credit history as a prior alias, which is normal and doesn’t affect your score.

Everything Else

Update voter registration through your county Supervisor of Elections, then work through payroll, health insurance, car title and registration, professional licenses, and utility accounts. Keeping a checklist and a stack of certified copies makes this the least painful part of the process.

Immigration and Citizenship Documents

Naturalized citizens who want their Certificate of Naturalization to reflect the new name file Form N-565 (Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document) with USCIS, along with the required fee. A fee waiver may be available.⁹

Permanent residents and other non-citizens holding USCIS-issued documents must provide evidence of the change, typically the court order, and file a new form for replacement documents. If you have a pending immigration application, upload a letter explaining the change with supporting documentation through your USCIS online account or in response to any request for evidence.¹⁰

1
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Section 68.07 – Change of Name
2
Florida State Courts. Petition for Change of Name (Adult)
3
Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Current Registered LiveScan Submitters
4
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Section 57.082 – Determination of Civil Indigent Status
5
Social Security Administration. U.S. Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
6
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Section 322.19 – Change of Name or Address
7
U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms
8
Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822 – Change of Address
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them