I want to change my name.

Fill out your forms. Fill out all the spaces on the forms unless instructed otherwise. The judge and court clerks will not fill them out for you. The judge may deny the name change if the information is inaccurate or incomplete.

1. The first form is the Petition to Change the Name of an Adult (if the link does not work, scroll down to the bottom of this page for links to forms). This form asks the judge to change your name. It also tells the judge if you have a criminal record. You will have to sign this form under penalty of perjury. This means it is a crime to lie on this form.
2. The second form is the Order Changing the Name of an Adult. The judge signs this form to legally change your name. Fill out all spaces on the form except for the judge’s signature.
3. Fill out the third form—the Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs—out only if you have a low income, receive public assistance because you have a low income, or cannot pay the court filing fee. The Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs asks the judge to waive the court filing fee. The judge may ask you to present evidence of income and expenses at a hearing. Read Court Fees and Fee Waivers for more information.

Note: You can print your court forms and fill them out neatly in blue or black ink.

Get a legible and complete set of your fingerprints made on a Texas Department of Public Safety or Federal Bureau of Investigations fingerprint card. There will be a fee for this service. Check with local law enforcement or do some online research to learn where to get your fingerprints taken.

If You Have a Felony Conviction

For each felony conviction, you must provide proof that:

1. You have been pardoned, or
2. At least two years have passed since you completed your sentence or probation.

Exception: You may be able to change your name without waiting two years if you are changing it to the primary name used in your criminal history record. See Texas Family Code 45.103(b)(2). If this applies, obtain proof of your name as listed in your criminal history record.

How to Get Proof

• If you were pardoned: Get a copy of your pardon or clemency proclamation from the Secretary of State Registrations Unit. Learn more in the FAQs about the Clemency Process.
• If you served time in a Texas prison: Request a copy of your discharge papers from the Classification and Records Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
• If you served time in another state or federal prison: Get your discharge papers from that state’s Department of Criminal Justice or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
• If you were on felony or juvenile probation: Obtain proof of probation completion from the district clerk’s office in the county where you were prosecuted.

If You Are Required to Register as a Sex Offender:

You must provide proof that you have notified local law enforcement about your name change request.

Attaching Your Proof: Write “Exhibit” at the top of each document. Attach the exhibits to your Petition to Change the Name of an Adult form.

Make a copy of your completed Petition to Change the Name of an Adult, fingerprint card, and, if applicable, your Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs.

You can file in person or e-file online.

Read What Court Employees Can and Cannot Do, because court staff cannot give you legal advice.

To file in person, take the following to the district clerk’s office in the county where you live:

At the clerk’s office:

• Turn in your Petition to Change the Name of an Adult, Fingerprint Card, and Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (only if you are asking the judge to waive the filing fee)
• Bring copies of what you’re filing with you.
• Pay the filing fee (or file your completed Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs if you cannot afford the fee). You can call the clerk’s office ahead of time to learn the filing fee for your case.
• Ask the clerk if there is a local standing order that you need to follow or attach to any of your documents.
• Ask the clerk if there are local rules or procedures you need to know about for name changes.
• The clerk will write your “Cause Number” and “Court Number” at the top of the first page of your Petition. Write these numbers at the top of any document you file in your name change case.
• The clerk will “file stamp” your copies with the date and time. The clerk will keep the original and give you back your copies.

To e-file: First, contact the clerk’s office and ask how the courts in that county require you to attach a scanned copy of your fingerprint card to the petition. Expect that you will also need to take your original fingerprint card to your court hearing.

Next, read I want to electronically file (e-file) my documents, or follow the instructions included with the Name Change of an Adult Guided Form. You will e-file your Petition and, if applicable, a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs.

How are hearings held? Contact the District Clerk’s office in your county, or the court coordinator, to learn how to get an uncontested hearing for an adult name change. Some counties will schedule a date and time for your hearing. Other counties have a time you can walk in to see the judge. Some courts will schedule virtual hearings using videoconferencing software like Zoom. Finally, some judges might consider your case “on submission,” meaning they will simply review your paperwork to make a decision.

Check the Virtual Court: County-by-County section to see if your county is there. If it is, you can use the guides for your county to read information about hearings and local rules for the court your case is in.

Local rules. Find out if there are local rules that you need to know for your name change case. These are usually on the county’s official website, but you should also ask the clerk or coordinator.

You can search the Virtual Court: County-by-County page for your county or the Local Rules, Forms, and Standing Orders page on the Texas Courts website.

Background checks? And, ask the clerk’s office or coordinator if the court requires you to get a criminal background check before your hearing.

If you need a criminal background check, mail your fingerprint card to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with a file-stamped copy of your Petition to Change the Name of an Adult with the court. There is a fee for this service.

DPS will send the results directly to the court. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)'s website has specific instructions on submitting fingerprint cards for a legal name change. Form CS-65 has the steps you need to follow.

Finally, to learn what to expect and what to do, read Tips for the Courtroom.

Bring the following to your court hearing:

• Your Order Changing the Name of an Adult form completely filled out, except for the judge’s signature.
• A file-stamped copy of your Petition to Change the Name of an Adult and all the exhibits you filed with your Petition.
• Your fingerprint card (if you e-filed your Petition).
• Proof of your identity, such as your passport, driver’s license or state identification card.
• Sample testimony for adult name change (which you should complete and review before court).

When you get to the courthouse, stop by the clerk’s office to find out where to go and whether you need to bring the court file.

When you get to the courtroom, check in with the clerk or court coordinator.

When the judge calls your case, stand in front of the judge’s bench.

• The judge will swear you in and review your forms.
• The judge may ask you some questions about your name change, or you may read your sample testimony.
• Some judges will require that you testify under oath that you are not changing your name to avoid criminal prosecution or get out of paying a debt.

If everything is in order, the judge will sign your Order Changing the Name of an Adult form.

Once the judge has signed the Order changing your name, the clerk in the courtroom may file the Order or you may need to take the Order to the clerk’s office to be filed. Your name will not be changed until the Order is filed.

Get several certified copies of the Order from the clerk. There is a fee for certified copies, but you will need certified copies of the Order to get your official documents changed to your new name.

It is your responsibility to have your official documents changed to show your new name.

• Social security card: To change your social security card, take or mail a certified copy of the order changing your name to your local social security office. For more information visit: U.S. Social Security Administration.
• Driver’s license or state identification card: To change your driver’s license or state identification card, you must take a certified copy of the order changing your name to a Texas Department of Public Safety office. For more information, contact the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
• Voter registration card: To change your name on your voter registration card, notify your County Voter Registrar in writing. For more information, contact the Texas Secretary of State.
• Passport: To change your name on your passport, notify the U.S. State Department.
• Birth certificate: You can also change your name on your birth certificate if you choose, but it is not required. If you wish to change your birth certificate, you will need to get an Application to Amend Certificate of Birth from the Texas Vital Statistics Unit.