Yes, a man can change his last name, and the process is the same one available to women. No state adds extra steps or hurdles based on gender.1Cornell Law School. 14th Amendment Which path you take depends on why you’re changing it: marriage, divorce, or a standalone court petition for any other reason.
The Three Routes
Not every name change requires a courtroom. Pick the route that matches your situation before you start filling out anything.
Marriage
Marriage is the simplest route. In every state, either spouse can adopt the other’s surname using the marriage certificate alone. There’s no court petition and no filing fee beyond the marriage license itself. A certified copy of the certificate is your proof when you update your Social Security card, driver’s license, and other records. It works exactly the same for a husband taking his wife’s name as it does the other way around.
Divorce
If you took your spouse’s name at marriage and later divorce, most states let you restore your former name as part of the divorce itself. Ask for the restoration in your divorce petition, and the judge writes it into the final decree. Skip that step and you’ll have to file a separate name change petition later, with its own filing fee and hearing.
A Court Petition
Any name change unconnected to a marriage or divorce runs through a court petition in your local court. This is the route for reclaiming a family name, adopting a stepparent’s name as an adult, aligning your name with your cultural or personal identity, or picking something entirely new. It involves paperwork, a filing fee, in many states a newspaper notice, and usually a brief hearing.
Who Qualifies
Most states require you to be at least 18 and to have lived in the county where you’re filing for six months, though some jurisdictions ask for a full year.2Justia. Name Change Legal Forms: 50-State Survey The residency rule is what gives your local court jurisdiction.
Beyond that, judges apply a “good cause” standard. If you have a legitimate reason and no disqualifying factors, approval is routine, and the overwhelming majority of adult petitions are granted. Courts will deny petitions intended to dodge debts, evade law enforcement, escape child support, or hide a criminal history. You’ll typically swear under oath that none of those apply, and lying on the petition can bring perjury charges.
A few other things commonly trip people up:
- Names chosen to impersonate a specific celebrity or public figure are generally rejected.
- Many states either bar registered sex offenders from changing their names or impose additional notification requirements.
- Pending indictments or outstanding warrants usually pause the petition until those matters resolve.
- Names containing numerals, symbols, or obscenities are rejected in most courts, though the exact boundary depends on the judge.
What to File and What It Costs
The petition itself goes by different names across states, but it always asks for your current legal name, the name you want, and your reason for the change. Family heritage, marriage, personal preference, and cultural identity are all accepted reasons.3Administrative Office of the Courts. Application for Adult Name Change
Documents you’ll generally need:
- A certified copy of your birth certificate, not a photocopy.
- A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
- Proof of residency, like a utility bill, lease, or bank statement. Some courts want these dated within the last 30 days.
- A criminal background check, often fingerprint-based, through your state bureau of investigation or the FBI. This confirms you’re not using the name change to escape a record.3Administrative Office of the Courts. Application for Adult Name Change
Filing fees generally fall between $150 and $450 depending on your county, and some jurisdictions add a separate fingerprint fee. If cost is a barrier, most courts offer a fee waiver on an affidavit of indigency with proof of income or public benefits.
What the Court Process Looks Like
You submit the petition and supporting documents to the clerk of the court in your county. The court schedules a hearing and may issue an Order to Show Cause, which sets the hearing date and invites anyone with an objection to appear.4Judicial Council of California. NC-120 Order to Show Cause for Change of Name
A majority of states still require you to publish notice of the proposed name change in a local newspaper, typically once a week for several consecutive weeks, then file proof of publication with the court before your hearing. The notice gives creditors, former spouses, or anyone else with a legal interest a chance to object. Publication costs vary by paper and location, so ask the clerk’s office which publications qualify. At least 18 jurisdictions have dropped the publication requirement entirely.5Garden State Equality. Garden State Equality, TLDEF Secure Removal of Name Change Publication Requirement from New Jersey Supreme Court Where it still exists, judges can waive it when publication would endanger the petitioner, as in cases involving domestic violence or stalking. Ask about a waiver before you publish anything if you have safety concerns.
If nobody objects, the hearing is brief. You appear before the judge, answer a few questions under oath about your reasons, and confirm there’s no fraudulent intent. In some jurisdictions, when no written objection is filed, the court can grant the petition without requiring you to appear at all.4Judicial Council of California. NC-120 Order to Show Cause for Change of Name
Once approved, the judge signs a decree that becomes your primary legal proof of the change. Order several certified copies from the clerk right away. You’ll need them for nearly every record update that follows, and getting more later takes time.6Judicial Branch of California. Get Your Name Change Decree
Updating Your Records After the Decree
The decree is permission. The real work is methodically updating every record tied to your old name, and the order matters, because each step builds on the one before it.
Social Security First
Start with the Social Security Administration. Your tax records, employment eligibility, and most financial institutions depend on the SSA record being current. Depending on your situation, you may be able to request the change online.7Social Security Administration. Change Name With Social Security Otherwise, complete Form SS-5 and take it to a local SSA office with your certified decree (or marriage certificate) and a current photo ID.8Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card Your new card generally arrives within 5 to 10 business days.
Driver’s License or State ID
Once your SSA record is updated, visit your state’s motor vehicle agency with the certified decree and your current license. Most states charge a small replacement fee and will take a new photo. A mismatch between your license and Social Security record creates friction everywhere from airport security to bank counters, so don’t put this off.
Passport
If your passport was issued within the past year, you can submit Form DS-5504 at no charge unless you want expedited processing.9Travel.State.Gov. Change or Correct a Passport If it’s older than a year, you renew by mail using Form DS-82 and pay the standard renewal fee.10Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail Either way, include your certified decree or marriage certificate. If you have upcoming travel, apply early; a name mismatch between your passport and your airline ticket will stop you at check-in.
Tax Records
The IRS requires that the name on your tax return match what SSA has on file, and a mismatch can delay your refund.11Internal Revenue Service. Update My Information There’s no separate IRS form. Update SSA well before tax season and the IRS will match automatically when you file.
Voter Registration
Update your voter registration after a legal name change. If your name on the rolls doesn’t match your ID, you could face delays or a challenge at the polls. Most states allow updates online, by mail, or in person.12USAGov. How to Update or Change Your Voter Registration
TSA PreCheck and Trusted Traveler Programs
Contact your enrollment provider to update your name in TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or similar programs. Until the update goes through, the name on your boarding pass won’t match your program record and your benefits won’t work.13Transportation Security Administration. My Personal Information Has Changed. How Do I Update My Information So That I Can Continue to Receive TSA PreCheck?
Banks, Employer, and Licenses
Contact each bank, credit union, and card issuer individually with a certified decree and photo ID. Notify your employer’s HR department so they can update payroll and tax withholding, and update Section 3 of your Form I-9 with your new Social Security card and ID. If you hold a professional license in medicine, law, nursing, accounting, education, or any other regulated field, notify your state licensing board in writing with your license number and a copy of the court order or marriage certificate. Practicing under a name that doesn’t match your license creates compliance problems.
Educational Records
Contact the registrar at any college or university where you earned a degree if you want transcripts issued under your new name. Most schools will update records and reissue a diploma once you provide a certified court order or marriage certificate. This matters when future employers or graduate programs run credential checks.
How Long the Whole Thing Takes
The court portion typically runs four to eight weeks from filing to decree, longer if your jurisdiction requires several weeks of newspaper publication or the court calendar is backed up. The record-updating phase is in your hands, and budgeting another two to four weeks for the major agencies is realistic. Social Security, then DMV, then passport; everything else can move in parallel once those three are done. Working through the list systematically in the first month after the decree is how you avoid the slow accumulation of mismatched-name problems that make daily life harder than it needs to be.