Name Change Article
Name Change in Arizona
If, for any good reason, you wish to change your name or the name of a minor who you are responsible for, the steps can be quite simple. Name change should not be used for reasons like: avoiding responsibilities and obligations, avoiding creditors or the other parent/guardian of a child. This article does not focus on name change as part of a marriage or a divorce, as those cases can be different. The article first summarizes the steps for a name change with the Arizona courts and then some general information about following up to change your birth certificate, social security card, and driver license.Steps with the Arizona Courts
- Get the name change forms.
You can go online at https://www.azcourts.gov/selfservicecenter/Forms/Name-Change or in person at a court location closest to where you live. If you don't know where your court is you can use the court locator to find your local court https://www.azcourts.gov/AZ-Courts/AZ-Courts-Locator.
It is best to double check with your court’s staff if the forms are still relevant and up to date. For Maricopa County, this is the current website https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc/civil-court-forms/. For Pima County, their law library can provide you with this information https://www.sc.pima.gov/default.aspx?tabid=60. - Fill out the forms, which may ask for personal information like your contact information, birth, children, marital history, criminal history, etc.
- File the completed forms with your court and pay a filing fee.
- Inform any interested parties mentioned in the forms. For example, another parent of a minor child.
- Attend a hearing for the judicial officer to sign the court order with the name change and pay a fee for one or more certified copies of the order.
Following Up with Other Places
- To change your birth certificate, follow up with your relevant birth records office.
For those born in Maricopa County, this is the current website https://azdhs.gov/licensing/vital-records/index.php#corrections-amendments-registrants-name. For those born in Pima County and 1996 or before that, also follow up with the Phoenix office; for those born in Pima County and 1997 to now, follow up with the Tucson office http://www.agave.cosc.pima.gov/home.asp?include=pages/name_changes.htm. - To change your social security card, this is the current website with details https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01981.
- To change your driver license, this is the current website with details https://azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/driver-services/driver-license-information/change-your-address-or-name. Since the Arizona Department of Transportation uses the Social Security computer system to check for your name change, you need to change your name with Social Security first and wait at least 2 days for the Social Security system to be updated. Only then can you change your driver license.
Contributing Attorney: Ke Huang-Isherwood is an attorney who is an independent legal and communication researcher.
Comments:
QUESTIONS
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I just got married and changed my last name and want to change my daughters last name to match my husband's and my last name. Her current last name was my maiden name. Her biological father has never been in her life. How do I go about changing her last name?
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My dad hasn't been apart of my life for 3 years and lives out of state.My mom has sole custody of me and I want to change my last name to my mom's maiden name. Can my sister and I have our mom change our name and does my dad need to approve it since mom has sole custody?
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What are the steps I would have to follow to add a middle name and I was born in Mexico but have been a citizen since 2000?
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how do you get the fathers name off the child's birth certificate and change the child's name to the mother's last name. have been divorced for 2 years and the father has abandoned the child no contact and no child support
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hi I have a 4 year old who I want to change his last name to my boyfriends last name because the name he has now is my ex so what do I do to make it the guy I am with now? an how much is it?
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I'm wanting to change my kids last name to my last name how do I go about it?? Father is not in the picture he is in prison for 12 years, that being said i want to make sure when he comes out he can not use my sons identity due to him being a jr main reason for the name change.
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Im 13 and want my daddys last name. My dna giver or "real dad" means nothing to me. My daddy has been there for me since i was 2. He has different dna but who cares. my mom said i can borrow money and she will help me change my last name to be like her and my daddy. but how? my mom says dna dad has to say its okay to change my last name. but he wont. i even asked him. and i only see him one every few years. cant i tell judge i want my daddy's last name even if not same dna? pleaze help.
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How much does a name change cost for a child who is five years old
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I am a widow and would like to return to my maiden name; do I need to file a name change request? or can I just go back to my maiden name
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What do I need to do to change one of my daughters last name. My domestic partner is not the biological father but he has been there with my daughter and i since about 3 months into my pregnancy. My daughter currently has my last name but both my partner and i want to change her last name to his. Her biological father isnt in the birth certificate nor in her life. And she is 1. What are the steps to change her last name?
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