Name Changes for Adults

Note Changing your legal name does not automatically update your driver's license, Social Security card, or any other records. You will have to update these documents individually. See the page on Updating Your Documents After a Name Change for more information.

Changing Your Name Through a Court Order

Texas Law

Texas residents can apply for a name change under Texas Family Code Chapter 45. This chapter establishes the formal process to change an adult's legal name through the courts.

The court may issue an order changing the petitioner's legal name "if the change is in the interest or to the benefit of the petitioner and in the interest of the public." This law is in Subsection 45.103(a).

For applicants with certain types of criminal history, additional requirements will apply. See Subsections 45.103(b) and (c) for more information.

Filing a Petition

The process starts by filing a petition to change your legal name. This is usually done in person or online through the district clerk's office in the county where the applicant lives. The exact process will vary from court to court, but common steps include:

• filing a petition and other required forms;
• submitting a fingerprint card and supporting documents;
• paying an application fee or filing an inability-to-pay form; and
• attending a virtual or an in-person court hearing (in some counties).

See the Forms section for a sample name change petition form. If you have questions about the filing process, contact your district clerk's office.

Contact information for Texas courts, judges, district clerks, county clerks, and other court personnel.

Fingerprints

You will need two fingerprint cards for the name change process:

• one to attach to your petition;
• one to send to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) after you file the petition with the court.

DPS requires a stamped copy of your filed petition, which you can request from the court. They will conduct a background check, process your fingerprints, and send the results to the court.

The guide from the DPS has detailed instructions including:

• where to get your fingerprints taken;
• where to send your fingerprints;
• applicable fees; and
• required documents and information.

Different courts may have different requirements, so you may want to ask the district clerk for more information.

The Texas Family Code, Section 45.102, requires that each petition include a legible and complete set of the adult petitioner's fingerprints on a fingerprint card format acceptable to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has created a list of acceptable documents applicants must provide to the enrollment officer when attending a fingerprinting appointment with Identogo.

Understanding the Law

The following articles explain the law and the name change process in more detail.