Everyone in the United States has a legal name. Our legal name is usually listed on our birth certificate which is registered in our U.S. state or country of birth. The name on the birth certificate is then used to obtain a Social Security number, school enrollment and application forms, driver’s license, voting registration, and countless other government issued documents during a lifetime. A circuit court in Florida, upon the filing of a Petition for a Name Change, has jurisdiction to enter such an Order.

Petition for a Name Change

Florida’s name change statutes require all petitioners undergo a criminal history check. Once completed, a petition to change your name will need to contain the following:

• Proof of residency in the county where your petition is filed;
• Date and place of birth;
• Father’s name;
• Mother’s maiden name;
• Previous residences;
• Any previous name changes;
• Occupation, place of employment, and previous places of employment;
• Any previous bankruptcies;
• Any previous arrests, criminal charges, and convictions;
• Any court judgments against you; and
• The Petitioner must attest to having no ulterior or illegal purposes behind the petition.

If the subject of the name change petition is a minor child, additional actions would be required for the court to enter a Final Judgment of Change of Name.  Florida permits a family to change its name in one proceeding – parents and minor children all changing their name in one filing. A petition must contain the same information mentioned above for the parents and the court can change minor children’s names at its discretion. When a single parent files a petition to change a child’s name, then the other parent must be notified.