In Pennsylvania, it is impossible for residents to have their name changed without a court order if the reason(s) for the name change request isn’t marriage or a divorce. The court reviews the request and decides at its discretion if it should grant the request or not.
Before granting the request, the court must see that all the requirements are met and that this change of name is in the interest of the public. This article reviews a lot more about a pa name change, and answers questions like how much does it cost to change your name in pa and how to change your name after marriage in pa, among others.
The following point should be covered in your name change form PA
- An attestation declaring that the name change is not being requested to conduct fraud or a crime.
- Sign on a notarized form consenting to the current name change or be present at the hearing date if you are a minor.
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Previous name.
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New name.
What Is a Pennsylvania Name Change Form & How Does It Work?
Like a Florida name change form or a New York name change document, a Pennsylvania name change form is a form through which all residents of Pennsylvania can file for a change of name via a local court. The petitioner files their request in the Court of Common pleas.
For the purpose of filing for a name change, an adult is described as an individual who is at least 18 years old while a minor is anyone who is yet to attain age 18. One can obtain any of the name change forms online or from a court office. On the form, the petitioner must indicate their present name, date of birth and a list of their addresses for the past five years.
How to Legally Change Your Name in Pennsylvania?
The forms and procedures needed to be taken to effect a Pennsylvania name change slightly differs from one Pennsylvania county to another. To get information about name changes specific to one’s county, one must contact the county’s prothonotary.
However, there are general procedures to be followed for a legal name change pa. They are as follows:
Obtain the form:
The individual requesting a name change can obtain all necessary forms from a reputable website like CocoSign, a court office or local Court of Common Pleas.
Fill the Verification, Notice of Hearing Order and Petition for Name Change forms:
The petitioner must fill a petition for name change form pa. The form should contain details like date of birth, reason for name change, whether or there is a criminal record and the name the individual wishes to change to. The petitioner should sign the petition, then, go on to complete the verification form. They should attach the Hearing Order but not fill it. All documents should then be filed for a filing fee with the Court of Common Pleas in the person’s county.
Getting a fingerprint card:
A person requesting for a name change in Pennsylvania must have their fingerprints taken by the Pennsylvania State Police. Then, file their fingerprint card with the court. The clerk of court does a criminal background check and runs cross checks to be sure the individual has no outstanding judgements.
Publish notice of hearing:
On receiving the paperwork, the court completes the Notice of Hearing Order, updating details like the date of hearing. This Notice of Hearing Order must then be published in two general-circulation newspapers. If the county doesn’t have qualifying publications, the petitioner is allowed to publish in a nearby county. The court in some cases, outlines a list of newspaper publications the petitioner must publish their Notice of Hearing Order by.
The petitioner is required to obtain proof of publication form from the newspaper outfit and submit to the court. The proof of publication form should be submitted before the hearing date.
A person may not publish on a newspaper publication if they let the court know that doing so can jeopardize their safety. This is common with persons in a State witness program.
Attend the hearing:
The petitioner should appear in court on the date and at the time named on their Notice of Hearing Order. At the discretion of the court and fulfillment of the requirements, the court may decide to grant the change of name request.
Update legal records:
Afterward, it is the duty of the individual to take copies of the order to concerned government agencies and organizations to update their legal records and documents. The following are a list of forms used for updating different legal records
- Social Security card: Form SS-5
- Pennsylvania driver’s license: Form DL-80
- Nondriver’s identification card: Form DL-54B
Name change after marriage in pa is relatively easier. All the person needs to do is list their new last name on the marriage certificate along with their maiden name. After the marriage ceremony and the issuance of the marriage license, the name is automatically changed, for which the marriage license serves as legal proof
Cost for name change in Pa
The cost for a name change in pa is usually about $500. This is broken down as $20 for fingerprint card, about $320 for filing fee and $120 and above for Judgement search.
What Are The Common Name Change Cases in Pennsylvania?
The most common name change cases in Pennsylvania include:
- Adoption
- Marriage
- Divorce
- Dissolution of association with a family relative
- Misspelled name
- Name is difficult to spell
- Name is associated with an infamous criminal
Limitations and Requirements in Changing Names in Pennsylvania
A name change in pa would usually not go through if the court determines that the petitioner is requesting a name change to avoid legal actions, debts or obligations. To be sure this name change is not done to avoid any debts, the court ensures that the person requesting the name change conducts two judgment searches on each country they have lived in the last five years. One of this judgement search is done through a Common Pleas Court while the other is done through a family court.
A Pennsylvania name change petition may not be granted if the individual requesting the name change has previously been convicted of: rape, statutory sexual assault, voluntary manslaughter, arson, aggravated assault, voluntary manslaughter, and murder.
The first step to requesting a name change pa is downloading all the required forms. CocoSign has a rich list of name change forms required for changing your name in Pennsylvania.