Florida Adult Name Change Form 12.982(a): Filing, Hearing, and Updates

To legally change your name as an adult in Florida, you file Florida Adult Name Change Form 12.982(a) with the circuit court in the county where you live, get fingerprinted for a background check, pay the filing fee, and appear at a short hearing. If the judge signs the Final Judgment of Change of Name, that order becomes your proof of the new name, and you use certified copies to update your Social Security card, driver’s license, passport, and other records. Most petitioners finish the whole process in about two to three months.

Who Can File the Petition

Form 12.982(a) is for anyone 18 or older who wants to change their name for a legitimate reason. You must be a bona fide resident of the Florida county where you file, because that county’s circuit court needs authority over your case.¹

This form does not cover children. For a minor, you’ll use Form 12.982(c), or Form 12.982(f) for a family petition.

The petition also asks whether your civil rights have ever been suspended. If they have, because of a felony conviction for example, you can still file, but you’ll need to explain the circumstances and whether your rights have been restored. The judge weighs that when deciding whether to approve the change.

What Information the Petition Requires

The form is detailed because the court needs to confirm you aren’t changing your name to dodge debts, hide a criminal record, or commit fraud. Download the current version from the Florida Courts website so you’re working from the latest approved template.² It must be typed or printed in black ink.

Be ready to provide:

Your current legal name, every other name you’ve used, date and place of birth, your father’s name, and your mother’s maiden name.¹
Your spouse’s name if you’re married, and the name, age, and residence of each of your children.
Every address where you’ve lived since birth. The statute uses that broad language, so list what you can reasonably reconstruct.³
Your current occupation and employer, plus every job you’ve held in the five years before filing. If you own a business, include its name, location, and how long you’ve been involved.⁴
Schools you graduated from, degrees earned, and graduation dates.
Any prior name changes, including when, where, and which court handled them.
Whether you’ve ever been declared bankrupt or had a money judgment entered against you in civil court.¹
Every arrest, charge, guilty plea, no-contest plea, or conviction, including matters where adjudication was withheld or records were sealed or expunged.
Whether you’ve ever been required to register under Florida’s sexual predator or sexual offender statutes.
A clear statement of your reason for wanting the new name.

Fingerprints and the Background Check

Florida law requires you to submit electronic fingerprints for a state and federal criminal history check before the judge will schedule your hearing.¹ Prints go to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which forwards them to the FBI. FDLE then sends the results, including any sex offender or predator registry information, straight to the clerk of court.

When you file, the clerk’s office will tell you where to get printed. Authorized options include local law enforcement agencies and approved electronic fingerprinting vendors. You pay the provider directly, and fees vary; some sheriff’s offices charge as little as $10, while private vendors charge more. Call ahead.

One exception matters here. If you are restoring a former name, such as returning to a maiden name after a divorce, you do not need fingerprints at all.³ The statute carves out that exception explicitly, and your case can move faster because you won’t wait on background check results.

Signing, Filing, and the Fee

Sign the completed petition under oath before a notary public or a deputy clerk.⁴ Bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. You are swearing that everything in the petition is true, and knowingly making a false statement can result in fines or jail time.

Take the signed original to the clerk of the circuit court in your county and keep a copy for yourself. Filing fees vary by county. In Miami-Dade, the fee is $401.⁵ Other counties charge comparable amounts. Confirm the exact figure with your local clerk before you go.

If you can’t afford the fee, submit an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.⁶ It asks about your income, assets, and household size. If the clerk finds you qualify, the fee is waived and your case moves forward.

The Hearing and Final Judgment

Once your background check results are on file, the court schedules a hearing. You appear before the judge and testify under oath that the statements in your petition are truthful. Most hearings are brief, a few minutes if everything is in order.

The judge reviews your petition, the background check, and your stated reason. Florida law gives the court discretion to deny a petition. Most requests are granted, but a judge may say no if the evidence suggests fraud, an effort to evade creditors, or an attempt to obscure a criminal history. A record of sex offender or predator registration will get close scrutiny.¹

If the judge approves the petition, they sign a Final Judgment of Change of Name, Form 12.982(b). That signed judgment is your official proof of the new name.⁴ Ask the clerk for several certified copies right away, because you’ll need them for the agencies you’re about to contact. Certified copy fees vary; in Palm Beach County, electronic certified copies cost $8 each.⁷

After the final judgment is filed, the clerk sends a report to FDLE within five business days, and FDLE then notifies the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which updates its records.³

Updating Your Records After the Judgment

The final judgment changes your legal name, but nothing ripples through automatically. You need to contact each agency yourself, and the order matters.

Social Security Card

Start here, because most other agencies want your Social Security record to match your new name first. Complete Form SS-5 and bring it to your local Social Security office with your certified court order and a current photo ID.⁸ SSA requires originals or certified documents; photocopies won’t be accepted. If you were born outside the United States, you’ll also need proof of citizenship or current lawful immigration status. There’s no fee.

Driver’s License

Visit your local Florida DHSMV office with your certified final judgment and current license. Because the clerk has already reported your name change to FDLE and DHSMV, the agency should have your updated information on file, but bring the court order anyway to avoid delays.

U.S. Passport

The form depends on timing. If your passport was issued less than a year ago and your name change also happened within the past year, use Form DS-5504. There’s no fee unless you want expedited processing, which is $60. If either the passport or the name change is more than a year old, renew by mail with Form DS-82 or apply in person with Form DS-11, and standard passport fees apply.⁹

IRS and Tax Returns

The IRS pulls your name from SSA records, so once Social Security has updated, the IRS side largely takes care of itself. The rule to remember: the name on your tax return must match the name on your Social Security card when you file. If you changed your name mid-year but haven’t updated SSA yet, file under your old name to avoid processing delays.¹⁰

Credit Bureaus

You must contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually. Updating one does not update the others. For Equifax, register in the myEquifax Dispute Center using your former name so the system can locate your file, then submit the change as a legal name change rather than a dispute, and upload your court order or new driver’s license as supporting documentation. Equifax allows up to 30 calendar days to process.¹¹ Your credit history carries over; it’s the same file with a new name on it.

Other Records Worth Updating

Notify your bank, mortgage company, insurance providers, employer’s HR department, voter registration office, and any professional licensing boards. If you hold a Certificate of Naturalization, you can apply for a replacement using USCIS Form N-565, submitted with the original certificate and evidence of the legal name change.¹² Keep a running checklist. It’s easy to forget a subscription service or alumni association that still has your old name months later.

1
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 68.07 – Change of Name
2
Florida Courts. Petition for Change of Name (Adult)
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 68.07 – Change of Name
4
Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.982(a) – Petition for Change of Name (Adult)
5
Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Name Change Adult
6
Florida State Courts System. Family Law Forms
7
Palm Beach County Clerk. Electronic Certified Court Documents
8
Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card
9
U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
10
Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
11
Equifax. How to Change or Update Your Name on Your Equifax Credit Report
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document