The cost to change a minor’s name in Florida usually lands between $450 and $600 for an uncontested case handled without a lawyer. The court filing fee alone is around $400, and fingerprinting adds roughly $50 to $75. The total climbs if the other parent has to be served, if you hire an attorney, or once you start updating the child’s passport and other records after the judgment.
The Court Filing Fee
The single biggest fixed cost is the fee you pay the Clerk of the Circuit Court to open the case. Most Florida counties charge $400 to $401, with small variation by county. Pasco County charges $400; Broward County charges $401.1Pasco County Clerk. Family Court Fees and Costs2Broward County Clerk of Courts. Fees and Costs You pay when you submit the petition, and the fee is not refunded if the judge denies it.
Fingerprinting and Background Check
Florida law requires the petitioning parent to be fingerprinted and cleared through state and federal criminal history checks before the hearing.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 68.07 – Change of Name As of January 2025, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement charges a combined $36 for the state and federal processing.4Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Criminal History Record Check Fee Schedule The LiveScan vendor or law enforcement agency that actually takes your prints charges its own service fee on top of that, which varies by provider. Budget roughly $50 to $75 total.
The child is not fingerprinted. Only the person filing the petition is. If both parents file jointly, ask the clerk’s office whether both need separate checks, since practices vary by county.
Serving the Other Parent
If both parents agree and file jointly in the same county, you can skip service costs entirely. If only one parent files, Florida law requires the other parent to be formally served with the petition.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 68.07 – Change of Name It’s not optional.
When the other parent’s address is known, personal service through the county sheriff costs a fixed $40 per summons.5Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 30.231 Private process servers may charge more.
When the other parent cannot be located, service by publication is the alternative. You publish a legal notice once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper in the county where the case is filed.6Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 49.10 – Notice of Action, Publication, Proof You must first attempt personal service and file an affidavit of diligent search. Newspaper publication can run $100 to $300 or more depending on the paper’s rates and notice length. If you qualify as indigent, the clerk posts the notice at no charge instead.
Attorney Fees
Hiring a lawyer is not required, and a case where both parents consent is manageable on your own. Attorney fees are the biggest variable in the total. For an uncontested name change, many Florida family law attorneys charge a flat fee ranging from a few hundred dollars to roughly $1,500. Contested cases, where the other parent objects and the court holds an evidentiary hearing, can run to several thousand dollars because the attorney has to prepare arguments on why the change serves the child’s best interest.
Filing without a lawyer is a real option. The clerk’s office can provide the approved forms and general procedural instructions, though staff cannot give legal advice.
Costs After the Judgment
Once the judge signs the final judgment, updating the child’s records is a separate line of spending. Skipping these leaves the child with mismatched documents.
- Certified copies of the final judgment: you’ll need several to send to different agencies simultaneously. Florida clerks typically charge around $2 per certified document plus $1 per page. Get at least three or four.7Lake County Clerk’s Office. Court Data and Records Fees
- Amended birth certificate: if the child was born in Florida, the clerk sends the judgment to the Florida Department of Health. The amendment fee is $20, which includes one certified copy of the amended record. If the child was born in another state, you’ll take a certified copy of the judgment to that state’s vital records office.8Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 382.02559Florida Department of Health. Amendments and Corrections
- Passport: a new passport book for a child under 16 costs $135 ($100 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee). Minors under 16 must apply for a new passport rather than amend the old one.10U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Social Security card: updating the name with the Social Security Administration is free. You’ll need a certified copy of the court order and proof of identity.
Fee Waiver for Low-Income Families
If you cannot afford the filing fee, Florida allows you to apply for a determination of civil indigent status. You file a financial application with the clerk disclosing your income, assets, and debts. If approved, the filing fee and summons fees are waived.11Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 57.082 The application is available from the clerk’s office or on the Florida Courts website.12Florida Courts. Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status
The waiver covers the court’s filing and summons fees. It does not eliminate the fingerprinting and background check costs, which go directly to the vendor and FDLE. If service by publication is required and you qualify as indigent, the clerk posts the notice rather than making you pay a newspaper. Providing false information on the application is a first-degree misdemeanor.
A Typical Total
For a straightforward, uncontested case where both parents file jointly in the same county and neither hires a lawyer, expect to pay:
- $400 to $401 filing fee
- $50 to $75 for fingerprinting and the FDLE background check
- $20 to amend a Florida birth certificate
- A few dollars per certified copy of the judgment
That puts an uncontested, in-county case in the $450 to $600 range before you touch a passport. Add $40 for sheriff service if only one parent files, $100 to $300 or more for publication if the other parent can’t be found, and $135 if you need a new passport. Attorney fees, when you use one, sit on top of everything else and typically start in the low hundreds for a simple flat-fee case.