The cost to change your name in Indiana usually lands between $220 and $350. That total comes from three required expenses: a $157 court filing fee, newspaper publication running roughly $50 to $150, and certified copies of the signed order at about $4 to $5 apiece. Updating your driver’s license, passport, and other records afterward adds a bit more.
The $157 Court Filing Fee
The filing fee is the single biggest line item. It’s $157, the standard civil case fee in an Indiana circuit, superior, or probate court, and you pay it when you hand your petition to the clerk.1Indiana State Board of Accounts. 2025 Court Costs and Fees by Case Type The amount is set by state law and applies the same way across counties, though a few counties add a small local surcharge. Call your county clerk to confirm the exact total before you go.
If the fee is a barrier, Indiana lets you ask the court to waive it. You file a separate request based on your financial situation, and the judge decides. A granted waiver wipes out the largest expense in the process, so it’s worth asking about if money is tight.
Newspaper Publication: $50 to $150
Indiana law requires you to publish notice of your name change petition in a local newspaper once a week for three weeks in a row.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-2-3 – Notice of Petition The newspaper sets its own advertising rate, so what you pay depends on where you live. Most people spend somewhere between $50 and $150 on the three insertions, though rates in some areas run higher.
The statute only requires a “newspaper of general circulation” in your county, which gives you room to shop. Call two or three before you commit. Legal notice rates can vary noticeably between a daily paper and a smaller weekly, and a few phone calls can save real money.
Certified Copies of the Court Order
Once the judge signs the order granting your new name, you need certified copies to show agencies and institutions. Clerks in Indiana charge $1 per page plus a $3 certification fee per document.3Allen County Clerk’s Office. Cost and How to Request Records A name change order usually runs one or two pages, so each certified copy comes out to about $4 to $5.
Order at least three or four at the hearing. You’ll need one for the Social Security Administration, one for the BMV, one for your bank, and often one for an employer or licensing board. Going back to the courthouse later for another copy is an avoidable trip and another small fee.
What You’ll Spend Updating Your ID
The court order doesn’t automatically update anything. Each agency has its own process, and the costs are small but worth knowing.
Social Security Card: Free
Start with Social Security. Updating your record is free. You submit Form SS-5 with your certified court order; the SSA takes only originals or certified documents and returns them to you.4Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
Indiana Driver’s License or State ID: $9
After updating with the SSA, wait at least one business day, then visit a BMV branch in person. The amendment fee is $9.5Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Fee Chart You have 30 days from the name change to make the update, and it can’t be done online. Bring your certified court order as proof.6Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Amending Your Driver’s License or Identification Card
U.S. Passport: Free in Some Cases
If your passport was issued less than a year ago and your name changed within that same year, you can update it at no cost by mailing Form DS-5504 with your current passport, a certified copy of the name change document, and a new passport photo.7U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error If your passport is older than a year, you’ll need to apply for a standard renewal and pay the regular renewal fee.
Everything Else
Banks, credit cards, insurers, and employers will each need a copy of the court order or your updated license. Indiana professional licensing boards (nursing, teaching, real estate, and the like) will also need to be told; many process name changes at no charge, though some charge for a replacement license card. Get through as many of these updates as you can in the first few weeks. Mismatched names across your records cause problems with prescriptions, tax filings, and travel bookings.
Marriage or Divorce: No Filing Fee
If your name is changing because you got married or divorced, you can skip the court petition entirely and avoid the $157 filing fee. A certified marriage certificate, or a divorce decree that specifies your restored name, is itself legal proof of the change. Take that document to the Social Security Administration and then the BMV.8Indiana.gov. I Recently Married or Divorced, How Do I Change My Name?
The shortcut has limits. It only covers taking your spouse’s last name at marriage or returning to a prior name after divorce. If you want a name you’ve never legally held, including a new first name, you need the full court petition and the full set of fees.
Changing a Child’s Name
The court costs for a minor’s name change are the same: $157 to file, publication fees, and certified copies. The process adds consent and notice requirements rather than extra fees. A parent or guardian files on the child’s behalf, the other parent generally has to consent in writing, and both parents must be served with a copy of the petition under the Indiana Trial Rules.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-2-2 – Filing Petition If a parent who has been meeting their child support obligations objects, the court gives that objection a presumption in its favor, and the judge decides the petition on the best interest of the child.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-2-4 – Hearing and Order A contested hearing can drive up what you spend on an attorney, even though the court’s own fees don’t change.
Putting the Numbers Together
For a straightforward adult name change with no complications, budget around $220 on the low end and $350 on the high end for the court portion, then add about $9 for the BMV and possibly a passport renewal fee if yours is older than a year. If you’re changing names because of a marriage or divorce, the court costs drop to zero and you’re left with only the small ID update fees.