How Much Does It Cost to Change Your Name in Michigan?

The cost to change your name in Michigan usually runs between $200 and $350 when you go through the courts, built on a $175 filing fee plus newspaper publication, certified copies, and the document updates that follow. If you’re taking a new name through marriage or restoring one through divorce, you’ll pay far less because no separate petition is needed.

The $175 Filing Fee and the $25 E-Filing Charge

You file a name change petition in the circuit court of the county where you’ve lived for at least one year. The base filing fee is $175.1Monroe County, MI. Name Changes Most courts add a $25 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986, so the initial out-of-pocket cost at filing is typically $200.2Michigan Courts. Circuit Court Fee and Assessments Table Paying by credit card usually adds a small surcharge on top.

Newspaper Publication

Michigan law requires publishing notice of your name change hearing in a newspaper circulating in your county at least 15 days before the hearing date.3Michigan Courts. Petition for Name Change PC 51 The price depends on the paper. In Monroe County, publication runs $72.1Monroe County, MI. Name Changes Counties with larger papers charge more. Ask your court clerk which papers qualify and what they charge before you commit.

You can skip publication entirely in narrow circumstances. If publishing would put you or someone else in physical danger, or expose you to unlawful discrimination or retaliation, you can file Form PC 51c and ask the court for a nonpublication order. Qualifying situations include being a victim of domestic violence, stalking, harassment, or human trafficking, and seeking to affirm your gender identity. The court cannot demand proof of an arrest or prosecution, and it seals the record when it grants the request.4Michigan Courts. Petition for Name Change and Ex Parte Request for Nonpublication and Confidential Record PC 51c

Certified Copies of the Court Order

After the judge grants your petition, you’ll need certified copies of the order to update your records. Every agency that changes your name in its files wants an original certified copy, and many hold onto the copy you hand them. Plan on three or four at minimum. In Montcalm County each certified copy is $12.5Montcalm County, MI. Fees Associated with Name Changes The per-copy price varies slightly by county, so confirm at your clerk’s counter.

The Background Check Fee Is Gone

Before April 2025, petitioners 22 or older paid roughly $43 for fingerprinting and a criminal background check. Public Act 229 of 2024 eliminated fingerprint-based background checks for name changes.6Michigan State Police. LEIN Training Bulletin – Name Change Background Checks Courts now run name-based checks through state databases at no cost to the petitioner.7Michigan Courts. Memorandum – Public Act 229 of 2024 Statutory Amendments for Name Change Proceeding If you see older guides listing a fingerprint fee, ignore that line.

If You Can’t Afford the Fees

You can ask the court to waive its fees by filing Form MC 20 with your petition. Waivers are granted when household income is below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or when paying would create a genuine financial hardship even at higher income.8State of Michigan Judicial System. Michigan Court Form MC 20 – Fee Waiver Request If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, or Healthy Michigan, list the case number on the form. When the court waives the filing fee it must also waive the $25 e-filing fee.2Michigan Courts. Circuit Court Fee and Assessments Table Publication costs are charged by the newspaper, not the court, so those are handled separately.

Cheaper Paths: Marriage and Divorce

Taking a spouse’s last name after marriage costs nothing at the court level. Your marriage certificate is the only document you need to update your name with the Social Security Administration, the Secretary of State, and other agencies. Your only expenses are the document update fees below.

If you’re restoring a former name during a divorce, ask for it in your divorce complaint or by motion before the judge signs the final judgment. The court handles it inside the divorce, with no additional filing fee, no newspaper publication, and no separate hearing. Miss that window and you’re back to a standalone petition with the full $175 fee.

Changing a Child’s Name

A petition to change a minor’s name carries the same $175 filing fee as an adult petition, and the child must have lived in the county for at least a year.9Michigan Legal Help. Changing Your Minor Child’s Name The bigger issue is usually consent from the other parent, not price. Publication, certified copies, and the document updates afterward all work the same way as for an adult.

What You’ll Pay After the Court Order

The court fees are only part of the picture. Once the order is signed, each agency has its own fee to reissue documents in your new name. Start with Social Security, because most other agencies want to see that record match first.

Updates with your bank, employer, insurance companies, mortgage servicer, the IRS, and voter registration are generally free. Keep several certified copies of the court order in reserve. Agencies often keep the copy you submit, and running back to the clerk for another at $12 a pop adds up faster than you’d think.