The cost to change your name in NY runs from about $225 to $430 for most adults, with the biggest single expense being the court filing fee: $65 in New York City and $210 in the rest of the state. Naturalized citizens who need to update federal citizenship documents pay several hundred dollars more. If you can’t afford the court fee, a waiver is available.
Court Filing Fee
The filing fee is the largest single expense and depends entirely on where you live. In New York City, you file your petition in Civil Court and pay $65.1New York City Civil Court. Court Fees in the New York City Civil Court Everywhere else in the state, you file in Supreme Court or County Court, where the fee is $210.2NY CourtHelp. Name Change Basics The $145 gap catches people off guard, particularly in suburban counties just outside the city line.
The same split applies to minors. A parent filing to change a child’s name pays $65 in New York City Civil Court3New York State Unified Court System. Petition to Change the Name of One or More Minor Child and $210 in Supreme Court outside the city.
Fee Waiver If You Can’t Pay
New York courts can waive the filing fee under CPLR 1101. You submit an affidavit describing your income, assets, and property, along with your reason for not being able to pay.4New York State Senate. New York Laws CVP 1101 Some courts call this “poor person’s relief.”2NY CourtHelp. Name Change Basics
If a legal aid society or similar nonprofit represents you, the fee is waived automatically. Your attorney files a certification and no separate motion is needed.4New York State Senate. New York Laws CVP 1101 The waiver covers only the court filing fee. The document update costs described below still apply.
Certified Copies of the Order
Once a judge signs your order, you’ll need certified copies to hand to the DMV, the Social Security Administration, the passport office, and any other agency updating your records. Courts charge roughly $6 per certified copy. Order three or four at once. Going back to the clerk later costs another trip and more money.
Updating Your ID Documents
The court order alone doesn’t change your name on anything. You have to contact each agency separately, and each has its own fee.
Social Security Card
Free. Bring your certified court order and current ID to the Social Security Administration. Ignore private companies that charge for this service; they offer nothing you can’t do yourself.5Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card?
New York Driver’s License
Amending the name on a New York driver’s license or learner permit costs $12.50.6New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver License and Learner Permit Fees and Refunds Bring your certified order and current license to a DMV office.
U.S. Passport
If your passport was issued less than a year ago and your name change also happened within that year, you can update it free using Form DS-5504. Expedited processing adds $60.7U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
If your passport is older than one year, you’ll renew it by mail with Form DS-82 at the standard renewal fee of $130.8U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Most people fall into this bracket, so plan for it.
Birth Certificate
Cost depends on where you were born. For births registered in New York State outside the city, the Department of Health issues one amended birth certificate free after your name change is processed. Each additional copy is $30.9New York State Department of Health. Amending a Birth Certificate
For births registered in New York City, there’s a nonrefundable $40 processing fee for the correction, plus $15 for each certified copy of the amended certificate.10NYC311. Birth Certificate Change One amended copy runs $55 total.11NYC Health. Birth and Death Records Fees and Processing Times
Extra Cost If You’re a Naturalized Citizen
Updating a Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization requires USCIS Form N-565. The fee is $505 online or $555 on paper.12USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule This is the single most expensive document update in the process, and people who don’t plan for it get blindsided. USCIS Form I-912 is available if you qualify for a fee waiver.
If You’re Changing Your Name Through Marriage
You don’t need a court petition, and the court filing fee doesn’t apply. Your marriage certificate is the legal authority for the change, so you skip both the $65 or $210 filing fee and the certified-copy costs. The only expenses left are the individual document update fees above.
Attorney Fees
You can file a name change petition without a lawyer, and the court system publishes DIY forms for the purpose. Most adults with no criminal history and no complicating factors handle it themselves. Contested situations, a minor child with a non-consenting parent, or a criminal record are reasons people hire counsel. Attorneys handling name changes in New York typically charge a flat fee somewhere between $1,250 and $4,500 depending on complexity.
Sample Totals
For a typical adult filing through the court system and updating the core documents:
- Court filing fee: $65 in NYC, $210 elsewhere in the state
- Three to four certified copies of the order: about $18 to $24
- Social Security card: free
- Driver’s license amendment: $12.50
- Passport renewal: $130, or free if the passport is less than a year old
- Birth certificate: free to $55, depending on where you were born
A New York City resident updating everything on that list would spend roughly $225 to $285. Someone filing outside the city would spend about $370 to $430. Naturalized citizens should add $505 to $555 for the USCIS certificate update. A marriage-based change trims the total by removing the filing fee and certified-copy costs entirely.