A court-ordered name change in Utah runs roughly $530 to $560 by the time you finish updating your identity documents, with a $375 court filing fee doing most of the damage. The cost to change your name in Utah drops sharply if you qualify for a fee waiver, and it disappears almost entirely if your name is changing because of marriage or divorce.
The $375 Court Filing Fee
The single largest expense is the $375 fee the court clerk collects when you file your Petition for Name Change in the district court for the county where you’ve lived for at least the past year.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 78A-2-301 – Civil Fees of the Courts of Record2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 42-1-1 – By Petition to District Court, Contents It’s non-refundable. If the judge denies your petition or you withdraw it, the money is gone.
If $375 would be a real hardship, file a Motion to Waive Fees with your petition. Utah bases eligibility on monthly household income: $1,882.50 for a single person, $3,900 for a family of four.3State of Utah Judiciary. Fees and Fee Waiver You’ll detail your income, expenses, and assets, and if the judge approves it you owe nothing to file.
Background Check: About $40
Every adult petitioner has to submit a criminal background check. Figure on two separate $20 payments. The first is for fingerprinting at a local police department or sheriff’s office. The second goes to the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, which runs the check and certifies whether you appear on any offender registries.4Utah Department of Public Safety. Criminal Identification (BCI)
Newspaper Publication: $0 to $150
Utah law leaves notice to the judge’s discretion, saying the court “shall order what, if any, notice shall be given.”5Utah Legislature. Utah Code 42-1-2 – Notice of Hearing, Order of Change Many judges waive publication for straightforward petitions.
When publication is ordered, you’ll pay a local newspaper of general circulation to print a legal notice. Rates vary with circulation and legal-ad pricing, but most petitioners pay somewhere between $50 and $150. If publishing your name change would create a safety risk, such as a history of domestic violence or stalking, ask the judge to waive the requirement in your petition or at the hearing.
Certified Copies of the Decree: $15 to $20
The signed order on its own doesn’t change anything at the bank or the DMV. You’ll need certified copies to hand out. The court clerk charges $4 per document plus $0.50 per page, so a typical one- or two-page decree runs about $4.50 to $5 per copy.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 78A-2-301 – Civil Fees of the Courts of Record Order three or four at once. Some agencies keep the document instead of returning it, and a second trip to the courthouse isn’t worth the savings.
Updating Your Identity Documents
The decree is only the beginning. Each agency that issued an ID needs its own request. Start with Social Security, because the other agencies verify your name against SSA records before updating anything on their end.
Social Security Card: Free
A replacement card in your new name costs nothing from the Social Security Administration.6Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card? Bring your certified decree and a photo ID. Private companies that charge to handle this offer no advantage; you still have to provide the documents to SSA yourself.
Utah Driver License: $23
A replacement license showing your new name costs $23 at the Utah Driver License Division, whether you hold a Class D license, a limited-term license, a driving privilege card, or a commercial driver license.8Utah Driver License Division. Driver License Division – Fees
Utah Birth Certificate: $27
Amending a Utah birth certificate costs $27: a $5 amendment fee plus $22 for the first certified copy of the corrected certificate.7Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics Fee Schedule Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $10.9Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics. Amendment of a Record by Court Order You’ll file an Affidavit to Amend by Court Order with a certified copy of your decree. If you were born outside Utah, contact that state’s vital records office; Utah can only amend Utah-issued certificates.
U.S. Passport: $0 to $130
Passport cost depends entirely on timing. If your current passport was issued less than a year ago and your name also changed within that same year, you can update it for free by mailing Form DS-5504 with your passport, decree, and a new photo.10U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error The only charge would be an optional $60 if you need expedited processing.
Past the one-year window, you’ll renew instead. A passport book renewal by mail is $130.11U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees If you’re not eligible to renew by mail, you’ll apply in person on Form DS-11 and pay $130 plus a $35 execution fee. Add $60 for expediting either way.
Marriage and Divorce: Skip the Petition
If you’re taking a spouse’s last name, hyphenating surnames, or moving a prior last name into the middle slot, you don’t need a court petition at all. The marriage license is the legal documentation on its own.12Utah County Clerk. Marriage Name Change That cuts the $375 filing fee, the $40 in background check costs, and any publication expense. Take the marriage certificate to each agency and pay only the document update fees above.
Divorce works the same way when the decree includes a provision restoring a former name or confirming the right to keep the married name. You’d only need the full court petition if you wanted a name the decree didn’t address.
What You’ll Actually Spend
For a standard adult name change by court petition where the judge doesn’t order publication, plan on roughly $530 to $560:
- Court filing fee: $375
- Background check and fingerprinting: $40
- Certified copies of the decree: $15 to $20
- Social Security card: $0
- Utah driver license: $23
- Utah birth certificate amendment: $27
- U.S. passport book: $0 to $130 depending on timing
Add $50 to $150 if the judge orders newspaper publication. With a fee waiver, the filing fee drops to zero and the total falls under $200. For name changes through marriage or divorce, you’re only paying to update your documents, which runs about $50 to $180 depending on whether you hold a passport and how recently it was issued.