The cost to legally change your name in Texas usually lands between $300 and $450 once you add the court filing fee, fingerprinting, background check, certified copies of the order, and updating your ID afterward. The filing fee alone is the largest piece and varies by county. If your income is low enough, you can ask the court to waive the filing fee, which drops the court portion to zero. You still pay for fingerprinting and any updated documents.
The Court Filing Fee
The Petition for Change of Name of an Adult is the single biggest expense. The fee combines statewide charges set by law with local charges added by your county, so the total isn’t the same everywhere.1Texas Judicial Branch. District Court Civil Filing Fees
Most petitioners pay somewhere between $300 and $400. Travis County and Bexar County both charge $350.2Travis County Law Library. Adult Name Change3Bexar County. Fee Schedule Smaller counties may charge a bit less, a few may charge more. Call the county clerk before you file to confirm the exact amount.
Texas requires most civil filings to go through an e-filing system. The $20 statewide e-filing fee is already included in the filing totals above, but the private e-filing provider you use may tack on its own convenience fee, usually a few dollars up to about $20 depending on the provider and payment method.1Texas Judicial Branch. District Court Civil Filing Fees
Fingerprinting and Background Check
Every adult name-change petition has to include a full set of fingerprints on a card the Department of Public Safety and the FBI both accept. The court uses them to run a criminal history check before ruling.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name
Two charges apply here. DPS charges $15 and the FBI charges $12, so the background check itself runs $27.5Department of Public Safety. Submission of Fingerprint Cards to DPS/FBI for Adult Legal Name Change Getting your prints taken at a local office or authorized vendor typically adds another $10 to $25. Budget $40 to $50 for this step.
Certified Copies of the Order
Once the judge signs your order, you’ll need certified copies to prove the change. Every agency you update wants to see an official copy, and you’ll be dealing with the Social Security Administration, DPS, your bank, and possibly the State Department in a short window. Order at least three or four.
County clerks generally charge around $5 per certified copy, though the exact price varies. Spending $15 to $25 up front beats a second trip to the courthouse mid-process.
Updating Your Identification
The court order doesn’t automatically change anything on its own. You have to contact each agency that still has your old name. The main updates and their costs:
- Social Security card: free. Apply through the Social Security Administration at no charge. Do this first, because DPS and other agencies often want your Social Security record to match before they process the change.6Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card
- Texas driver license or state ID: $11. Apply for a replacement at any DPS driver license office within 30 days of the change, and bring the original court order. Copies aren’t accepted.7Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees8Department of Public Safety. How to Change Information on Your Driver License or ID Card
- U.S. passport issued less than a year ago: free. If both the passport and the name change happened within the past year, submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your court order and a new photo. Expedited processing costs $60.9U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
- U.S. passport issued one to fifteen years ago: $130 to renew by mail using Form DS-82 with a certified copy of the order and the old passport. A passport more than 15 years old requires a new application on Form DS-11 at $165.10U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
Smaller costs also come up, like new checks from the bank or updating professional licenses. Those vary too much to price out, but they’re generally modest.
Fee Waivers if You Can’t Afford It
If the filing fee is out of reach, Texas lets you ask the court to waive it. You file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs alongside your petition.11Texas Judicial Branch. Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs You qualify if your household income falls at or below federal poverty guidelines, or if you already receive means-tested benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, SSI, or public housing assistance.
An approved waiver exempts you from the filing fee and certain other court costs, including fees for copies and issuance of process. That’s a $300-plus savings. It does not cover DPS and FBI fingerprint processing, the cost of getting fingerprinted, or any post-change ID update fees. You pay those regardless.
Cheaper Paths: Marriage or Divorce
If your name change is tied to a marriage, you likely don’t need to file a court petition at all. Your marriage certificate serves as legal proof for most agencies, so you skip the filing fee, the background check, and the certified copies of a court order. Your only real cost is the ID updates listed above.
During a divorce, you can ask the judge to restore a former name in the final decree at no additional filing cost.12Texas State Law Library. Guides – Name Changes in Texas – Divorce The limit: a divorce decree only restores a name you previously used. If you want something new, you’re back to the full petition process.
Situations That Add Cost
Felony Record
A court can still grant a name change if you have a felony conviction, but only if you’ve completed your sentence and community supervision and at least two years have passed since discharge, or you’ve been pardoned. You can also petition to change your name back to the primary name in your criminal history record.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name The extra scrutiny makes hiring an attorney more worthwhile if your history is complicated.
Sex Offender Registration
If you’re required to register under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, you must notify the appropriate local law enforcement authority before the hearing and give the court proof. The judge has discretion to approve or deny.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name These cases almost always benefit from legal representation.
Changing a Child’s Name
A parent, managing conservator, or guardian can petition to change a child’s name in the county where the child lives. The filing fee is generally the same as an adult petition. Two things can raise the cost. If the child is 10 or older, the child’s written consent must be attached. And any parent whose rights haven’t been terminated is entitled to formal legal notice.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name If the other parent won’t accept service voluntarily, a process server or constable typically runs $50 to $100. A contested hearing pushes costs up significantly.
Hiring an Attorney
A lawyer isn’t required, and most people with clean records handle the paperwork themselves. Flat fees for an uncontested adult name change in Texas generally run from a few hundred dollars to around a thousand, depending on the attorney and location. Worth it when the situation is complicated, hard to justify when it isn’t.
Newspaper Publication
A judge can order you to publish notice in a local newspaper, though this is uncommon for routine adult petitions.13Texas State Law Library. Guides – Name Changes in Texas If it happens, cost depends on the paper’s rates and how long the notice runs. Rare, but possible.