To change a name on a birth certificate in Texas, you first get a court order changing your legal name, then mail that order to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) with Form VS-170 and the required fees. DSHS will not amend the certificate on its own authority for a true name change; the court does the legal work, and DSHS records the result. Plan on several months from petition to corrected certificate.
Correction or Name Change
Before you file anything in court, figure out which process you actually need. A clerical mistake from the original registration, like a misspelled first name or a transposed letter, can be fixed administratively with DSHS. You send Form VS-170 with proof of what the name should have been. Acceptable proof includes hospital or medical records from birth and baptismal certificates issued within the first five years of life.1Texas Health and Human Services. Birth Certificate Correction Application No court order needed.
If what you want is a different name, not a fix to the recorded one, that is a legal name change. DSHS will reject an administrative correction that looks like a change. The rough test: if the new name is not recognizably close to what is on the certificate, expect to need a court order.
Filing the Petition
An adult files an Original Petition for Change of Name with the district clerk in the Texas county where you live. It must be verified, meaning signed under oath. The Texas Family Code requires the petition to include your current name and address, the new name you want, the reason for the change, whether you have any felony convictions, and whether you have to register as a sex offender.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name
It also has to list your date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license numbers from the past ten years, and a legible set of fingerprints on a card format acceptable to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the FBI. If any of that is unavailable, explain why in the petition.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name You must also disclose any conviction above a Class C misdemeanor, with the case number and the court.
Court filing fees vary by county, so call your district clerk before you file.
Fingerprints and Background Check
Every adult petitioner has to submit fingerprints and clear a state and federal criminal background check. Schedule a fingerprinting appointment through IdentoGo (1-888-467-2080 or identogo.com); two fingerprint cards cost about $20.3Texas DPS. Submission of Fingerprint Cards for Adult Legal Name Change
Mail one fingerprint card to DPS with a stamped copy of your filed petition showing the court and cause number, plus $27 (that covers $15 for DPS and $12 for the FBI). Payment has to be a cashier’s check, certified check, personal check, or money order payable to Texas DPS. DPS sends the results directly to the court.3Texas DPS. Submission of Fingerprint Cards for Adult Legal Name Change
DPS only holds fingerprint results for 60 days. Don’t get printed too far ahead of your hearing.
The Hearing and Certified Copies
Once the petition is on file and the background check is back, the court sets a hearing. For an adult with no felony history and no sex offender registration, the hearing is usually short. The judge reviews the petition and background check, confirms the change is not for fraudulent purposes, and signs an order granting it.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name
Ask for at least one certified copy of the order at the hearing, or pick one up from the district clerk right after. You will need a certified copy for the DSHS application and again for Social Security, your driver’s license, and everything else. Order a few while you are there; they are cheaper in bulk than replacing later.
Submitting Form VS-170 to DSHS
With the certified court order in hand, complete DSHS Form VS-170. Send the completed form, a certified copy of the court order, and a copy of your valid photo ID. Every signature on the form must be notarized.1Texas Health and Human Services. Birth Certificate Correction Application
The fees as of January 2026:
- Correction filing fee: $15, or $25 if adding, removing, or replacing a parent
- Certified corrected birth certificate: $22 per copy
- Expedited processing: $25 per application
- Overnight shipping in the U.S.: $16, or $22.95 for USPS Express to a P.O. Box
The minimum you will pay is $15 plus $22 for one certified copy, so $37.1Texas Health and Human Services. Birth Certificate Correction Application
DSHS takes these applications by mail only, not online. Standard applications go to the Vital Statistics Section P.O. Box in Austin. Processing runs about 25 to 30 business days from the date DSHS receives your packet and payment, not counting shipping.4Texas DSHS. Processing Times If you pay for expedited service, send it overnight to the physical address at 1100 W. 49th Street in Austin. Online orders are not accepted for corrections or amendments.5Texas DSHS. Vital Applications and Forms
Extra Rules for Felony Convictions and Sex Offender Registration
If you have a felony conviction, you cannot petition for a name change while incarcerated. After release, you must wait at least two years after finishing parole, finishing probation, or receiving a certificate of discharge from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice before you can file.
If you have to register as a sex offender, you must notify local law enforcement of the proposed name change, and the court will only grant the change if it finds the change serves the public interest. Your petition also has to include a completed sex offender registration update.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name
Changing a Minor’s Name
A parent, managing conservator, or guardian files in the county where the child lives. The petition has to include the child’s current name and residence, the requested new name, the reason, and whether the child is subject to any custody orders or sex offender registration requirements.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name
A child who is ten or older has to give written consent, attached to the petition.2Justia Law. Texas Family Code Chapter 45 – Change of Name Every parent whose parental rights have not been terminated, and any managing conservator or guardian, must receive formal legal notice. You cannot skip service. If a parent cannot be located, the judge will want to see what you did to try to find them.
The court decides using a “best interest of the child” standard, and unlike an adult change, the judge can deny the petition even if the paperwork is clean and no one objects.
After the Amended Certificate Arrives
Once the corrected certificate is in your hands, update the records that rely on your name.
Social Security first. File Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration and bring your court order and photo ID. SSA takes original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency; it does not accept photocopies or notarized copies. If the change happened more than two years ago (four years for a minor), you may also need an ID in your old name. The card itself is free.6Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
Then the IRS. Your name on file with the IRS should match Social Security, or your return can hit processing delays. Notify the IRS with Form 8822 after SSA has updated its records.7Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822 Change of Address
Passport next, if you have one. Within a year of issuance, submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your current passport, the certified court order, and a new photo; there is no fee unless you want expedited service, which is $60. More than a year after issuance, you renew by mail with Form DS-82 or apply in person with Form DS-11, at standard passport fees.8U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
After the federal records, update your Texas driver’s license, bank accounts, health insurance, employer, and any professional licenses. Most will ask to see the certified court order or the corrected birth certificate.