To change your last name in Nevada, you take one of three paths: use a certified marriage certificate, ask the judge to include the change in your divorce decree, or file a Petition for Adult Name Change with the district court in the county where you live. The court petition route runs roughly $245 to $270 in filing fees plus a newspaper publication cost, and it takes several weeks from filing to signed order.1State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Name Changes for Adults The marriage and divorce routes are simpler because the legal paperwork itself proves the new name. After the legal change, the real work is updating every agency and account that has your old name on file.
Changing Your Name Through Marriage
If you took a spouse’s last name at your wedding, you don’t need a court order. Your officiant has 10 calendar days after the ceremony to file the marriage certificate with the county clerk, after which you can order certified copies from the county where you married.2Clark County, NV. Changing Your Name Social Security, the DMV, your bank, and most other institutions accept the certified marriage certificate as proof of the name change.1State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Name Changes for Adults
Order several certified copies at once. You’ll be mailing them to different agencies in parallel, and waiting for one to come back before sending the next slows everything down.
Changing Your Name Through Divorce
Nevada law lets the court restore either spouse’s former name as part of the divorce. The statute allows the court, for just and reasonable cause, to change either party’s name to any name that person has previously held legally.3Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125 – Dissolution of Marriage If the judge grants the request, it’s written into the final decree, and that decree becomes your proof of the new name.
Ask for this during the divorce. If you leave it out and decide later, you have to file a separate petition and go through the full court process below.
Filing a Court Petition for a Name Change
Any name change that doesn’t come through marriage or divorce goes through the district court in the county where you live. The main form is the Petition for Adult Name Change on the Nevada Self-Help Center website, filed along with a Family Cover Sheet that opens your case.4State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Name Change Forms
The petition asks for your current legal name, the name you want, the reason for the change, and how long you’ve lived in the county. You sign a verification at the bottom swearing under penalty of perjury that your statements are true.5Nevada Supreme Court. Petition for Adult Name Change
File the forms with the district court clerk and pay the filing fee, generally $245 to $270 depending on the county. If you can’t afford it, file an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis to ask the court to waive the fee based on financial hardship.6State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Court Fees and Fee Waivers
Publishing Notice in a Newspaper
After filing, you must publish notice of your petition one time in a newspaper in your county.7State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Questions about Name Changes The paper charges its own fee, which varies by publication. Once the notice runs, the paper gives you an affidavit of publication, which you file with the court as proof.
Publication opens a window for anyone to object in writing. If no one does, the judge typically reviews your paperwork and signs the order without holding a hearing.8State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Name Changes for Adults
One exception: if you’re changing your name to conform to your gender identity, Nevada does not require newspaper publication. The petition form lists gender identity as a reason you can check, and you proceed without the notice step.5Nevada Supreme Court. Petition for Adult Name Change
If You Have a Felony Conviction
Petitioners with felony convictions have extra requirements. You must disclose every felony conviction on the petition, including the offense, date, and county and state. You also submit a complete set of fingerprints taken in the manner the Department of Public Safety specifies.5Nevada Supreme Court. Petition for Adult Name Change A felony record doesn’t automatically disqualify you; the fingerprints let the court confirm the change isn’t being sought for a fraudulent purpose.
The Signed Order
Prepare the Order for Name Change in advance and submit it with your other paperwork, leaving the judge’s signature line blank.8State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Name Changes for Adults Once the judge signs it, pick it up from the courthouse and get several certified copies from the clerk. Those copies are what you’ll hand to each agency during the updates that follow.
Updating Social Security First
Whichever route you used, your Social Security card is the first record to update, because other agencies verify your name against SSA records. The Social Security Administration accepts marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court orders, and naturalization certificates, and the documents must be originals or certified copies.9Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card If the change happened more than two years ago, SSA may also ask for an identity document in your prior name, even if it’s expired. The replacement card arrives by mail in about two weeks.
Updating Your Nevada Driver’s License or ID
Wait a few business days after Social Security processes your change before going to the DMV, so the verification system has time to sync. The Nevada DMV accepts marriage certificates, divorce decrees, adoption records, and court orders. If your name has changed more than once, bring documents linking each change in sequence from the name on your current ID to your new one.10Nevada DMV. Proof of Identity and Residency
An updated Social Security card by itself is not enough at the DMV. You still need the underlying legal document.10Nevada DMV. Proof of Identity and Residency
Passport, Taxes, and Everything Else
For your U.S. passport, timing determines the form. If both your name change and your current passport are less than a year old, submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your passport, a certified copy of the name-change document, and a new photo. If either is more than a year old, you renew using Form DS-82 by mail or Form DS-11 in person, depending on eligibility.11U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
The IRS has no separate name-change form. Your name updates automatically once Social Security processes the change, because the IRS matches names to Social Security numbers at filing. The name on your tax return must match the name on your Social Security card, or your refund may be delayed. If you changed your name partway through the year and haven’t updated SSA yet, file using your former name.12Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
Banks typically want you to come into a branch with your updated government ID and the legal name-change document. From there, work through the rest of the accounts that carry your name:
- Employer payroll, so your W-2 and tax withholding match.
- Voter registration, through your county election office or the Nevada Secretary of State.
- Professional licenses, since most boards require notification within a set period.
- Health, auto, and homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies.
- Your mortgage or lease.