How to Change Your Last Name in Oregon: Marriage, Divorce, and Court Petition

You can legally change your last name in Oregon in one of three ways: by designating a new name when you marry, by asking the court to restore your prior name during a divorce, or by filing a name-change petition in the circuit court for the county where you live. A standalone petition costs $124 to file and ends with a signed court judgment you can use to update every other record in your life.¹ Which path fits you depends entirely on your situation.

Changing Your Name When You Marry

On the Oregon marriage license application, each party writes the name they intend to use after the ceremony. Under state law, the name you designate on the application, license, and record becomes your sole legal name once you are married.² Your marriage certificate is then the document you present to update your Social Security card, driver’s license, and everything else. No separate court order is required.

The options available this way are set by statute. If you want a surname that falls outside the standard choices (an entirely new name unrelated to either spouse, for example), the marriage license will not get you there and you will need to file a court petition even if you do it at the same time as the wedding.²

Restoring Your Prior Name in a Divorce

If you took your spouse’s name when you married and want your pre-marriage name back, ask for restoration as part of the divorce. The court is required to grant the request if you make it, and your prior name is written into the final divorce decree.³ That decree functions as your legal proof of the change.

This path only covers going back to a name you previously held. To adopt a different name through the divorce, you still need a separate petition.

Filing a Name-Change Petition in Circuit Court

Every other kind of last-name change goes through a petition filed in the circuit court for the county where you live.⁴ This is the route most people picture when they think of a legal name change, and it works whether you are changing your last name, first name, or both.

The Oregon Judicial Department publishes a standardized “Identity Record Change Packet” for adults that contains both the petition you fill out and the judgment the judge will sign if your request is approved.⁵ Download it from the state court website or pick up a copy at your local clerk’s office.

What the Petition Asks

The form asks for your current legal name, your proposed new name (first, middle, and last), and your contact information. You confirm you are at least 18 or have been emancipated by court order, and you list every name you have previously used, whether legally adopted or used by custom.⁵

You also answer a short set of public-interest disclosures. The form asks whether you owe child-support arrears or currently owe child support, whether a protective, stalking, or restraining order is in effect against you, whether you are on probation, parole, or post-prison supervision, and whether you are required to register as a sex offender. If any of these apply, you explain the circumstances and give case numbers.⁵

These disclosures exist because Oregon law lets a judge deny a change only when granting it would be inconsistent with the public interest, such as evading creditors or interfering with someone else’s rights.⁴ Checking one of the boxes does not automatically disqualify you, but the judge will weigh it against the reason you give. You sign the petition under penalty of perjury and submit a blank “General Judgment Re: Change of Name / Sex” form with it for the judge to sign on approval.⁵

Filing, Fee, and Fee Waiver

File the completed packet with the circuit court clerk in your county of residence. The filing fee is $124.¹ If you cannot afford it, the court can defer or waive the fee for petitioners whose income falls within federal poverty guidelines; a separate fee deferral or waiver application is available at the clerk’s office or on the court website.⁶

What Happens After You File

The court opens a case, reviews your paperwork, and contacts you about next steps.⁷ In many counties, if the forms are complete and no one objects, the judge approves the petition without scheduling a hearing. If there is a hearing, expect the judge to ask about your reason for the change and about anything you disclosed on the form.

When the judge signs the General Judgment and the court enters it, the change is effective immediately.⁵ Order several certified copies before you leave; every agency and institution you update will ask for one. Fees vary by county but run around $5 per certified copy.⁸

A Note on Privacy and Public Records

Name-change filings are public records in Oregon by default. The only route to a sealed name change is participation in the state’s Address Confidentiality Program, administered by the Oregon Department of Justice for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking.⁹ You must present proof of ACP participation (a letter or card from the program) when you file the petition.⁵

If you are a registered sex offender, Oregon does not categorically bar a name change, but you must disclose the registration on the petition, and if the change is granted you must report your new legal name in person to the Oregon State Police, a city police department, or a county sheriff within 10 days. Failing to report is a separate criminal offense.¹⁰

Updating Your Records After the Change

Whichever path you used, the document you walk away with (court judgment, marriage certificate, or divorce decree) is the key to every other update.

Start with the Social Security Administration, because most other agencies verify identity through SSA records.¹¹ Request a replacement Social Security card showing your new name; your number does not change.¹²

Oregon Driver’s License or ID Card

Once SSA is updated, visit an Oregon DMV office in person with your name-change document, proof of identity, and proof of current address.¹³ A replacement Class C driver’s license is $30 and a replacement ID card is $40. REAL ID adds another $30 on top of the standard fee.¹⁴

U.S. Passport

If you have a U.S. passport, update it through the Department of State. The form and fee depend on how recently the passport was issued.¹⁵ Do not put this off if you fly. TSA requires the name on your boarding pass to match your government-issued ID exactly, so a ticket booked under your new name with an unchanged passport can cause problems at the checkpoint.¹⁶

Everything Else

Notify your bank and credit card companies, your employer’s payroll department, insurance providers, utility companies, your voter registration office, and any professional licensing board that regulates your occupation. Many licensing boards require notification within 30 days of a legal name change, though the exact deadline varies by profession and agency. You do not need to contact the credit bureaus directly; once your financial institutions update your name, the change flows through to your credit reports automatically, with your previous name retained as a former name.

1
Oregon Judicial Department. 2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule
2
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 106.220 – Name Upon Entering Into Marriage; Legal Effect
3
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 107.105 – Provisions of Judgment
4
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes 33.410 – Jurisdiction; Grounds
5
Oregon Judicial Department. Identity Record Change Packet – Adult
6
Oregon Judicial Department. Fee Deferral or Waiver Application and Declaration
7
Oregon Judicial Department. Name Change and/or Sex Change
8
Oregon Judicial Department. Current Records Fees
9
Oregon Judicial Department. Name Change and Sex Change Forms
10
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 163A – Sex Offender Registration
11
USAGov. How to Change Your Name and What Government Agencies to Notify
12
Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
13
Oregon Department of Transportation. Changing Your Name
14
Oregon Department of Transportation. Driver Licensing and ID Card Fees
15
U.S. Department of State. Name Change or Correction for U.S. Passports
16
Transportation Security Administration. Does the Name on My Airline Reservation Have to Match the Name on My Application?