To change your name in Arkansas, you file a verified petition in the Circuit Court of the county where you live, show the judge you have good reasons, and then use the signed order to update your Social Security card, driver’s license, and other records. The court process is set out in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 2. If your name is changing because of marriage or divorce, you can usually skip the petition entirely.
Marriage and Divorce Are Handled Separately
Getting married? Write your preferred married name on the marriage license application. Once the marriage is performed, the certified marriage certificate is your legal proof of the change, and agencies will accept it in place of a court order.
In a divorce, the statute is narrower than most people expect. Arkansas Code § 9-12-318 says the court “may restore the wife to the name that she bore previous to the marriage dissolved.”1Justia. Arkansas Code 9-12-318 – Restoration of Name A wife can ask the divorce court to restore a maiden or prior married name in the decree itself. The statute doesn’t speak to husbands or other spouses, so anyone outside that language has to go through the standard petition process below.
Who Can File and What Counts as a Good Reason
Any person under an Arkansas circuit court’s jurisdiction can petition. That usually means the Circuit Court of the county you live in. The legal standard is short: you must show “good reasons” for the change.2Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-101 – Name Change – Procedure Almost any lawful reason qualifies: personal preference, religion, gender identity, or matching legal records to a name you’ve been using socially for years.
Courts will deny petitions filed for fraudulent purposes. If a judge suspects you’re trying to dodge debts, avoid a lawsuit, or evade criminal prosecution, the petition fails. Adopting a name meant to impersonate a real person doesn’t fly either.
Registered sex offenders face a near-total bar. Under Arkansas Code § 12-12-906(f), a person required to register can only change their name when the change is tied to a marital status change or is necessary to practice their religion, and even then must report the new name in person to local law enforcement within five calendar days. Violating that reporting rule is a Class C felony.3Arkansas State Legislature. Act 262 of 2019
Preparing and Filing the Petition
The petition has to be verified, meaning you sign it under oath in front of a notary. It states your current legal name, the new name you want, and your reasons. No legal brief is needed. Just be clear and honest. Don’t sign the document before you’re standing in front of the notary.2Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-101 – Name Change – Procedure
Your filing packet generally also includes a Civil Case Cover Sheet and a proposed Order for Change of Name. The proposed order is the document the judge will sign if the petition is granted, and it needs your prior name, birth date, identifying information such as your Social Security number or driver’s license number, and your new name. Some counties want a Disposition Sheet on top of that. Call your Circuit Court Clerk before you file to confirm what your county requires.
Filing Fees and Fee Waivers
The standard civil filing fee is $165 for paper filing and $185 for electronic filing.4Arkansas Judiciary. Filing Fee Information If you can’t afford it, file a petition to proceed in forma pauperis. The court compares your income and assets against the federal poverty guidelines and decides whether to waive the fee.
Changing a Child’s Name
Only a parent or legal guardian can petition for a minor. The filing goes to Circuit Court the same way, but the standard shifts from “good reasons” to the child’s best interests.
Both parents must consent. If a guardian is filing, both parents still need to consent. When one parent refuses, the other can still file, but the non-consenting parent has to be formally served with the petition and a summons and given the chance to object in court. Judges weigh the child’s own preference if they’re old enough to express one, how the change would affect each parent-child relationship, and how long the child has been going by a given name.
Publication, the Hearing, and the Order
Arkansas has no statewide requirement to publish a name change petition in a newspaper. Some counties or judges require it anyway. Ask the Circuit Court Clerk when you file. If publication is required, you pay the newspaper directly at its classified ad rate.
A hearing may or may not be scheduled. Some counties process uncontested adult petitions on the paperwork alone. If you do get a hearing date, you appear before the judge, explain your reasons briefly, and answer any questions. If the judge finds cause has been shown and no valid objection stands in the way, the Order for Change of Name gets signed.2Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-101 – Name Change – Procedure
If you’re changing your name because of domestic violence, stalking, or another safety concern, ask the court to seal the file. You need clear and convincing evidence that leaving the record public would endanger you. That’s a higher bar than “good reasons,” but judges do grant sealing when the threat is real and documented.2Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-101 – Name Change – Procedure
After the judge signs the order, the clerk files it and delivers an unredacted copy to the Arkansas Crime Information Center and Arkansas Driver Control. If you want the order sent to the Division of Vital Records too, ask for that specifically. It isn’t automatic.2Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-101 – Name Change – Procedure The clerk indexes the case under both your old and new names. From that point on you’re legally known by your new name, with one narrow exception: if you’re under the jurisdiction of the Division of Correction, their records keep the name you were committed under.5Justia. Arkansas Code 9-2-102 – Name Change – Use of New Name
Updating Your Records After the Order
Before you leave the courthouse, buy several certified copies of the order from the Circuit Court Clerk. They run about $5 each and you’ll need one for nearly every agency.
Social Security First
Update Social Security before anything else. Other agencies verify name changes against SSA records, and some won’t process yours until SSA matches.6USAGov. How to Change Your Name and What Government Agencies to Notify Start online or visit a local SSA office with the certified court order and proof of identity. The replacement card arrives in five to ten business days at no cost.7Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
Driver’s License or State ID
Once SSA is updated, take your certified court order and current license to a Department of Finance and Administration Revenue Office. DFA has an Affidavit of Legal Name Change form you may need to fill out.8Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Driver Services Forms There’s a fee for the replacement; the local Revenue Office can tell you the current amount.
U.S. Passport
Which passport form you use depends on timing. If your passport was issued less than a year ago and your name changed less than a year ago, mail Form DS-5504 with your current passport, the certified court order, and a new photo at no charge; expedited service costs an extra $60. If more than a year has passed since either event, renew using Form DS-82 by mail or Form DS-11 in person and pay the standard renewal fee.9U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
Birth Certificate
Contact the Arkansas Department of Health to amend an Arkansas birth certificate. A court-ordered name change is one of the categories that requires the court order before the certificate can be changed. The amendment fee is $15, with an additional charge for each replacement certificate you order.10Arkansas Department of Health. Change or Amend a Birth or Death Certificate Cases are reviewed individually, so contact the office to confirm what they need from you.
Everything Else
After the core documents, update your bank, employer, insurance policies, voter registration, the IRS (which pulls from SSA), and any professional licensing boards. Most will accept a certified copy of the court order. Handle these in the first few weeks. Mismatched names across accounts cause problems with everything from tax filings to prescription pickups.