How to Change Your Name in Pennsylvania: Filing, Publication, Hearing

To change your name in Pennsylvania, you file a petition in the Court of Common Pleas in your county, publish notice of the change in two newspapers, submit fingerprints for a state police background check, and appear at a hearing before a judge who signs the final decree. The statute requires the hearing to happen no sooner than one month and no later than three months after you file, so plan on one to three months from filing to decree, plus a few weeks of prep work before that. Marriage, divorce, and widowhood have simpler routes that skip the court entirely.

When You Can Skip the Court Petition

If your name is changing because of a life event, you may not need a court order at all.

After marriage, present your marriage certificate to Social Security, PennDOT, and your other institutions to start using your new name. No separate court order is required.

After divorce, you can resume a prior surname by filing a written notice with the prothonotary in the county where the divorce was filed, referencing the caption and docket number of the case. If the divorce was granted in another state, file a certified copy of that decree with the prothonotary in your current county first, then file the written notice.¹

A surviving spouse can resume a prior surname at any time by filing a written notice with the prothonotary in the county where they live, along with the deceased spouse’s death certificate.¹

Pennsylvania also recognizes a common-law name change: you can adopt any name and use it consistently, exclusively, and without intent to defraud. Government agencies and banks won’t accept this as legal proof, though, so if you want your driver’s license, passport, or Social Security card to reflect a name that isn’t tied to a marriage certificate or divorce decree, you need a court order.²

What to Gather Before You File

Pick up the petition form from the prothonotary or clerk of courts in your county. It asks for your current legal name, proposed new name, date of birth, current address, every address you’ve lived at during the past five years, and your reason for the change. The court uses the reason to confirm the request isn’t tied to fraud, debt evasion, or dodging criminal liability.²

Alongside the petition, you’ll need three supporting pieces:

A copy of your birth certificate. Many counties require this to verify identity. Philadelphia asks for it at filing.³
Judgment and lien searches from every county where you’ve lived in the past five years, showing no outstanding judgments or liens against you. Your local prothonotary handles their own county; you’ll need to contact other counties directly or hire a service for those.²
Fingerprints on a court-approved fingerprint card. The court forwards them to the Pennsylvania State Police for a criminal background check. Pick up the card from the court administrator’s office, or in some counties from the state police or a third-party service like IdentoGO. A generic fingerprint card won’t be accepted.⁴

The lien searches and fingerprints are what usually slow people down. Start on both as soon as you decide to file.

Filing and Fees

You file the petition and supporting documents with the prothonotary at the Court of Common Pleas in your county. Spouses who both want to change their names can file together as co-petitioners rather than paying two separate filings.²

Filing fees vary widely by county. Philadelphia charges $349.23; some smaller counties charge under $200. Call ahead or check the county website for the current amount and accepted payment methods. Many offices take only cash, money order, or credit card, not personal checks.³

If the fee is a hardship, you can ask the court to waive costs by filing a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis, a standard form available through the state court system.⁵

Newspaper Publication

After you file, the court orders you to publish a notice of the intended name change in two newspapers of general circulation in your county or a neighboring county. One can be the county’s official legal notice paper, which is usually the cheapest option. The notice must include the date the court has set for your hearing.²

Publication costs are separate from the filing fee and depend on which papers you use. After the notices run, get proof of publication from each newspaper to bring to your hearing.

If publishing the notice would put you or your child in danger, you can ask the court to waive publication entirely. When the court grants a waiver, it also seals the whole file. No one can access the petition, hearing record, or decree unless a judge later orders the file opened for good cause. This protection applies in situations involving domestic violence, stalking, and similar safety concerns.²

The Hearing

By statute, the hearing takes place no sooner than one month and no later than three months after you file. Bring your proof of publication (unless it was waived), the lien and judgment search results, and be prepared to answer the judge’s questions about why you want the change.²

Anyone with a lawful objection has the right to appear at the hearing. Objections are rare and typically come from a creditor or co-parent. If no one objects and the judge is satisfied the petition meets the requirements, the judge signs a decree granting the change. The hearing itself is usually short. If your paperwork has a gap, such as a missing lien search from a county you lived in three years ago, the judge will likely continue the hearing until you fix it, so check everything before you show up.

Changing a Child’s Name

Changing a minor’s name also runs through the Court of Common Pleas. A parent or legal guardian files the petition, along with a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. Fingerprints are generally not required for children 12 and under.⁴

Both parents don’t have to agree, but both must receive notice. In practice, that means either the other parent’s notarized written consent, or serving them with a copy of the petition and hearing notice at their last known address by certified and regular mail.²

The judge decides whether the change serves the child’s best interests, weighing the child’s own preference if old enough, the reasons for the request, and the potential impact on the child’s relationship with each parent. If the other parent objects, expect a longer hearing where you’ll need to make a stronger case.

Updating Your Records After the Decree

The judge’s signature makes the change legal, but every agency and account still has your old name. Ask the prothonotary for several certified copies of the decree, which carry a raised seal and cost a few dollars each. You’ll use more than you expect.

Update Social Security first. Many other agencies verify identity against SSA records, so a mismatch between your Social Security name and your court order will cause problems everywhere else. You can start the application online or at a local Social Security office. Your Social Security number doesn’t change.⁶

Next, take your certified decree to a PennDOT Driver License Center for a new license or state ID. Original documents only; photocopies are not accepted.⁷ If you have a REAL ID, you must update your name with Social Security before PennDOT will process the change; you’ll also surrender your current REAL ID, take a new photo, and pay a replacement fee.⁸

For a passport issued less than a year ago, use Form DS-5504 for a free update (unless you want expedited service). Older passports use Form DS-82 by mail or DS-11 in person, depending on your situation. Include the certified decree either way.⁹¹⁰

The IRS matches the name and Social Security number on your tax return against SSA records. If you file under a new name before SSA has processed the update, the return will be rejected for a name mismatch. Make sure Social Security has the new name on file before tax season, or file under the name that still matches SSA records and update the following year.

For credit reporting, contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually — updating one doesn’t update the others. Each has its own process and typically wants a copy of the court order.

From there, work through your bank and credit card accounts, employer payroll and tax records, health insurance, voter registration, utilities, property titles or leases, professional licenses, and estate planning documents like wills and powers of attorney. A will can be updated with a short amendment called a codicil rather than a full rewrite. Batch the updates over a few weeks rather than trying to finish in a day.

1
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 54, Chapter 7 – Names
2
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 54, Chapter 7, Section 701 – Court Approval Required for Change of Name
3
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Name Change Process
4
Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. How to Change Your Name in Lehigh County
5
Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis
6
Social Security Administration. US Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
7
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Change a Drivers License or Photo ID Name or Address
8
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Changing Your Name on a REAL ID
9
U.S. Department of State. DS-5504 Application for a US Passport
10
U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport