How to Legally Change Your Name in Massachusetts

To legally change your name in Massachusetts, you file a Petition to Change Name of Adult with the Probate and Family Court in the county where you live, submit a certified birth certificate and a background check release, and pay $165 in court fees. The statute says the court “shall” grant the change unless it is inconsistent with public interests, so straightforward petitions are routinely approved.¹ Since November 25, 2025, petitions are also automatically sealed from public view, so the old newspaper-publication default no longer applies.²

Who Can File

Any Massachusetts resident 18 or older can petition the Probate and Family Court in their county of residence.³ You do not need to be getting married or divorced, and you do not need to justify your preference at length. A parent or court-appointed guardian files for a minor using a different form, covered below.⁴

What to Include With Your Petition

The court’s checklist for an adult name change has four pieces, and a missing item will hold up your case.⁵

Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27), signed in front of a notary. It asks for your current legal name, your new name, and your reason for the change.
A certified copy of your birth certificate from the vital records office. A photocopy will not do.²
Court Activity Record Information and Warrant Management System Release Request (CJP 34), which authorizes the court to run a background check. Older guides call this a “CORI” form; the current required form is CJP 34.
A certified copy of any prior court decree or marriage record that changed your name before.

Massachusetts recognizes the right to use a name of your choosing as long as the change is not for fraud or an illegal purpose, so the “reason” field on the petition does not need to be elaborate.⁶

How to File and What It Costs

You can file in person at the clerk’s office, by mail, or electronically through the eFileMA portal. All filings go to the Probate and Family Court in the county where you currently live.⁷

The petition fee is $150, plus a $15 surcharge that funds county law libraries, for a total of $165 due at filing.⁸ Filing through eFileMA carries the same $165 in court fees plus a one-time $22 e-filing fee and a credit card processing charge on the total. If the court later orders a citation, an additional $15 applies.⁹

If you cannot afford the filing costs, submit an Affidavit of Indigency asking the court to waive them. When e-filing, select “waiver” as your payment option to remove all fees. If the court later denies the waiver, you may need to pay up to $180 to keep the case moving.⁹

What Happens After You File

Your Petition Is Sealed Automatically

Under amendments to G.L. c. 210, § 13 that took effect November 25, 2025, every name change petition is automatically impounded. The petition and all related documents are sealed from public inspection unless the court orders otherwise or you request access yourself; only the case caption and docket number remain visible.² This replaces the old default of public newspaper publication.

Court Review

Once the background check comes back and the court reviews your petition, one of two things happens. The court can approve the petition administratively and mail you a certified Decree of Change of Name, or it can issue an Order of Notice (CJP 130) requiring you to notify certain parties.⁴ Many straightforward petitions are now resolved without a court appearance.

When the Court Orders Notice or a Hearing

The court may order public notice or notice to specific interested parties only “for good cause shown,” which the uniform practice identifies with a narrow group of situations, including petitioners who are incarcerated, on probation or parole, committed as a sexually dangerous person, or in the custody of the Department of Youth Services.⁴ If the court does order notice, it will issue a Citation (CJP 28) telling you exactly what to do, which may include newspaper publication at your expense (typically a few hundred dollars), mailing to specific people, or both. You then file proof of service before the court will finalize the case.⁷

If someone objects or the judge has questions, a hearing gets scheduled and you receive a mailed notice. Bring copies of everything you filed, plus any proof of service.⁷

Your Decree

When the court grants the petition, you receive a certified Decree of Change of Name establishing your new legal name. Additional certified copies and a Certificate of Name Change under the court’s seal are available from the court registry for a fee, unless fees have been waived.⁴ Order several copies at once, because most agencies will each want their own original.

Changing a Minor’s Name

A child’s name change uses the Petition to Change Name of Minor (CJP 25) and lists the child as the petitioner with the parent or guardian filing as the child’s “next friend.” Filing fees and background check requirements match the adult process.⁴

Consent is where these cases get complicated. If all legal parents and any court-appointed guardians sign the petition or file written assents, things move smoothly. If any legal parent has not signed, the court requires you to mail a copy of the petition and citation to that parent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. That parent can then object, and the judge weighs both sides before deciding.¹⁰

Extra Rules for Registered Sex Offenders

Anyone required to register on the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry has added notification duties. You must notify the Board of Probation within 10 days of filing the petition and within 10 days of the court’s decision. If the change is granted, you must also notify both the Board of Probation and the local police department in your city or town within 2 days of the new name taking effect. Missing these deadlines can result in separate criminal charges.¹¹

Updating Your Records

The decree makes your new name official, but every agency and institution still has your old name on file. Work through them in an order that lets each document serve as proof for the next.

Social Security

Start here, because other agencies expect your Social Security record to match your new name. File Form SS-5 at a Social Security office with your certified court decree and a current photo ID. If the name change happened more than two years ago, you may also need an identity document showing your prior name. The replacement card is free. Only originals or agency-certified copies are accepted; photocopies and notarized copies get turned away.¹²

Massachusetts Driver’s License or ID

You must visit an RMV Service Center in person because a new photo and signature are required. For a REAL ID license, if the name on your current identification does not match the name on your lawful presence documents, bring the certified decree as proof. For a standard (non-REAL ID) license, the RMV allows the change without additional documentation as long as there is no attempt at fraud. The amendment fee is $25.¹³

U.S. Passport

The process depends on timing. If both your passport was issued and your name was legally changed less than one year ago, mail Form DS-5504 with your current passport, the certified decree, and a new passport photo at no charge (or $60 for expedited processing). If more than a year has passed since either event, renew by mail with Form DS-82 ($130 for an adult book) or apply in person with Form DS-11. Include the original certified decree and a new photo.¹⁴

Birth Certificate

Massachusetts does not amend a birth certificate solely because of a legal name change. The Registry of Vital Records generally records only what was true at the time of birth.¹⁵ The exception is when you are also changing the sex designation on the certificate; in that case, a name change can be included in the amendment for a $50 fee plus $20 to $32 per certified copy.¹⁶ For everyone else, the court decree itself is the bridge between your birth name and your legal name.

Everything Else

Update your bank, employer, health insurance, voter registration, the IRS (through your next tax return), and any professional licensing boards. Each organization sets its own requirements, but nearly all will want to see a certified copy of the decree. Ordering extra copies from the court at the outset saves repeat trips back.

1
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part II Title III Chapter 210 Section 12
2
Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 210 Section 13
3
Justia Law. Massachusetts General Laws Part II Title III Chapter 210 Section 12
4
Mass.gov. Uniform Probate and Family Court Practice XXXV – Change of Name Actions
5
Mass.gov. Checklist of Forms – Change of Name for Adult
6
Mass.gov. Name Changes
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Mass.gov. How Do I File a Change of Name for an Adult
8
Mass.gov. Probate and Family Court Filing Fees – Section: Change of Name Fees
9
Mass.gov. Probate and Family Court eFiling – Change of Name
10
Mass.gov. How Do I File a Change of Name for a Minor
11
Massachusetts Government. Sex Offender Registration Brochure
12
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
13
Mass.gov. Change Information on Your Driver’s License or ID Card
14
U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
15
Mass.gov. Amend or Correct a Birth, Death, or Marriage Record
16
Mass.gov. Amend a Birth Certificate for Sex of the Subject