To petition for a name change in Texas as an adult, file a verified petition in the district court of the county where you live under Texas Family Code Chapter 45. A judge reviews every petition to confirm the change is in your interest and in the public interest before signing the order.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.102 – Requirements of Petition The forms are free, the hearing is short, and the name change takes effect the moment the judge signs the order.
The Three Forms You Need
Three PDF forms carry an adult name change through a Texas district court:
- Petition to Change the Name of an Adult
- Declaration for Prove-Up of Adult Name Change (the sworn statement you present at the hearing)
- Order Changing the Name of an Adult (the document the judge signs)
All three are available at no cost through TexasLawHelp.org and many county law library websites.2Texas State Law Library. Adults – Name Changes in Texas There is no minimum residency period in the statute, but you must file in the county where you currently live.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.102 – Requirements of Petition
What the Petition Must Include
Section 45.102 requires a substantial amount of personal information so the court and law enforcement can verify who you are. Your petition must contain:
- Your full current legal name and the new name you want
- Date of birth, sex, race, and Social Security number
- Every driver’s license number issued to you in the last ten years, with the issuing state
- Your FBI number, state identification number, or other criminal history reference number, if known
- The reason you want to change your name
- Every other name you have used, including nicknames and any names appearing in arrest records
- A complete, legible set of fingerprints on a card accepted by both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI
Most local law enforcement agencies and authorized private vendors offer fingerprinting, generally for $15 to $40.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.102 – Requirements of Petition
You sign the petition under penalty of perjury. A notary is not required. The verification section on the form is where you declare that everything you have written is true, and a false statement is a criminal offense under Texas Penal Code 37.02.
Disclosing Your Criminal History
The petition requires you to list every offense above a Class C misdemeanor you have ever been charged with, whether or not it led to a conviction. For each one, give the case number and the court where the warrant issued or charges were filed.1State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.102 – Requirements of Petition
Your record affects the standard the court applies. With no felony convictions and no sex offender registration requirement, the judge only needs to find the change is in your interest and in the public interest. With a felony conviction, the court can still grant the change, but only if you have completed your sentence or community supervision and at least two years have passed since that completion, or you have been pardoned. Changing back to the primary name already listed in your criminal history records is available regardless of those waiting periods.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.103 – Order
If you are required to register as a sex offender, you must give the court proof that you notified your local law enforcement authority about the proposed change before the judge will consider your petition.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.103 – Order
Privacy Protection for ACP Participants
If you participate in the Texas Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program, you have added protections. You do not have to disclose your street address or your reason for the change on the petition. You attach a copy of your ACP authorization card instead. The court presumes the name change is in your interest, and if the judge grants it, the order is sealed and cannot be released to anyone, even after you leave the program.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.103 – Order The program exists for people leaving domestic violence, stalking, or trafficking situations where a public court record could put them at risk.
Filing the Petition and Paying Fees
Attorneys must e-file in Texas, and self-represented filers can also submit their documents electronically through eFileTexas.gov.4eFileTexas.Gov. Official E-Filing System for Texas If you would rather file in person, print your forms and deliver them to the district clerk’s office at the courthouse in your county.
New civil case filing fees in Texas district court run about $350 based on combined local and state consolidated fees, with slight variations by county.5Texas Judicial Branch. District Court Civil Filing Fees Fingerprinting is separate. When the clerk accepts your filing, the case gets a cause number that identifies it going forward.
If you cannot afford the fees, file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. Governed by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145, this form asks you to explain your finances under oath or under penalty of perjury. Qualifying evidence includes receiving means-tested government benefits, being represented by a legal aid attorney, or lacking funds to cover costs. Once the clerk accepts a valid statement, your case moves forward without the upfront fees.6Jefferson County Texas. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 145 – Payment of Costs Not Required
The Prove-Up Hearing
After filing, contact the court coordinator for the judge assigned to your case and schedule a prove-up hearing. It is usually brief, often just a few minutes. Bring the completed Order Changing the Name of an Adult for the judge to sign, along with the Declaration for Prove-Up.2Texas State Law Library. Adults – Name Changes in Texas
At the hearing, you confirm under penalty of perjury that everything in your petition is true. The judge’s job is to make sure you are not changing your name to dodge debts, evade law enforcement, or mislead anyone, and that the change serves your interest and the public interest. If it does, the judge signs the order on the spot and your name change is legally effective immediately.3State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.103 – Order
Certified Copies and Updating Your Records
The signed order alone is not enough to change your name on your driver’s license, Social Security card, or passport. You need certified copies from the district clerk, each carrying the court’s official seal. Copy and certification fees vary by county. Order four or five certified copies at once so you can submit them to different agencies in parallel rather than waiting for one to return your copy before you send it on.
A court order does not update anything automatically. You have to contact each agency individually.7Texas State Law Library. Updating Your Documents – Name Changes in Texas Start with the Social Security Administration, because your SSN ties together your tax records, credit history, and employment eligibility. You can request a replacement card at a local SSA office or through ssa.gov.8Social Security Administration. How Do I Change or Correct My Name on My Social Security Number Card After that, update your Texas driver’s license or ID at the Department of Public Safety in person with your certified court order. To amend your birth certificate, submit a certified copy of the order to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section, using its birth certificate amendment application.9Texas Department of State Health Services. Correcting a Birth Certificate
What the Order Does Not Do
A signed name change order does not erase your past. You remain liable for every debt, obligation, and legal commitment tied to your former name, and you keep every right you had under it.10State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 45.104 – Liabilities and Rights Contracts, court judgments, and property records follow you regardless of which name is on them. The order changes what you are called, not what you owe or own.