Petition for Name Change of a Minor in Pennsylvania: Filing to Decree

To file a petition for a name change of a minor in Pennsylvania, a parent or legal guardian submits the petition to the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the child lives, completes fingerprinting and background checks, publishes notice in two newspapers, notifies the other parent, and attends a hearing where a judge reviews the request and signs the decree.¹ Expect the whole process to take one to three months and cost somewhere between $400 and $700 in filing, publication, and fingerprinting fees combined.

Who Files and Where

A parent or legal guardian files the petition in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where the child currently resides.¹ The statute sets no minimum residency period, so if you have recently moved, file where you live now. Only one parent needs to be the petitioner, but the non-petitioning parent must receive notice of the case. When both parents agree, the process moves faster because consent removes the likeliest objection at the hearing.

What Goes in the Petition

Petition forms are available through the Prothonotary’s office in your county courthouse, and many counties post downloadable packets online. Under Pennsylvania law, your petition must include:

The child’s current legal name and the exact spelling of the proposed new name.
The reason for the change, described in detail. Common reasons include adoption, a parent’s marriage or remarriage, or aligning the child’s surname with the family they live with.
The child’s current address and every address where the child has lived during the five years before filing.¹

You also need a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. If the child was born in Pennsylvania, order one through the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries.² The five-year address history lets the court verify there are no outstanding judgments or liens tied to the petitioner across counties.

Fingerprinting

Pennsylvania requires fingerprinting as part of a name change petition. The court forwards the petition and a set of fingerprints to the Pennsylvania State Police, who run a criminal history check and certify the results back to the court within 60 days.³ The petitioning parent pays for this, and fingerprinting is typically done at a State Police station.

For the minor, fingerprinting is generally required only if the child is 13 or older. Children 12 and under are exempt. The requirement also does not apply when a child’s name is changing automatically because a parent’s name changed under Section 703, or in adoption proceedings.³ For a standalone petition to change just the minor’s name, plan on the petitioning parent being fingerprinted.

Criminal Record Bars on the Petitioner

A petitioning parent’s own criminal history can block or delay the name change. Pennsylvania law draws two lines:

Felony convictions: a person convicted of a felony cannot obtain a name change unless at least two full calendar years have passed since completing the sentence and they are no longer under probation or parole supervision. A pardon also clears this bar.³
Permanent bars: convictions for murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, aggravated assault, arson, kidnapping, robbery, or motor vehicle robbery permanently prohibit a name change. Attempted, conspired, or solicited versions of these crimes carry the same bar.³

In a minor’s case, the child usually has no record. But because the petitioning parent submits fingerprints, it is the parent’s record that the State Police check. If the other parent has a clean record, having them file instead can solve the problem.

Publication and Notice

After you file, the court orders you to publish notice of the petition and the hearing date. Notice must appear in two newspapers of general circulation in your county or a neighboring county. One of the two may be the county’s official paper for legal notices, which in many counties is a legal journal or reporter.¹ In Philadelphia, for instance, the required publications are The Legal Intelligencer and a newspaper of general circulation.⁴ Your county packet will name the correct publications.

Publication typically runs $100 to $200 total for both notices. Collect proof of publication from each newspaper and file those proofs with the Prothonotary’s office before your hearing.⁵

Notice to the Other Parent

Any non-petitioning parent whose rights have not been terminated must receive direct notice of the petition and the hearing.¹ This is usually done by mailing the petition to their last known address via restricted delivery. If that parent agrees, they can sign a consent form, which shortens the hearing.

When a parent’s location is genuinely unknown, ask the court for permission to use an alternative method of service. Skipping notice entirely risks having the petition dismissed. Courts protect this step carefully because parental rights exist independently of custody arrangements.

Safety Exception

If publication or notice would put the child or petitioning parent in danger, the court can waive the notice requirements entirely. When a judge grants this waiver, the full court file is sealed. Even if the petition is later denied, the records stay sealed and inaccessible to the public unless the court orders otherwise for good cause.¹ You must specifically ask for this in your petition.

Filing Fees

Filing fees vary by county, generally somewhere between $150 and $350 for the court filing itself. Lebanon County’s published fee schedule lists name change petitions at $206.75,⁶ and Philadelphia charges $349.23.⁴ On top of the filing fee, budget for fingerprinting, certified copies of the decree, and newspaper publication. Total out-of-pocket cost often lands between $400 and $700.

The Hearing

The court must schedule your hearing no earlier than one month and no later than three months after you file the petition.¹ Bring three things:

Proof of publication from both newspapers.
A county records search showing no outstanding judgments, liens, or decrees against the petitioner in every county where you have lived during the past five years. A title company or other authorized entity can run this search and issue a certificate.¹
The State Police criminal history report, which the court may already have on file once the 60-day processing window has passed.³

Anyone with a lawful objection may appear and be heard. When no one objects and the paperwork is in order, these hearings are usually brief. The judge confirms every statutory requirement is met and signs the decree.¹

When the Other Parent Objects

A contested hearing is different. When the non-petitioning parent appears and opposes the change, Pennsylvania courts weigh the child’s best interests rather than defaulting to the custodial parent’s preference. Judges typically look at the child’s own preference given their age and maturity, how long the child has used the current name, whether the change would strengthen or weaken the child’s relationship with each parent, and whether the current name causes the child embarrassment or confusion about identity. The younger the child, the less weight their stated preference carries.

When a Parent’s Own Name Change Carries the Child Along

Pennsylvania has a separate rule for parents changing their own surname. Under Section 703, when a court grants a parent’s name change, a minor child in that parent’s care automatically takes the parent’s new surname unless the court specifically orders otherwise. That means a separate petition for the child may not be necessary if you are already changing your own name, and fingerprinting does not apply to a child whose name changes through this automatic route.³ A child whose surname changed this way can pursue an independent name change after turning 18 if they later want something different.

Updating Records After the Decree

The signed decree is the master document for every other update. Request several certified copies from the Prothonotary at the time of your hearing, since most agencies want originals or certified copies rather than photocopies.

Social Security

The Social Security Administration requires original or agency-certified documents to update a child’s name. You will need the court order plus a document proving the child’s identity, such as a U.S. passport, state ID card, or school record showing the child’s name and date of birth. If more than four years pass between the court order and your SSA application, you may need to show an identity document in the child’s prior name. The parent applying also needs a photo ID and may need to show proof of custody or parental relationship.⁷

Update the Social Security card before tackling other agencies. Many institutions, including the IRS, match a child’s name against SSA records, and mismatches produce processing delays and held refunds.⁸

Birth Certificate

To amend a Pennsylvania birth certificate, submit a modification request to the Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries. The Department uses age-specific forms, so pick the one matching the child’s current age. Mail the completed form, a notarized signature, an acceptable ID, any required fee, and supporting evidence (the certified decree) to the Bureau’s Harrisburg office.⁹ Evidence and notarization requirements vary by age group, so read the instructions for your specific form.

Everything Else

Beyond Social Security and the birth certificate, plan to update the child’s passport through the U.S. Department of State, school enrollment records, health insurance, and any bank or savings accounts in the child’s name. Each agency sets its own paperwork rules, but nearly all accept a certified copy of the court decree as proof. Moving through these updates promptly avoids the confusion that builds when old and new names coexist across different systems.

1
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 54 – Names – Section 701
2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Pennsylvania
3
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 54 – Names – Section 702
4
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Name Change Process
5
Erie County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. Erie County Minor Name Change Petition
6
Lebanon County. Civil Fee Schedule 2025, 2026, 2027
7
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
8
Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
9
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Edit a Birth Certificate