To get a Vermont name change, file a petition in the Probate Division of the Superior Court in the county where you live, pay the $150 filing fee, and appear before the probate judge at a scheduled hearing. If the judge grants the petition, you leave with a court order and two certified copies, which you then use to update your Social Security record, driver’s license, passport, and other identification.
Who Can File
Any adult of sound mind who lives in Vermont can petition to change their name. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen, and the statute sets no minimum length of residency, but you must currently live in the county where you file. The process is governed by 15 V.S.A. §§ 811–816.
The judge has discretion at the hearing to ask why you want the change. Petitions that look designed to evade debts, dodge criminal liability, or mislead others are generally denied. The petition form also asks whether your name appears on the Sex Offender Registry.
Forms and Filing Fee
Adults use Form 700-00122, “Petition of Adult to Change Name,” available from the Vermont Judiciary website or your local probate court. The form asks for your current legal name, the name you want, your date of birth, your address, and your reason for the change. Expect to provide a certified copy of your birth certificate and a photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, though requirements vary by courthouse, so call ahead.
The filing fee is $150. If you cannot afford it, apply for a waiver using Form 600-00228, “Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs.” You qualify if you receive public assistance, if your gross income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or if the court finds you cannot pay without sacrificing resources needed to support yourself and your dependents.
The Court Hearing
After you file, the court mails you a hearing date. At the hearing, the probate judge reviews your paperwork, confirms your identity, and may ask about your reasons for the change and whether anyone could be harmed by it. If the judge is satisfied, the court issues an order legally changing your name.
The $150 fee covers two certified copies of the order. Make sure both are in hand before you leave the courthouse. You will need them, because many agencies require an original certified copy and will not accept photocopies. Additional certified copies may carry a small fee.
Changing a Minor’s Name
A parent or legal guardian authorized under 14 V.S.A. chapter 111 can petition on behalf of a minor using Form 700-00123, filed in the probate court for the county where the child lives. If the child is 14 or older, the court will not change the name without the child’s own consent, given by signing the designated section of the petition form.
When both parents consent, the hearing is straightforward. When one or both do not, the court must hold a hearing and find that the name change serves the child’s best interests before granting it.
Updating Your Records
Order matters. Several agencies verify your name against the Social Security Administration’s database, so start there and work outward.
Social Security Card
Contact the SSA for a replacement card showing your new name. Replacement cards are free. You can start online or submit a paper Form SS-5, along with proof of identity and the court order. Until the SSA record is updated, other agencies that check against that database will see a mismatch.
Vermont Driver’s License or State ID
Visit a Vermont DMV office in person with your court order (original or certified copy) and a completed Name/Address Change Form (VL-040). For Real ID-compliant licenses, the DMV verifies your name and date of birth through SSA’s system, so your Social Security record must already reflect the change. The DMV recommends updating with SSA several days ahead to let the databases sync.
U.S. Passport
If your passport was issued less than a year ago and the name change also happened within that year, submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your current passport and a certified copy of the court order. There is no fee, though expedited service costs $60. If more than a year has passed since either event, go through the standard renewal process using the regular form and fee. The State Department returns your old passport and your name change document in separate mailings.
Voter Registration
Update your registration at vote.vermont.gov, by submitting a paper Voter Registration Form, or at your town or city clerk’s office. Do it well before the next election.
Professional Licenses
If you hold a Vermont professional license, state law requires you to notify the Office of Professional Regulation within 30 days of the change. Update through the OPR’s online licensing platform at no cost.
Tax Returns
The IRS checks the name on your return against SSA records. If you file electronically before SSA has your new name, the return will be rejected. Either wait until the SSA record is updated and e-file under your new name, or file a paper return under the name currently on your Social Security card.
Vermont Birth Certificate
If you were born in Vermont, you can have your birth certificate amended under 15 V.S.A. § 816. Send a copy of your current birth certificate and a certified copy of the court’s name change order to the State Registrar of Vital Records at the Vermont Department of Health. If you were born in another state, contact that state’s vital records office for its own amendment process. Updating the birth certificate is not strictly required, but it makes future identity verification easier when the document needs to match your legal name.