Name Change Article


Name Change in Arizona

If, for any good reason, you wish to change your name or the name of a minor who you are responsible for, the steps can be quite simple. Name change should not be used for reasons like: avoiding responsibilities and obligations, avoiding creditors or the other parent/guardian of a child. This article does not focus on name change as part of a marriage or a divorce, as those cases can be different. The article first summarizes the steps for a name change with the Arizona courts and then some general information about following up to change your birth certificate, social security card, and driver license.

Steps with the Arizona Courts
  1. Get the name change forms.
    You can go online at https://www.azcourts.gov/selfservicecenter/Forms/Name-Change or in person at a court location closest to where you live. If you don't know where your court is you can use the court locator to find your local court https://www.azcourts.gov/AZ-Courts/AZ-Courts-Locator.

    It is best to double check with your court’s staff if the forms are still relevant and up to date. For Maricopa County, this is the current website https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc/civil-court-forms/. For Pima County, their law library can provide you with this information https://www.sc.pima.gov/default.aspx?tabid=60.

  2. Fill out the forms, which may ask for personal information like your contact information, birth, children, marital history, criminal history, etc.

  3. File the completed forms with your court and pay a filing fee.

  4. Inform any interested parties mentioned in the forms. For example, another parent of a minor child.

  5. Attend a hearing for the judicial officer to sign the court order with the name change and pay a fee for one or more certified copies of the order.

Following Up with Other Places
  1. To change your birth certificate, follow up with your relevant birth records office.
    For those born in Maricopa County, this is the current website https://azdhs.gov/licensing/vital-records/index.php#corrections-amendments-registrants-name. For those born in Pima County and 1996 or before that, also follow up with the Phoenix office; for those born in Pima County and 1997 to now, follow up with the Tucson office http://www.agave.cosc.pima.gov/home.asp?include=pages/name_changes.htm.

  2. To change your social security card, this is the current website with details https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01981.

  3. To change your driver license, this is the current website with details https://azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/driver-services/driver-license-information/change-your-address-or-name. Since the Arizona Department of Transportation uses the Social Security computer system to check for your name change, you need to change your name with Social Security first and wait at least 2 days for the Social Security system to be updated. Only then can you change your driver license.

Contributing Attorney: Ke Huang-Isherwood is an attorney who is an independent legal and communication researcher.

Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • What if I [the mother] am the only one on the birth certificate? Then does the father have to sign it?
  • I have a 2 year old daughter from a previous relationship, which the dad (for the most part) is not in the picture. I just recently got married, so my name is now the same as my husbands. We also want to change my daughters last name to be the same. How do I go about doing that? Is it possible to do so without the paternal fathers consent, when she has my maiden name currently and the father is not on the birth certificate?
  • I changed my name when I was 19 YOA with the Social Security and then got married. I'm now divorced and the box was not checked off to restore my maiden name. Now, I want to get my drivers license in Arizona but, my birth certificate has my birth name and my divorce shows my married name. Now AZ MVD told that there is no legal document when I change my name when I was 19. So they what me to change my name back to my birth name just so I can get a drivers license. Now my California ID show my changed and married name Social Security has me in there system with both names.
  • how many times can I change my name?
  • My ex wife and I are legally divorced and in our divorce decree it states for hee to restore her maiden name. But she still hasn't done it yet, what do I do??
  • I just got married and want to change my daughters last name to match mine. She is 6 months old and there is no father on the birth certificate nor do I know who they are. What forms do I need and will I have to pay a fee for PIMA county minor name change because of marriage.
  • My husband and I separated after my daughter was born and we then got divorced. She has his last name and I would like to change it before she starts school. It has been almost 5 years since he has seen her. I never got an original copy of her birth certificate. Do I still need to file through the courts for a name change?
  • if my birth certificate only has my last name do i still have to pay to change my name?
  • I would like to add my last name to my daughters birth certificate. They currently have fathers last name. I have sole custody of them and their father & I were never married. He's always been inconsistent with his visitation rights (in and out of their lives, Reason for change). Do I need a court order & his permission to add my last name to their birth certificate?
  • My daughter is 9 months right now, i still havent gone to go get her birth certificate. And now i want to remove her last name of the father. Can i still change her last name before i get her birth certificate?

STORIES

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FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

RELATED ARTICLES

How To Change Your Name

Where to Find an Attorney for Specific Legal Advice

LINKS

Arizona Supreme Court Programs Unit

Birth Certificates - Arizona Office of Vital Records

Maricopa County Judicial Branch

Maricopa County Judicial Branch Self-Service Center Online

Pima County Courts Self Service Center

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