Name Change Fees & Requirements by State
Current coverage: the 10 largest US states (≈54% of the US population). Remaining states and DC are added as their data is verified against official sources.
Adult name-change requirements are in the middle of a reform wave: Illinois repealed newspaper publication in March 2025, North Carolina ended courthouse posting in December 2025, and Michigan made publication waivable and dropped fingerprints in April 2025. This table compares the current fee, publication rule and fingerprint requirement in each state.
| State | Filing fee | Publication | Fingerprints | Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $435–$450fee waiver available (FW-001) | Yes — once a week for 4 weeksexceptions for gender-identity petitions and safety cases | Not required | Superior Court |
| Texas | ≈$150–$350county-set — check your district clerk | Not required | RequiredDPS/FBI card filed with the petition (Fam. Code § 45.102) | District Court |
| Florida | ≈$401e.g., Palm Beach County $401 | Not required | Required (electronic, FDLE/FBI)exempt when restoring a former name | Circuit Court |
| New York | $210 — or $65 in NYC Civil Court | Not requiredrepealed by the 2021 Gender Recognition Act | Not required | Supreme or County Court; NYC Civil Court in the city |
| Pennsylvania | ≈$300–$400county-set — Philadelphia: $349.23 | Yes — two newspaperswaivable + file sealable for safety (54 Pa.C.S. § 701) | Required (PA State Police check) | Court of Common Pleas |
| Illinois | ≈$150–$400county-set — e.g., Lake County $291 | Not required (repealed March 1, 2025) | 3 months in Illinois | Circuit Court |
| Ohio | ≈$100–$300county-set — e.g., Lake County $105 | Yes — once, ≥30 days before hearingwaivable for safety (R.C. 2717.11) | No statewide mandatecourt may require a background check at applicant's expense | Probate Court |
| Georgia | ≈$200–$230county-set — e.g., Clayton County $205 | Yes — once a week for 4 weeksin the county legal organ; waiver for violence/trafficking survivors | Not required | Superior Court |
| North Carolina | $120special proceeding before the clerk | Not required (posting repealed for filings on/after Dec 1, 2025) | Required — state (SBI) and FBI, within 90 days of applying | Clerk of Superior Court |
| Michigan | $175 statewide | Only if a hearing is set — and waivable for good causePA 229 of 2024, effective April 2, 2025 | Not required (eliminated by PA 229) | Circuit Court — Family Division |
Figures verified against official sources on the dates shown on each state page (all 2026-08-24 at launch).
The old model — publish your name change in a newspaper for four weeks — survives in California, Pennsylvania (two papers), Ohio and Georgia, but every one of those states now waives publication where notice would endanger the petitioner. Fingerprint checks are the exception (Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina), not the rule.
New York City is the bargain of the table: $65 in NYC Civil Court, no publication, usually no hearing.
LawLintel provides general legal information, not legal advice. Laws, rules, procedures and fees change and can depend on your specific facts and county. Verify important information with the applicable court or a qualified attorney before acting.