How Much Does It Cost to Change Your Middle Name?

The cost to change your middle name usually falls between $150 and $500 if you go through the courts, drops close to zero if you can do it on a marriage license or in a divorce decree, and climbs past $1,500 if your case is contested or needs an attorney. The exact figure depends on your state’s filing fee, whether a newspaper notice is required, and how many identity documents you need to update afterward.

The Cheapest Route: Marriage or Divorce

If your timing lines up with a marriage or divorce, you may be able to skip the separate court petition entirely. Many states let you select a new middle name on the marriage license application itself. Common choices include moving your maiden name into the middle slot, taking your spouse’s surname as a middle name, or combining names. Because you’re already paying for the license, the middle name change adds nothing to the cost.

Divorce works the same way. Most courts will fold a name change or restoration into the divorce decree, which spares you a second filing and a second filing fee. If you’re in the middle of a divorce, ask your attorney or the court to include that language before the decree is finalized.

The catch: not every state offers the same flexibility, and the options for what your new middle name can be vary. But where it’s available, this is dramatically cheaper than a standalone petition.

Court Filing Fees

If marriage or divorce isn’t on the table, you’ll file a name change petition with your local court, and the filing fee is the biggest upfront cost. Fees range from as low as $25 in some counties to over $450 in others. Most sit between $100 and $350. Colorado and Hawaii land near the low end; California, Florida, and Louisiana charge $400 or more.

You pay the fee when you submit the petition, and in most courts you pay it whether or not the judge ultimately approves the change. Some clerks accept credit cards or online payment, others still want a cashier’s check or money order, so call ahead.

Newspaper Publication

Some states require you to publish notice of your name change in a local newspaper before the court will approve it. The point is to let creditors or other interested parties object. Where publication is required, expect $50 to $200, depending on the paper’s rates and how many weeks the notice has to run.

This requirement has been shrinking. Roughly half of all states no longer impose a strict publication mandate, and others let the judge waive it when publication would create a safety risk. Check your local court’s current rules before you budget for this one.

Certified Copies of the Court Order

Once the judge signs the order, you’ll need certified copies to prove the change to Social Security, the passport office, the DMV, your bank, and anyone else who keeps your name on file. Courts charge a few dollars up to about $20 per copy. Order at least three or four when you pick up the order; coming back later costs more time than money, but it costs both.

Background Checks

Some jurisdictions require a criminal background check as part of the petition. An FBI Identity History Summary check costs $18, plus a fingerprinting fee that’s generally under $50.¹ A record doesn’t automatically block a middle name change, but it tends to slow the process and may require a hearing instead of a paper approval.

Updating Your Documents

The court order is the legal foundation. Then you have to update every document that carries your name, and each one has its own fee or lack of one.

Social Security card: free. The Social Security Administration doesn’t charge for a replacement card with your new name, and most other agencies want your Social Security record updated first so everything matches.²
U.S. passport: free if your current passport was issued less than a year ago. Submit Form DS-5504 with your court order and a new photo. Past the one-year mark, you’ll pay $130 to renew, or $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee for a new passport book.³⁴
Driver’s license or state ID: typically $5 to $35, though some states waive the fee if your current license hasn’t expired.
IRS records: free. You can note your prior name on your next return or submit Form 8822. The IRS asks that Social Security have your new name on file first.⁵

Banks, credit cards, insurers, employers, and most professional licensing boards update records for free, though a few boards charge a small reissue fee for credentials.

When You Might Want an Attorney

For a straightforward adult middle name change with no criminal record, no pending bankruptcy, and no custody dispute, hiring a lawyer is optional. Most courts publish self-help forms, and the paperwork is comparable to a small claims filing.

Attorney help becomes worth paying for when complications show up. A felony conviction can trigger extra documentation or a background check requirement. A contested petition over a child’s name will likely need a hearing. Ongoing bankruptcy makes courts cautious, since they want to be sure you’re not trying to shake creditors.

Attorney fees run roughly $150 to $500 for a simple, uncontested filing, and $1,000 to $3,000 or more when the case is contested or requires multiple hearings.

Changing a Child’s Middle Name

The court process is the same, but parental consent adds a wrinkle. At least one parent or guardian files on the child’s behalf. When both parents sign the petition, many courts approve it without a hearing.

When parents disagree, costs rise sharply. The non-filing parent has a right to be notified, and if they object, the court holds a hearing to decide whether the change serves the child’s best interests. Both sides often retain counsel at that point, which can push the total well past what an adult name change would cost. A parent can sometimes ask the court to waive notice, but only on a showing that notifying the other parent would create a genuine safety threat.

Fee Waivers

If the filing fee would be a hardship, you can apply for a waiver. Courts generally grant them to people receiving SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI, or whose household income falls below a set threshold, often 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level depending on the jurisdiction. You submit a separate waiver form with your petition and attach proof of income or benefits.

An approved waiver eliminates the filing fee in most courts. It won’t cover newspaper publication or the fees for updating identity documents, but it removes the single largest expense. The FBI also offers waivers for its background check when one is required.¹

What You’ll Actually Spend

Totals for the most common scenarios:

Through marriage: essentially free beyond the marriage license you’re already paying for.
Simple adult petition, self-filed, no publication: $100 to $450 in court fees, plus $20 to $60 for certified copies and $5 to $35 for a new driver’s license.
Self-filed with publication required: add $50 to $200 for the newspaper notice.
Uncontested with attorney: $300 to $1,000 all in.
Contested or complex with attorney: $1,500 to $3,500 or more.

Passport costs sit on top of all of these. Free if your current passport is under a year old; otherwise budget $130 for a renewal or $165 for a new application.³⁴

How Long You’ll Wait

The court portion usually takes two to three months from filing to signed order. States with publication requirements tend to run longer because the notice has to finish its required weeks before the court will schedule the case. Contested petitions can take much longer. After the order is in hand, document updates take another few weeks to a couple of months. Social Security typically moves fastest; passports fluctuate with demand. Starting with Social Security keeps the rest from stalling.

1
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
2
Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card?
3
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
4
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
5
Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822 – Change of Address