Name Change for a Minor in Texas

The Texas minor petition, step by step

1. Confirm standing and venue. Only a parent, managing conservator, or guardian may file (Family Code § 45.001), in the county where the child resides. A stepparent, grandparent, or other relative without one of those roles must establish guardianship or conservatorship first. A child cannot file independently.
2. File a verified petition. Section 45.002 requires the petition to be verified and to include: the child's present name and place of residence; the reason a change is requested; the full name requested; whether the child is subject to the continuing exclusive jurisdiction of a court under Chapter 155; and whether the child is subject to registration under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. Attach a copy of the child's birth certificate as a supporting document, and attach the child's written consent if the child is 10 or older.
3. Attach the age-10 consent. If the child is 10 years of age or older, the child's written consent to the change must be attached to the petition (§ 45.002(b)). The consent is a separate signed document. Without it, the judge cannot grant the petition.
4. Serve citation. Every parent whose parental rights have not been terminated is entitled to citation, as is any managing conservator or guardian (§ 45.003). Citation issues and is served under the family-law rules of Chapter 102. A parent may waive citation by signing the petition. Where a parent's rights have been terminated, or no man has been legally established as the father, there is no second parent whose consent is required — but the petition must still address the point.
5. Attend the hearing and meet the best-interest standard. The court may order the change only if it is in the best interest of the child (§ 45.004). Courts weigh the child's relationship with each parent, the reason for the change, how long the child has used the current name, any confusion the current name causes, and whether the change could affect the child's relationship with either parent. For a child subject to Chapter 62 registration, the court must also find the change serves the public interest and that local law enforcement was notified.
6. Take the order and update the records. The signed order granting the change does not affect the child's existing legal rights or release the child from obligations connected to the previous name. Update Social Security first, then the child's school, medical, passport, and other records with a certified copy of the order.

What Texas does differently

Three features set Texas apart. First, the age-10 consent rule is a hard gate, not a preference — no consent, no order. Second, fingerprinting does not apply to a child's petition at all; it is an adult-petition requirement under § 45.102, and a filer who fingerprints a child has followed the wrong subchapter. Third, the petition's two jurisdiction questions — Chapter 155 continuing jurisdiction and Chapter 62 registration — are part of the verified petition itself, not background the court discovers later; a petition that omits them is incomplete on its face.

Filing fees vary by county; secondary sources place them typically at $250 to $300, and the process at a few weeks to several months depending on the county and the other parent's cooperation. This guide states no fee figure, because the district clerk of the filing county states the current fee, and a fee-waiver statement (Statement of Inability to Pay) is available where the filer cannot afford it.

For name changes in other situations, see the Name Change by Situation directory. For the court process for adults, see Name Change in Texas.

Source

Sources: Texas Family Code Chapter 45, Change of Name, §§ 45.001–45.004 and 45.102 (who may file, venue, verified-petition contents, age-10 consent, citation, best-interest order, adult fingerprinting distinction), read 2026-11-01 via the Justia republication of the statute text; petition-form availability through the Texas State Law Library and district clerks, and fee-waiver availability, as stated in secondary summaries read 2026-11-01. Facts verified 2026-11-01. Open flags: the statute text was read via a republication (Justia, 2005 Texas Code rendering) rather than the current Texas Legislature site, and is flagged for re-verification against the current Family Code text; the $250–$300 fee range is secondary-sourced and is not carried as a figure; hearing scheduling practice varies by county and is not stated generally.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state court or a lawyer.