Name Change in Pennsylvania

Court and petition

An individual must file a petition in the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the individual resides, under 54 Pa.C.S. section 701(a.1)(1). If the petitioner is married, the petitioner's spouse may join as a party petitioner. The petition is filed with the Prothonotary's office of that court.

The petition must set forth all of the following under section 701(a.1)(2): the intention to change the petitioner's name, the reason for the name change, the current residence of the petitioner, any residence of the petitioner for the five years prior to the date of the petition, and, if the petitioner requests the safety waiver, that request. No statewide official form for the petition was verified on a court page opened for this guide. Counties publish their own packets, and the county's packet controls where one exists. Do not file a generic form in place of a county packet without checking with the Prothonotary first.

Pennsylvania law also recognizes an informal change of name under section 701(b): a person may at any time adopt and use any name if the name is used consistently, nonfraudulently, and exclusively, subject to the prohibitions in section 702(c). That informal route is distinct from the court petition route in section 701(a.1), and this guide describes the court route only. It does not advise which route applies to a person's situation.

Hearing timing

Upon filing, the court sets a hearing. The hearing must be held not less than one month nor more than three months after the petition is filed, under section 701(a.1)(3)(i). Any person having a lawful objection to the change of name may appear and be heard. The court may enter a decree changing the name as petitioned if, after the hearing, it is satisfied there is no lawful objection to granting the petition.

Publication in two newspapers

Except where notice is waived for safety, the court orders that notice of the filing of the petition and of the hearing date be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the petitioner resides or a county contiguous to that county. One of the publications may be in the official paper for the publication of legal notices in the county. The petitioner must present proof of publication at the hearing unless publication was waived.

If the court finds that the notice required would jeopardize the safety of the person seeking the name change or the person's child or ward, the notice must be waived by order of the court. Upon granting the waiver, the court seals the file. In cases filed under that safety provision, whether or not the petition is granted, there is no public access to any court record of the petition, proceeding, or order, unless the name change is granted but the file is not sealed. Records are opened only by order of the court on a showing of good cause or at the applicant's request.

Fingerprints and the State Police check

Before entry of an order approving a change of name, section 702(b) requires the following. The court must forward to the Pennsylvania State Police a duplicate copy of the application for change of name and a set of the person's fingerprints. The person applying for the change of name is responsible for costs under that paragraph. The State Police use the fingerprints to determine if the person is subject to 18 Pa.C.S. chapter 91, relating to criminal history record information. If the person is subject to chapter 91, the State Police note the name change on the person's criminal history record information. If not, they destroy the fingerprints. Within 60 days of receipt, the State Police must certify to the court what action was taken.

That procedure does not apply to an election to resume a prior surname under section 704, relating to a divorced person resuming a prior name, or to name changes involving minor children in adoption proceedings. A separate statute, 23 Pa.C.S. section 5105, provides that a child 12 years of age or younger must not be required to submit fingerprints for a name change under 54 Pa.C.S. chapter 7. No fingerprint cost figure is stated in this guide: the statute assigns the cost to the applicant without stating an amount, and no amount was verified on a court or State Police page opened for this guide.

Judgment search

At the hearing, the petitioner must present an official search of the proper offices of the county where the petitioner resides and of any other county where the petitioner has resided within five years prior to filing, showing that there are no judgments, decrees of record, or other similar matters against the petitioner. That search may be satisfied by a certificate given by a corporation authorized by law to make the search. The search is county-by-county and follows the five-year residence history stated in the petition. County practice on how the search is ordered and what it costs varies, and no search fee figure is stated here.

Fee: county-set, no statewide figure stated

No single statewide filing fee is stated in this guide. The fee is set by each county's Prothonotary fee schedule, and publication costs are paid to the newspapers separately. Secondary guides state filing-fee ranges and single-county figures, including a Philadelphia figure, but those figures were not verified on a county court fee schedule opened for this guide and are not carried here. Confirm the current fee schedule with the Prothonotary of the county where the petition will be filed before filing. County variation is the rule in Pennsylvania for this filing, never a flat statewide fee.

After the decree

After the court enters the decree, obtain certified copies of the decree for updating records. This guide does not state a sequence or deadline for updating Social Security, driver license, passport, or other records, because no such sequence was verified on a Pennsylvania court page opened for this guide. The decree is the document that proves the court-ordered change.

For name changes in other states, see Name Change in Ohio, Name Change in Georgia, and Name Change in Michigan. For changing only the name shown on a vehicle title after the court order, see How to Change the Name on a Vehicle Title.

Source

Sources: 54 Pa.C.S. section 701, Court approval required for change of name (law.justia.com); 54 Pa.C.S. section 702, Change by order of court (codes.findlaw.com); 23 Pa.C.S. section 5105, Fingerprinting of children (law.justia.com); Pennsylvania General Assembly, Title 54, Names, Chapter 7, Judicial Change of Name (legis.state.pa.us). Facts verified 2026-11-03. Open flags: (1) no statewide official petition form was verified; county packets control; (2) no filing fee, fingerprint cost, publication cost, or judgment-search fee figure is stated, because none was verified on a court fee schedule opened for this guide; (3) the statute texts were read through the Justia and FindLaw republications and the General Assembly title index, not through a single official consolidated-text page opened in full.

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 the Court of Common Pleas of your county.