How to Legally Change Your Name in Florida (Court Petition)
When your new name isn't written into a marriage certificate or a divorce decree, Florida requires a court order: you file a petition, clear a background check, and a judge signs an order that every agency will then accept. Here is the Florida version of that process, in order.
Do you actually need the court?
Only if your new name can't be derived from a marriage certificate or a divorce decree with a restoration clause. Taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or going back to a maiden name named in the decree all skip the court entirely.
Just married? You don't need any of this — a certified marriage certificate is your document. Build your free marriage checklist instead.
Florida quick facts
| Where to file | The circuit court in the county where you live |
|---|---|
| Form | Petition for Change of Name (Adult), Florida Family Law Form 12.982(a) — official forms |
| Cost | ≈ $400–$410 clerk's filing fee, plus a fingerprint/background fee of about $40–$70 (confirm with the clerk) |
| Publication | Not required — Florida dropped the newspaper-notice requirement for name changes |
| Background check | Fingerprints are taken electronically through an FDLE-approved vendor and the state runs a criminal-history check before the hearing — unless you're only restoring a former name, in which case the check is skipped |
| Residency | You file in your county of residence |
| Time | 4–8 weeks is typical |
What makes Florida different
Florida is one of the more expensive states because the clerk's fee alone is around $400 — but it's also one of the faster ones, since there is no publication step and most counties decide on the papers or a short hearing.
Restoring a former name (after divorce, for instance) uses a different form — 12.982(b) — and skips the fingerprinting. Check which form applies before you pay for fingerprints you don't need.
Step by step
- Get the petition form from the Florida courts and fill it in: current name, requested name, the reason, and the sworn statements about your record. Have it notarized if the form requires it.
- File it with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you live. Pay the filing fee (≈ $400–$410 clerk's filing fee, plus a fingerprint/background fee of about $40–$70) or file a fee-waiver request with proof of income.
- Wait for the court. Not required — Florida dropped the newspaper-notice requirement for name changes.
- Background check. Fingerprints are taken electronically through an FDLE-approved vendor and the state runs a criminal-history check before the hearing — unless you're only restoring a former name, in which case the check is skipped.
- Hearing or signature. Many uncontested petitions are granted on the papers; if a hearing is set, it is usually five minutes of confirming what you wrote. The judge signs the order.
- Certified copies of the order — get at least 3. The order is now your authorizing document. From here it's the standard sequence: Social Security (free SS-5), wait 48 hours, driver's license, passport, then everyone else. The tracker keeps the list.
Want the petition prepared for you?
A document service prepares the Florida petition to your county's exact requirements and walks you through publication and filing — useful if you'd rather not manage the logistics. Court filing fees are separate either way.
See LegalZoom name change →Common questions
How much does it cost to legally change your name in Florida?
≈ $400–$410 clerk's filing fee, plus a fingerprint/background fee of about $40–$70. Add certified copies of the order afterwards (a few dollars each) and the downstream document fees — the Social Security card is free, the license is $10–$50 depending on the state, a passport in the new name is $130. Fee waivers exist for low-income petitioners in every state. Confirm the current fee with the clerk: Florida courts.
How long does a court name change take in Florida?
4–8 weeks is typical. The pacing item is the court calendar and the fingerprint report.
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Florida?
No. Adult name changes are designed to be filed without a lawyer, and the court's self-help forms are the same ones lawyers use. People hire help for one of three reasons: a criminal record that complicates the petition, a contested case (usually a child's name), or simply not wanting to manage publication and hearing logistics — a document service handles that part for a flat fee.
Do I need a court order to change my name after marriage in Florida?
No. A marriage-based change (taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or restoring a former name written into a divorce decree) needs no petition — the certified marriage certificate or decree is the legal document, and you take it straight to Social Security. The court route is for every other kind of change: a new name you simply prefer, a name for a child, or a divorce decree that lacks a restoration clause.
Can the judge deny my name change?
Rarely, and only for cause: the change appears intended to defraud creditors, evade law enforcement, or infringe someone's rights; you hold certain convictions the state bars; or the name is obscene or would cause confusion. A truthful petition for an ordinary reason is granted as a matter of course.
Divorced and the decree didn't restore your name? Read getting your maiden name back after divorce first — amending the decree is often cheaper than a new petition. Full cost comparison: how much a name change costs by state.