How to Legally Change Your Name in Tennessee (Court Petition)
When your new name isn't written into a marriage certificate or a divorce decree, Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.
Tennessee quick facts
| Where to file | The chancery court (or circuit or probate court, depending on the county) where you live |
|---|---|
| Form | Petition for Change of Name (each county's self-help center provides a packet) — official forms |
| Cost | ≈ $160–$200 filing fee, varying by county (confirm with the clerk) |
| Publication | Not generally required — Tennessee does not make adults publish a name-change notice |
| Background check | The petition must state that you have not been convicted of certain felonies or sexual offenses and that you are not changing your name to defraud anyone; certain convictions bar a change outright |
| Residency | You file in your county of residence |
| Time | 4–8 weeks is typical |
What makes Tennessee different
Tennessee is unusually straightforward: no newspaper notice, a one-page petition, and in many counties the chancellor signs the order without a contested hearing. The variable is which court handles it — chancery in most counties, so start there.
The felony bar is real in Tennessee: certain convictions (including sexual offenses and some violent felonies) make a court-ordered name change unavailable, and the petition requires you to swear to your record under oath.
Step by step
- Get the petition form from the Tennessee 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 chancery court (or circuit or probate court, depending on the county) where you live. Pay the filing fee (≈ $160–$200 filing fee, varying by county) or file a fee-waiver request with proof of income.
- Wait for the court. Not generally required — Tennessee does not make adults publish a name-change notice.
- Background check. The petition must state that you have not been convicted of certain felonies or sexual offenses and that you are not changing your name to defraud anyone; certain convictions bar a change outright.
- 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
≈ $160–$200 filing fee, varying by county. 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: Tennessee courts.
How long does a court name change take in Tennessee?
4–8 weeks is typical. The pacing item is the court calendar.
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Tennessee?
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 Tennessee?
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.