Change Your Name in Connecticut

Are you a Connecticut resident, looking to change your name for legal reasons? Changing your name is a pretty straightforward process in Connecticut, and only takes a few short, easy steps.

Steps

Applying to Change Your Name

  1. Prepare your documents. Before you can apply to change your name, you need to have two forms of identification to present to the Probate Court. One form of identification should have a clear photograph of you.[1]
    • You will also need $225 in cash, check, credit card or by money order to pay the fee for changing your name. Make checks payable to “Treasurer, State of Connecticut”.
    • Applicants who are unable to pay the application fee for legal reasons may be eligible for a waiver. The waiver application, Probate Court form PC-184, is available online here.
  2. Fill out the application form and affidavit. You can print off both documents online here.[1]
    • Minors applying for a name change will need to fill out the Probate Court form PC-900 and the Probate Court form PC-910A.
    • Adults applying for a name change will need to fill out the Probate Court form PC-901 and the Probate Court form PC-910.
  3. Located the Probate Court near you. Connecticut residents can apply to the Probate Court or the Superior Court in their district. You can find a directory of courts here.
    • You will need to file the application in person at the Probate court.
  4. Bring all required documents to the Probate Court. Once you file the documents and pay the fee, the Probate Court will hold a hearing on your application. Notice of the hearing will be sent to you via mail and approval of your application will be sent via mail.[1]
    • Your application for change of name will also be sent to the Department of Public Safety to check your name against the Sex Offender Registry.

Changing Your Name Due to Marriage or Divorce

  1. Don’t worry about a fee to change your maiden name if you are a Connecticut resident. There is no fee for changing your name due to marriage in Connecticut as long as you live in the state. However, you will need to provide proof that you are married in the form of a certified marriage license. A certified copy of your marriage license will cost $20 and can be obtained at the Registrar of Vital Statistics (usually the Town Clerk) of the town where your marriage ceremony was held.[2][3]
    • If you reside in another state, but want to change your maiden name, check with your local Town Clerk or an attorney authorized to practice law in your home state.
    • Connecticut law does not require you change your name when you get married. You can also decide how you are going to combine or adjust your name with your spouse’s name. For example: Barney Rubble and Velma Rubble, or Barney Rubble and Velma Lee, or Barney Rubble-Lee and Velma Rubble-Lee.
    • Women who would like to take their husband’s last name after marriage can do so without going through the Probate Court.[4]
  2. Follow the basic procedure for changing your name. If you are not a woman who is taking her husband’s name, and you need to change your name due to marriage, you will follow the standard application procedure.
    • Have two forms of identification to present to the Probate Court. One form of identification should have a clear photograph of you.[1] You should also bring a certified copy of your marriage certificate.
    • You will also need $225 in cash, check, credit card or by money order to pay the fee for changing your name. Make checks payable to “Treasurer, State of Connecticut”. Applicants who are unable to pay the application fee for legal reasons may be eligible for a waiver. The waiver application, Probate Court form PC-184, is available online here.
    • Fill out the application form and affidavit. You can print off both documents online here.[1]
    • Minors applying for a name change will need to fill out the Probate Court form PC-900 and the Probate Court form PC-910A.
    • Adults applying for a name change will need to fill out the Probate Court form PC-901 and the Probate Court form PC-910.
  3. Bring all required documents to the Probate Court. To locate a Probate Court near you, look at the directory of courts here.
    • You will need to file the application in person at the Probate court. Once you file the documents and pay the fee, the Probate Court will hold a hearing on your application. Notice of the hearing will be sent to you via mail and approval of your application will be sent via mail.[1]
    • Your application for change of name will also be sent to the Department of Public Safety to check your name against the Sex Offender Registry.
  4. Contact other government agencies to adjust your name on important documents. If you decide to change your maiden name, you will need to inform the Social Security Administration, the DMV, and the Passport office so these documents reflect your new name.
    • File for a name change online, via the Social Security Administration system, located here. The SSA will issue a new social security card reflecting your new name and will automatically notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of your new name.
    • Go to your nearest DMV full service branch office to update the information on your driver’s license and your vehicle registration, if necessary. A listing of local DMV offices in Connecticut can be found here. You will need to bring your current driver’s license or ID card, an original or certified copy of a document proving your name change (marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order), your updated SSA card, and payment for the $1.15 fee.
    • Go to your nearest Passport office with a certified copy of your marriage certificate and your old passport. A listing of Passport offices can be found here. Updating your passport information can take some time, so try to do this adjustment in advance of any planned international travel.
  5. Restore your maiden name after a divorce. If you got divorced in Connecticut, you can ask the court to restore your birth name or your prior maiden name. To do this, you will need to follow this process:[5]
    • Obtain a copy of your divorce judgement or decree, if you don’t already have one. You can get a copy from the clerk’s office in the courthouse where you were divorced.
    • Fill out the Appearance JD-CL-12 form and file it at the court clerk’s office. You can get this form from the clerk’s office or online here. Ask the clerk for help when filling it out. The form tells the court you are representing yourself and filing it lets the court know how to contact you about your case.
    • Fill out a Motion for Modification JD-FM-174 form. You can also get this from the clerk’s office or online here. To complete this form, you will need: the docket number of your divorce (upper left corner of your divorce judgement), the Judicial District where you were divorced (right of the heading of the divorce judgement), the date of your divorce hearing (right side of the heading) and whether you were the plaintiff or the defendant. You should make three copies of the completed Motion for Modification form. Give two copies to the court clerk and keep one copy for yourself.
    • Pay the $125 fee for the processing of the Modification request. You may also need to pay a $40-$60 marshal fee if you have to “serve” your partner with the Modification. If you can’t afford these fees, you can fill out a waiver request form, available online here.
    • Check with the court clerk about giving a copy of the Modification form to your ex-spouse or their attorney. Different courts have different rules. Make sure the court clerk also has the following forms to process your request: the Appearance form, the Motion for Modification form, and the Return of Service form, if applicable.
    • Receive a notice of your court date. You should get a court calendar in the mail, with the date and time that the judge will hear your case.
    • Go to the court hearing. Be on time, or 15 minutes early. If you’re late to your court date, the judge may not hear your case.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://www.ctprobate.gov/Documents/Name_Change_Instructions.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.nutmegjp.com/Changing-Your-Name.html
  3. ↑ http://www.infoline.org/informationlibrary/documents/name%20changes%20-%20connecticut%20fj.asp
  4. ↑ http://www.infoline.org/InformationLibrary//Documents/Name%20Changes%20-%20Connecticut%20fj.asp
  5. ↑ http://ctlawhelp.org/how-to-get-back-your-maiden-name-after-divorce#
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