Change Your Name in Nebraska

These are instructions for changing your name in the State of Nebraska under the statute 25-21-271, which allows a resident to change their first, middle, or last name for personal reasons or after marriage or divorce.

Steps

Changing Your Name After Marriage or Divorce

  1. Get a marriage certificate. Apply for marriage licenses after you have set your wedding date and complete the application between seven and 30 days beforehand. Apply with your county clerk.[1] The officiator of your wedding will send the signed license in to be recorded, after which you will receive a marriage certificate.
  2. Get a divorce certificate. After a divorce has been finalized, you may apply for a copy of the certificate from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. You must apply by mail, including with your request a check or money order made out to Vital Records, the names of the husband and wife, the city or county of divorce, the month, day, and year of the divorce, an explanation of why the divorce certificate is needed, and a photocopy of a current driver's license or state ID.[2]
    • Mail the request to Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health, Vital Records, P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065.
  3. Change your name with the Social Security Administration. Complete the SS-5 form. Gather certified copies of marriage or divorce or annulment certificate. Bring the completed SS-5 form and certified copies of marriage or divorce certificates along with a Nebraska driver's license, state ID, or passport to the SSA office. You will also need a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. citizenship certificate, or work authorization letter and I-94.[3]
    • You can also apply by mail by mailing your documents to your local SSA office along with the SS-5 form; your documents will be mailed back to you.[4]
    • You will receive your documents and new social security card with your new name by mail.
  4. Change your name on your driver's license or state ID. Provide a current Nebraska driver’s license (with photo), a non-expired U.S. passport, or your Social Security card to your local DMV office along with an Operators License-ID data form. Also, provide proof of your name change, such as your marriage certificate (original/certified copy), record of divorce (certified), or U.S. passport showing your new name. You will have to surrender your current driver's license with your old name, and pay a fee. Check with the DMV office to find out the fee.[5]
    • You will also have to provide proof of address.
  5. Change your name on your car title and registration. Visit your local DMV office in person to change your name on your vehicle registration and title. You may have to apply for title transfer or duplicate certificate of title with your new name. Bring your driver's license and be prepared to pay a fee. You can find out the fee total by contacting your DMV office directly before you go.

Changing Your name for Other Reasons

  1. Fill out a Name Change Petition. You will be required to fill in a Nebraska Name Change Petition, which will act as the official application for changing your name. You will fill in your current address and county of residence, as well as your current and desired first, middle, and last names. You will also indicate on this form why you wish to change your name.[6]
  2. File Name Change Petition to the Court. You must submit your petition to the Clerk of District Court in the county where you are a resident. There will be a filing fee—check with your county Clerk of District Court office to find out the fee. Ask the county Clerk of District Court office if the form should be notarized as well. If so, have your completed petition notarized by a notary public, which can be found at your bank. Wait to sign the form in the presence of the notary. The court will give you a case number when you file the form.[7]
  3. Publish legal notice of your name change. Call the Clerk of District Court for the name and phone number of the bailiff or hearing scheduler you must contact to schedule your hearing. Schedule your hearing for six weeks later in order to have ample time to publish legal notice. Write down the hearing date to use to complete the Legal Notice form. You must have the legal notice published in your local newspaper once per week for four consecutive weeks, and you must also have the newspaper provide the the court with proof that the notice was published accordingly. This proof will come in the form of an affidavit.[8]
  4. Fill out Decree of Name Change form and verify Legal Notice affidavit. You will need to have filled out the Decree of Name Change form prior to your hearing. Bring two copies to the hearing—one for the judge to sign and sign and file, and another for you to keep. Also, contact the Clerk of District Court to ensure that the newspaper has sent the affidavit verifying the publication of your Legal Notice.[9]
  5. Attend your hearing. You will need to attend your hearing and testify under oath about the issues raised in your petition. Afterward, the court will either agree to grant your name change or not.[10]
  6. Obtain certified Decree of Name Change. You can obtain certified copies of your Decree of Name Change from the Clerk of District Court. Now that you have completed the legal name change process, you must change your name at all public and private institutions that should be aware of your new name.[11]

Changing the Name of a Child Under 14 Years Old

  1. Complete Petition for Name Change of a Minor Child or Children. The Petition for Name Change of a Minor Child or Children form begins the process with the court to getting your child's name changed. You must file this form with the Clerk of District Court in the where you and the child whose name is being changed reside. A filing fee applies.[12]
  2. Publish legal notice of your child's name change. Call the Clerk of District Court for the name and phone number of the bailiff or hearing scheduler you must contact to schedule your hearing. Schedule your hearing for six weeks later in order to have ample time to publish legal notice. Write down the hearing date to use to complete the Legal Notice form. You must have the legal notice published in your local newspaper once per week for two consecutive weeks, and you must also have the newspaper provide the the court with proof that the notice was published accordingly. This proof will come in the form of an affidavit.[13]
  3. File Consent form. If the other parent of the child whose name will be changed agrees to the name change, you must file a consent form to this effect. You will have to give this form to the court at your hearing.[14]
  4. Send Notice to Parent form. A copy of the Notice must be sent to the other parent by certified mail within five days of newspaper publication. If the other parent pays child support, this notice must be sent to the last address provided to the Clerk of District Court. If you know the address to be outdated, you should send to this address and the current address. Keep the certified mail receipt to bring to your hearing.[15]
  5. Prepare the Decree for Name Change of a Minor Child form. Fill out the form as completely as you can before the hearing and bring at least one extra copy. The judge will keep one original copy for the court record. You can keep the other for your own personal files. Also, contact the Clerk of District Court to ensure that the newspaper has sent the affidavit verifying the publication of your Legal Notice. Bring copies of the affidavit to the hearing in case the judge wants to enter them as exhibits in the case.[16]
  6. Attend the hearing. Attend the hearing and be prepared to answer questions about your reasons for wanting to change the child's name. Contact the bailiff before your hearing to find out if your minor child will be expected in the courtroom.[17]
  7. Receive your official name change decree. Once the court had granted the name change and issued the decree, you will receive the official decree from the clerk of court. The certified copies you receive will allow you to change the minor's name on records, including social security.[18]



Tips

  • Must have divorce decree if just divorced.
  • Must have marriage certificate if just married.

Warnings

  • Must be at least 18 years of age.

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/MarriageLicense.asp
  2. ↑ http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/ced_dicert.aspx
  3. ↑ https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-01981
  4. ↑ http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.dmv.nebraska.gov/examining/replacement_process.html
  6. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  7. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  8. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  9. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  10. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  11. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  12. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
  13. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/adult-name-change
  14. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
  15. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
  16. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
  17. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
  18. ↑ https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/self-help/name-change/child-name-change
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