Change Your Name in Wyoming

Title 1 Chapter 25 of Wyoming law allows a resident to change their name after marriage, after divorce, or for personal reasons. The process begins with the filing of a name change petition to the state through one of its county court clerk offices.

Steps

Changing Your Name After Marriage or Divorce

  1. Get a marriage certificate. Apply for a marriage license at the county clerk's office with both spouses present. You must have a driver's license or state ID and a certified birth certificate for each applicant. Both applicants will have to provide their mother's maiden name and both their mother's and father's place of birth. A witness will also be required. The license is good for one year after it is issued. The officiator of your wedding will provide you with a marriage certificate after the ceremony.[1]
    • You can request certified copies of your marriage certificate from Vital Records Services, Hathaway Building, Cheyenne, WY, 82002. The phone number is (307) 777-7591. You will need to fill out an application.
  2. Get a divorce or annulment certificate. After a divorce has been finalized, you may apply for a copy of the certificate. Fill out an application and mail to Vital Statistics Services (Hathaway Building, Cheyenne, WY, 82002.) with a check for $13 made payable to Vital Statistics Services. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the request.[2]
  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 Wyoming 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. Appear in person at a Wyoming Department of Transportation Driver Exam Station. You will have to surrender your current driver's license or state ID and present legal proof of your name change, such as a court order, marriage certificate, or divorce decree. After getting a new picture taken and signing for your new license, you will pay the standard renewal fee and the license will be mailed to you within four weeks.[5]

Changing Your Name for Other Reasons

  1. Complete a Civil Cover Sheet. The Civil Cover Sheet is required to initiate legal proceedings. Enter your name and address in the "Plaintiff Name and Current Address" field and leave the "Defendant" and "Docket #" fields blank.
    • Place an "X" in the box next to "Name Change" in the "Other Civil" section of the "Nature of Suit" section of the form. Leave the "Related Case(s) If Any" and "Amount in Controversy" fields blank and sign as Pro Se Litigant on the line at the bottom of the form.
    • Be sure to fill in the date as well.
  2. Complete a Verified Petition for Adult Change of Name. The petition will be filed in your District Court. You can leave the "Civil Action Case No." field blank. You will be assigned a case number when you file the petition.
    • Be sure to write in your current full first, middle, and last names in the correct field, then your desired full first, middle, and last names in the correct field.
    • Give your physical address of residence including county name where prompted. Do not give a P.O. box.
    • Include the city, country, state, and country of your birth where prompted.
    • Print your name beneath your signature and be sure to give a current phone number and address—you can use a P.O box here.
  3. Complete a Notice of Publication. This is the form that you will use to prove you published notice of your intent to change your name in accordance with Wyoming law. Leave the dates on this form blank.[6] The newspaper will provide you with the dates.
  4. Have your documents notarized. Get a notary public to notarize the Verified Petition for Adult Change of Name and the Notice of Publication. You can look for notaries in your city online or go to your bank—banks usually have notaries, and, if you are a customer, they often notarize for free.
  5. File your forms with the Clerk of District Court's office in your county where you reside and pay the filing fee. Call your county's Clerk of District Court's office to find out what the fee is—it may be $70-$100.[7] Be sure to file the original, notarized forms, but do make copies for yourself.
    • The Clerk of District Court will put a date on your petition and assign you a case number. Keep this number handy, as you will need it to put on any other forms you file in your case.
  6. Submit your Notice of Publication. After filing your Verified Petition for Adult Change of Name with the Clerk of District Court's office in your county, you must take copies of the petition and your completed Notice of Publication to a local newspaper that circulates within your county. The Clerk of District Court may be able to direct you to an acceptable newspaper's office. A notice of your petition must run once a week for four consecutive weeks. [8]
    • You will have to pay the fee to publish the notice. Call the newspaper office to find out the fee.
  7. Get your Affidavit of Publication. After successful publication of your notice once a week for four consecutive weeks, the newspaper will provide you with an Affidavit of Publication, which proves to the court you made public notice. Make copies of this affidavit for yourself.
    • You will have to wait 30 days from the last of your four publications of your notice before you can complete the process.
  8. Complete the Order Granting Change of Name form. Once 30 days have passed since the last publication of your notice, and provided no one has filed an objection, you can complete the Order Granting Change of Name form. Leave the date and the field for the District Court Judge's signature blank.[9]
    • Take the completed Order Granting Change of Name form and Affidavit of Publication that the newspaper gave you after successful publication of your notice to the Clerk of District Court's office.
  9. Receive the order for your new name. Provided the judge concludes that everything is in order, he or she will sign your Order Granting Change of Name. The Clerk of District Court's office will mail you the signed order.[10]

Changing the Name of a Child Under 14 Years Old

  1. Complete a Civil Cover Sheet. The Civil Cover Sheet is required to initiate legal proceedings. Enter your name and address in the "Plaintiff Name and Current Address" field and leave the "Defendant" and "Docket #" fields blank.
    • Place an "X" in the box next to "Name Change" in the "Other Civil" section of the "Nature of Suit" section of the form. Leave the "Related Case(s) If Any" and "Amount in Controversy" fields blank and sign as Pro Se Litigant on the line at the bottom of the form.
    • Be sure to fill in the date as well.
  2. Complete a Verified Petition for Minor Change of Name.[11] The petition will be filed in your District Court. You can leave the "Civil Action Case No." field blank. You will be assigned a case number when you file the petition.
    • Be sure to write in the child's current full first, middle, and last names in the correct field, then your desired full first, middle, and last names in the correct field.
    • Give the child's physical address of residence including county name where prompted. Do not give a P.O. box.
    • Include the city, country, state, and country of the minor's birth where prompted.
    • You will sign the petition on behalf of your minor child. Print your name beneath your signature and be sure to give a current phone number and address—you can use a P.O box here.
    • This form must also be notarized.
  3. Complete the Parental Consent to Name Change of Minor Child form. If both parents of the minor child agree to the name change, but only one parent is filing the petition, have the non-filing parent fill out this form. This form must also be notarized.[12]
  4. Complete Public Notice by Publication form. This form will be submitted to the newspaper when you publish notice of your intention to change the minor's name in accordance with Wyoming law. Complete the form to have ready for the newspaper when you set up the publication. Leave the date and signature fields blank—the clerk of court will complete these fields before you bring the form to the newspaper.[13]
    • Victims of domestic violence are not required to publish notice of their name change. Check with your clerk of court if you are a victim for instructions on how the process is different for you.
  5. Give non-filing parents notice of the name change. If both parents are not filing the petition together, the non-filing parent must have sufficient notice. This can be accomplished by having the sheriff serve the non-filing parent with papers, which requires a Summons and Return for Minor Name Change form.[14]
    • You can bypass formal summons by having the non-filing parent accept service. In this case, the non-filing parent must sign a Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Service form in the presence of the clerk of court or a notary.
    • If the non-filing parent cannot be located, you can publish notice of the name change in the newspaper in addition to the publication of notice already required. You will need an Affidavit for Service by Publication, an Order for Service by Publication, a Notice of Publication, and an Affidavit Following Service by Publication.
  6. File forms and publish notice. File your completed forms with the clerk of court. Be sure to make copies for yourself. You will also have to pay a filing fee of $70-$100. At this point, you will receive a case number. You will then be able to bring your Public Notice by Publication form to your local newspaper to publish your notice (at least once per week for four consecutive weeks). You are responsible for the publication fee.[15]
  7. Give notice to non-filing parent. If you are not filing the name change with the minor child's other parent, you will need to give the non-filing parent notice. They have 30 days to respond. If the non-filing parent fails to respond, you will need to have a default entered into the case record. To do this, you will need a notarized Affidavit for Entry of Default, an Application for Entry of Default, and an Entry of Default.[16]
  8. Complete your case. Bring an Order Granting Change of Name form filled out with the date and signature fields left blank along with the Affidavit of Publication and copies of all other forms (just in case) to the clerk of courts. The judge will sign the order and send it to you by mail. In some cases, you may need to attend a hearing. The clerk of courts will direct you should this be necessary.[17]



Tips

  • If you recently divorced, you must have divorce decree.
  • If you recently married, you must have marriage certificate.
  • Wyoming has specific guidelines for victims of domestic abuse—check here for instructions.
  • You may be required to go to a hearing even if no objections are filed. Information about that process and the process for if an objection is filed are available here.
  • Don't forget to also change your name on your car registration, bank accounts, credit cards, leases or mortgages, car titles, voter registration and your U.S. passport.
  • Change your name at places of business that you frequent also, including your files at any medical or dental offices and on post office boxes.

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://www.usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/wyoming/
  2. ↑ http://www.health.wyo.gov/rfhd/vital_records/marriagedivorce.html
  3. ↑ https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-01981
  4. ↑ http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.dmv.org/wy-wyoming/changing-your-name.php
  6. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/7115/5895/9527/Instructions_for_adult_name_change_forms_-_Oct_2015.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/7115/5895/9527/Instructions_for_adult_name_change_forms_-_Oct_2015.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/7115/5895/9527/Instructions_for_adult_name_change_forms_-_Oct_2015.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/7115/5895/9527/Instructions_for_adult_name_change_forms_-_Oct_2015.pdf
  10. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/7115/5895/9527/Instructions_for_adult_name_change_forms_-_Oct_2015.pdf
  11. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  12. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  13. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  14. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  15. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  16. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
  17. ↑ http://www.legalhelpwy.org/application/files/2415/5869/5644/INSTRUCTIONS_for_minor_name_change_forms.revised.pdf
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