Legal · free calculator
Legal name change cost calculator
Total cost to legally change your name — court filing, publication requirement, certified copies, and downstream document updates (driver's license, passport, SSA).
Total cost
Show the work
- Court costs$475
- Publication$200
- Document update fees$165
Name change — a fixed-cost project most people overpay
The legal name change petition itself is cheap. Where money disappears: publication requirements (some states require you to print your old + new name in a newspaper for 4 weeks), per-page certified copy fees, and the cascade of document updates after.
The full sequence
- File petition in superior or probate court ($150-700 by state)
- Publish notice (if required) — $150-300 in classifieds
- Court hearing (often pro forma)
- Certified copies of the order ($10-25 each — get 5+)
- Driver's license update ($35)
- Passport book replacement ($130 if updating)
- Social Security card (free)
- Bank, employer, IRS, schools, etc. (all free, but time)
States that don't require publication
Less than half. Common no-publication states: KY, MI, MN, OR, RI, VT. Common publication states: CA, NY, NJ, OH, FL.
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