How Do I Legally Change My Last Name in Maryland

If you only correct a first or middle name AND you were born in Maryland, you may NOT have to go through the court-ordered process. We encourage you to contact the Maryland Vital Records Department/Agency. For contact information for the Maryland State Vital Records Office, see www.vitalrec.com/md.html. You can also contact your local clerk for more information. Most name changes are granted, but the law gives the court the power to deny a person`s name change application. Therefore, the court may dismiss an application for a change of name if there is a reason to reject the application. Not sure if you`re willing to pay for a help service? We`ve outlined the full name change process for Maryland residents below. Find out what it takes to adopt a new name and decide if outsourcing work is something you`re interested in. (FYI: HitchSwitch plans start at $39.) Read on to learn all the steps to change your name to Maryland. You`ll need additional copies of the order to change your ID to your new name — like your Social Security card and driver`s license — before you can change the name on your bank account, credit card, paycheck, at your child`s school, etc. If you change your name based on your gender identity, tell the court about your sex and desired gender.

This is important if you change your gender identity (gender designation) on your birth certificate and other identification documents. Bring your marriage certificate or court-ordered name change documents with your existing Maryland driver`s license. The cost of our forms is the only fee we charge. Other costs you may incur when filing a factum with a court could include: filing fees, postage for certified mailings, fees related to signatures and seals of a notary, publication fees, and service fees. It is difficult to determine exactly what fees are required due to the different circumstances associated with legal actions or cases. In addition, the processes and requirements for a name change application sometimes vary from county to county or even from courthouse to courthouse. We recommend that you contact your local clerk for information on the exact current cost of these fees. If you are an adult who chooses to change your name, as an applicant, you must: If no one has challenged the change and everything has been done correctly, the judge can sign the name change order. If you have further questions about hearing dates related to a name change application, we encourage you to contact your local clerk with your questions. Name change actions can take anywhere from one day to six (6) months (sometimes longer). The time required to order such measures varies not only from county to county, but sometimes from courthouse to courthouse.

If time is an important factor for you to know how long a name change will take at your local courthouse, we recommend that you contact the courthouse where you wish to file your specific claim. Once the petition is submitted, a notice of name change must be published in a local newspaper. Once this requirement is met, the documents are forwarded to a judge for review. A hearing may or may not be necessary depending on the court and the circumstances. If you are not satisfied with your first name, if you are over 18 years of age and want to change your name in the state of Maryland, you must request that it be legally changed to the name you want. „So if you`re applying for a marriage license in Maryland and think you want to change your last name at any time in the future, make that change,“ Wolff says. Writing the new name does not mean that your name has been officially changed, it simply means that you intend to change it and that you can use your marriage certificate later as a legal document for name change. Before a couple marries in Maryland, they must apply for a marriage certificate in the district court of the county in which they reside. Once a marriage has taken place, the official signs the marriage certificate, after which a spouse can legally start using their partner`s surname. The person must obtain a certified copy of their marriage certificate and use it as proof of marriage to update their various records and accounts. Your Social Security number must be updated before any other form of identification.

Our name change forms cannot be used if the name change is the result of the marriage – a simpler procedure should be required. Changing your name on your passport is the same common process in the United States, but the details can vary from person to person. Visit the U.S. Department of State website for details on how to change your name in your passport based on your individual situation. If you didn`t write the desired name change on your Maryland marriage certificate — or if your name change is more complex than just taking your future spouse`s last name — you may need to apply for a name change for Maryland. You file this application with your local district court. You should contact this court for detailed instructions, but the Maryland Judiciary website offers some basic information to get you started. Once you`ve selected your paper, there`s a form on the Maryland court`s website that you can use as a certificate of publication. This is form ccdr075. You must follow the instructions on the form and attach the message that was included in the log.