Updated February 17, 2024
Arizona name change forms can be used to legally change the name of an adult residing in the State. All documents must be filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the applicant resides. If a name is being changed due to a marriage or divorce, the process is less convoluted, and the individual may change their name when executing their licensing documents or divorce decree.
Name Change After Marriage
Changing your name for the purpose of adopting your spouse’s last name can be accomplished when signing your Arizona marriage licensing documents. At the time that the forms are being filled out, you can specify a new name which can be assumed once the process has been finalized.
The spouse seeking to change their name should bring their Arizona Marriage License, provided by the Clerk of the Superior Court, to government offices and agencies to request their name change. The marriage license will serve as proof that the spouse’s name has changed, and may be used to update a social security card, driver’s license, and other forms of identification.
If you do not have a marriage license, you can obtain one from the Clerk of the Superior Court in your county of residence. The process will usually require filling out an application and making an appointment, but some counties offer an online marriage license program for Arizona residents.
Name Change After Divorce
A spouse is able to use a certified copy of a Divorce Decree to change their name at applicable government offices and agencies.
When filing for divorce, a spouse seeking to change their name must indicate in the Marital Settlement Agreement their intent to change their name back to what it was before the marriage. If granted by the presiding judge, the former name will be added as part of the divorce decree which can be used as evidence to change one’s name.
To obtain a certified copy of a divorce decree, request one from the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the record is located. This copy can then be used to change the name found on a driver’s license, social security card, and bank account.
How to Change Your Name (8 steps)
- Verify Qualification
- Complete the Petition
- File with the Clerk of Court
- Schedule a Hearing
- Prepare Notifications
- Seek Consent
- Publish Notice (If Necessary)
- Attend Hearing
1. Verify Qualification
In Arizona, those petitioning to change their name may do so only because they believe it is in their best interest, and may specifically not do so in order to commit or further criminal activity.[1] Those considering a name change should also know that changing one’s name does not remove any debts or other obligations attached to the previous name.[2]
Petitioners should also be prepared to disclose all past felony convictions and any pending felony cases. While these do not prohibit a person from changing their name, judges may set aside or deny a name change application for convictions of offenses related to “false statements or misrepresentations about the person’s identity.”[3]
2. Complete the Petition
The applicant must complete the Application for a Change of Name for an Adult (Form CVNC11F). The websites of the Superior Court in each county offer a form that can be downloaded, or obtained in person at courthouse locations.
The application will ask for identifying biographical information, including other names or aliases that the applicant has used in the past, as well as an explanation of the reason or reasons that the applicant is seeking a name change.[4] The applicant should sign the petition before a notary.
3. File with the Clerk of Court
Name change applications should be filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court for the applicant’s county of residence. Along with the original application, applicants will need to submit two photocopies (the copies will be returned once the clerk has date-stamped them). As with all civil filings in the state, the document must also contain a Civil Cover Sheet, which may be obtained from the clerk.
Applicants will need to pay the filing fee at this time. The fee for an adult name change outside of marriage or divorce is $188.[5] Those who are unable to pay can use Form AOCDFGF99AZ to apply for a fee waiver or deferral.
4. Schedule a Hearing
Contact the court administration to schedule a hearing before a judge regarding the name change application. This process is done over the phone, and the number to call will be available from the clerk when you file with the clerk.
You must wait at least four business days from the date the application was submitted before scheduling a hearing. The timing of the hearing will vary. There are also minimum time requirements addressed in the following section.
5. Prepare Notifications
Arizona requires those petitioning for a name change to obtain the consent of “interested parties.” Interested parties are those who would be impacted by the name change petition. They include your spouse if you are married, and, if you have a child under the age of 18, the other parent of that child.
Counties will typically include all of the necessary notifications as part of the Application for a Change of Name for an Adult. If not, versions of the form are available online from the Self-Service Center. Begin by filling out the Notice of Hearing Form, which can be found either attached to the name change application or obtained from the court clerk.
Include the date, time, and location of the hearing scheduled in Step 4. You will need at least two photocopies of this form, while the original will be provided to the court clerk. All interested parties receive copies of the Notice of Hearing Form and the date-stamped Application for a Change of Name for an Adult.
6. Seek Consent
If you are married, and your spouse consents to the name change, have them fill out a Marital Waiver of Notice. If you have a child with another person and are not married to that person, they must fill out a Parental Waiver of Notice. In either case, ask the interested party to fill out an Acceptance of Service, which will be either included in the Application for a Change of Name for an Adult or available from the Clerk of the Superior Court. Both the notice waiver and the service acceptance should be filled out in front of a notary.
If the interested party does not consent to the name change, or if you are unable to get in contact with them to find out, you still must make an effort to provide them with notice.
You can provide them with the Notice of Hearing and your completed application by certified mail. The forms must be mailed at least 30 days before the date of the hearing, and you must fill out an Affidavit of Service, available from the clerk or in the name change application, and have it notarized. Retain the postcard you receive confirming that the forms were delivered, and bring it and the affidavit with you to the hearing.
7. Publish Notice (If Necessary)
If you are uncertain of where an interested party is living, you may arrange to have the Notice of Hearing published in a newspaper. If the interested party’s last known address is in the county where you are filing the name change request, a newspaper of general circulation in that county is sufficient; if the address is in a different county, you must arrange for publication in two newspapers, one in that county, and one in the county where you are filing for a name change.
When requesting publication, inform the newspaper’s classified advertising staff that the notice must run at least once a week for four weeks, and that at the end of four weeks, you will require an Affidavit of Publication.
8. Attend Hearing
Attend the hearing at the scheduled date and time. Bring the following documents:
- Two copies of the Order Changing Name for an Adult. This document can be found at the end of the Application for a Change of Name for an Adult packet. This form will be completed by the judge at the conclusion of the hearing, but it is the applicant’s responsibility to have the form ready.
- Photo identification
- Copy of government-issued birth certificate (not hospital issued)
- Certified copies of all forms filed thus far
- Prior name change orders (if any)
- Proof of naturalization or resident alien status (if applicable)
- Copies of Orders of Protection and/or Injunctions Against Harassment still in effect (if applicable)
- Passport or proof of immigration status (if not a U.S. citizen)
After reviewing your submission, the judge will decide whether to grant your name change request. If approved, you should immediately update your personal identification documents, bank and credit card accounts, driver’s license, and other items which have your previous name on file. You may obtain additional certified copies of the name change order at the hearing for an additional fee.
Driver’s License
Before attempting to change the name on your driver’s license, you must notify the federal Social Security Administration (SSA) of your new name. This can be accomplished by submitting an Application for a Social Security Card to the nearest SSA Office.
Once the application has been submitted, wait at least two days before attempting to change the name on your driver’s license. However, it is best to avoid waiting much longer, because you are also required to notify the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) within 10 days of the name change hearing.[6]
You can change complete the driver’s license name change process by visiting the nearest Arizona MVD. You will be required to provide identification for both the previous and current name. Only the following documents are acceptable, and must be either originals or certified copies:
- Marriage license or certificate
- Divorce Decree
- Court order
- Citizenship or naturalization certificate
Voter Registration
As soon as you have an Arizona driver’s license reflecting the changed name, or another form of ID issued by the MVD, you may update your voter information. This may be done online through the state’s Service Arizona platform, or filing an Arizona Voter Registration Form at the office of the recorder for your county of residence.