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Oklahoma Name Change Forms | Petition

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Oklahoma Name Change Forms | Petition

Updated February 08, 2024

Oklahoma name change forms allow adults to legally change their name if they have lived in the state for at least 30 days. The petition must be submitted to a district court for approval. Under state law, anyone registered as a sex offender is not eligible for a name change.

Name Change After Marriage

To change your name after a marriage, a petition is not required. You can indicate your desired name on the marriage license application. Once the marriage is official, the Marriage License will reflect the legal name change. Obtain certified copies of the license from the court clerk in the county where it was issued. The fee for obtaining certified copies will vary depending on the county.

Name Change After Divorce

To change a name after a divorce, include the desired change on the marital settlement agreement and divorce decree, which will act as proof of the legal name change once signed by a judge. Obtain certified copies of the divorce decree from the court clerk in the county where the divorce was issued.

How to Change Your Name (8 steps)

  1. Complete Petition for Name Change
  2. Notarize Petition
  3. Complete Notice of Hearing
  4. Complete Order for Name Change
  5. Submit Forms to Court Clerk
  6. Publish Notice
  7. Attend Hearing
  8. Obtain Certified Copies of Order

1. Complete Petition for Name Change

To be eligible to apply for a change of name in Oklahoma, you must have been a resident of the county where you are applying for at least 30 days, and cannot be required to register as a sex offender.[1] If you meet these criteria, fill out the Petition for Name Change, which states your basic information, your requested name change, and your reason for the desired name change.

Refrain from signing until step 2.

2. Notarize Petition

The Petition for Name Change must be notarized. Take the completed form to a notary public, who will verify your identity. You must also sign and print your name on the Verification Form in front of the notary public, who will then complete their portion of the form.

3. Complete Notice of Hearing

Oklahoma requires that name change applicants publish a notice of their petition in a newspaper in order to alert those who may object.[2] If you have a valid reason for not wanting notice of the name change published, such as if you have been a victim of domestic violence, you will be able to ask the court to waive the notice requirement, and potentially seal the proceedings.[3]

If you do not plan to oppose publication, fill out the Notice of Hearing. It should only be partially filled out, with your current name, the name you hope to adopt, and your current signature on the form. The rest will be completed by a county clerk once the forms have been filed and a hearing date has been set.

4. Complete Order for Name Change

The Order for Name Change must be completed in a similar manner as the Notice of Hearing. This is the document that a judge will ultimately sign to approve a change of name, but it must be prepared before you are granted a hearing. Include all the required personal information (name, county, birth certificate number, signature), and the judge will fill in the rest once they have approved your name change.

5. Submit Forms to Court Clerk

Make at least two copies of the above forms. Bring the original forms and copies to the court clerk for the county where you reside and pay the filing fee. The state has a base-level filing fee of $85 for a name change.[4] However, many counties have local, supplemental fees that may increase the amount.

Once the Petition for Name has been filed, the clerk will assign a judge and hearing date for your case. At this point, the clerk will complete and sign your Notice of Hearing.

6. Publish Notice

The Notice of Hearing must be published in a newspaper of general circulation for at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing. You can ask the clerk about how to get the notice published. Depending on where in the state you live, the court may be able to provide the notice to the newspaper, or you may have to get it to the newspaper’s offices.

7. Attend Hearing

Bring all of your paperwork to the hearing, where you will appear before a judge to answer questions about your desired name change. At the conclusion of the hearing, they will sign the Order for Name Change, making it official.

The judge may ask to hear testimony or receive other evidence about the name change, such as the reason you are seeking it. Judges generally must approve name change petitions unless they believe they a petition is being sought for a fraudulent purpose, or that it contains a material falsehood.[5]

8. Obtain Certified Copies of Order

Take the signed Order for Name Change to the court clerk and ask them to make certified copies of it. These certified copies will serve as legal proof of your name change when updating your information with the Social Security Administration, Department of Public Safety, and more.

Driver’s License

To update your name on your driver’s license, visit a licensing center or licensed operator. Bring one of the following documents to prove your name change:[6]

  • Original or certified marriage certificate
  • Original or certified divorce decree
  • Original or certified Order for Name Change

You should also bring a document proving your Oklahoma residency, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or W-2.

Voter Registration

To update your voter registration with your new name, use the OK Voter Portal to make the appropriate changes. You may also submit a new Voter Registration Application to your County Election Board by mail or in person.

The deadline to update your registration is the same as the deadline to register to vote. Under state law, voter registration must be updated at least 24 days prior to an election in order to be eligible to vote.[7]

Sources

  1. Okla. Stat. tit. 12 § 1631
  2. Okla. Stat. tit. 12 § 1633(a)
  3. Okla. Stat. tit. 12 § 1633(b)
  4. Oklahoma Supreme Court: Uniform Fee Schedule
  5. Okla. Stat. tit. 12 § 1634
  6. Service Oklahoma: Required Documents
  7. Oklahoma State Election Board: Update Voter Registration