Updated August 14, 2023
Wyoming name change forms allow residents of the state to petition for a legal name change through their county’s district court. Individuals changing their name because of a marriage or divorce are not required to complete these forms. In order to be eligible to petition for a name change for any other reason, the petitioner must have resided in the state for at least six months.
Name Change After Marriage
To apply for a marriage license in the State of Wyoming, both parties must be present at the county clerk’s office. At this point, it’s possible to express an intent to take a spouse’s name after marriage.
After the ceremony, the officiator will provide a marriage certificate, which will include the new name. The marriage certificate is proof of a legal name change. You can obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from the state health department’s Vital Statistics Services for a fee of $25.
Name Change After Divorce
Reverting to a maiden, or former, name after a divorce is one of the most common types of name changes. The process is simple. Indicate in the marital settlement agreement an intent to revert to another name. The judge overseeing your case will indicate this in the divorce decree.
Once the divorce is finalized, the divorce certificate can be used as proof of a legal name change. You can obtain a copy of the certificate using the link to Vital Statistics Services provided in the previous section. The fee is $25.
How to Change Your Name (8 steps)
- Petition
- Cover Sheet
- Public Notice
- Motion for Confidentiality (If Applicable)
- File Forms
- Publish Notice (If Applicable)
- Order for Name Change
- Name Change Hearing (If Applicable)
Until recently, name changes in Wyoming were only available to people who had been a resident of the county in which they were applying. However, in 2022, the state changed the law, and now your residency may have been anywhere in the state, and for only six months.[1]
1. Petition
2. Cover Sheet
3. Public Notice
By law, it is mandatory for you, the petitioner, to notify the public of your proposed name change.[3] The Notice of Publication states that you have filed a petition and provides a time limit for any individual to object to your name change. Download the Notice of Publication Form and enter your personal information. Leave the date, case number, and clerk’s signature fields blank.
If you prefer to keep your name change out of the public record, see the next step.
4. Motion for Confidentiality (If Applicable)
Name change petitions, like most court proceedings, are typically public record. However, if you are a victim of domestic abuse and believe having your name change petition made public would put you in danger, you can file a Motion for Entry of an Order Providing for Confidentiality, which would seal the case file and eliminate your obligation to publish notice of your petition.
You can include copies of an existing restraining order, or write an Affidavit in Support of Motion for Confidentiality and sign it in front of a notary public.[4] You should also fill out an Order Providing for Confidentiality Form and complete the top section of the document. The judge will fill out the rest if they approve your motion.
5. File Forms
Make copies of all the forms you have filled out thus far. The original copies must be filed with the court clerk in your county’s district court. You will be asked to pay a filing fee (typically between $70 and $120).[5]
Once you have paid, the clerk will give you a case number, which you can write on all the forms. To apply for a waiver of the filing fee, complete an Affidavit of Indigency and Request for Waiver of Filing Fees and All Fees Associated Therewith. You’ll need to get this signed by a notary public.
6. Publish Notice (If Applicable)
If you filed a Motion for Confidentiality and the judge approved it, you are not required to publish a notice of your name change petition. Otherwise, you must submit a copy of your Petition and Notice to a local newspaper.
You must contact a newspaper in your county and have them publish the Notice once a week for four consecutive weeks.[6] At some courts, the clerk may be able to arrange publication of the notice for an additional fee. The newspaper will send you an Affidavit of Publication after the last week of publication.
7. Order for Name Change
Thirty days must pass between publishing your notice and finalizing your name change. After 30 days have passed, download the Order Granting Change of Name and fill out the necessary fields except for the date and judge’s signature. File this form along with the Affidavit of Publication with the court clerk. (If your case was granted confidentiality, you can file the Order at any point in time.)
The judge will review your petition and decide whether the name change is appropriate. They will also consider any objections that have been made and, if there are none, they will sign the Order.
8. Name Change Hearing (If Applicable)
There are two reasons why you may have to appear before the judge: if the judge feels it is necessary, or if someone objects to your proposed name change. In these situations, you will be made to complete the Request to Set Name Change Hearing Form and the Notice of Name Change Hearing Form. Ask the court clerk for the date and time of your hearing and any other pertinent information. The judge or clerk may instruct you to send the Notice of Hearing to an interested party, specifically someone who objected to the name change in the first place.
On the day of your hearing, bring your Order Granting Change of Name (filled out except for the date and judge’s signature) and the Affidavit of Publication (if applicable). The judge will ask you a few questions under oath and will hear testimony from anyone present in the courtroom. If the judge approves your name change, they will sign the Order and either present it to you that day or mail it to you at a later date.
Driver’s License
The Wyoming DOT demands that you notify them of your name change 10 days after the process has been finalized. However, you are required to update your Social Security card before updating your driver’s license. To update your SS card, submit Form SS-5 along with proof of identity, proof of lawful presence in the U.S., and proof of name change to the nearest Socal Security Administrtation office. You will receive a new card in the mail within 14 business days.
Once you have received your card, you can make a trip to your local Wyoming DOT office. Bring your current driver’s license, proof of your name change, and the appropriate fee. Your new driver’s license should arrive in the mail in approximately four weeks.
Voter Registration
Another important update to make after legally changing your name is your voter information. In order to notify Wyoming Elections Office of your name change, you are required to fill out another Voter Registration Application Form. Complete all the necessary fields (except the signature field) on the form and make sure to select the checkbox at the top of the form marked “Name Change.”
Print out the form and deliver it to your county clerk’s office; a registry agent will witness your signature. Alternatively, you can print out the form, sign it in front of a notary public, and mail it to your county clerk along with copies of the appropriate identification documents. Online voter registration is not permitted in Wyoming.[7]