Arizona Name Change Petition
In Arizona an adult files a name change application in the Superior Court of the county where they live, and newspaper publication is required only if the court orders it. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and once the judge enters judgment the new name becomes the person's legal name. In Arizona you file an application for change of name in the Superior Court in the county where you reside (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). Arizona does not automatically require newspaper publication: the court may order notice by publication or by service on interested parties only if it deems it proper (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602). Your application must state, under penalty of perjury, whether you have a felony conviction or pending charges and that the change is sought solely for your best interest and not to commit an offense (Section 12-601). On request, the court may seal the application and judgment for a person protected by an order of protection or injunction against harassment or a victim of stalking, keeping the record confidential (Section 12-601(F)). After judgment is entered, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Arizona driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Arizona name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name; when the court enters judgment, that new name becomes your legal name.
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You file an application for change of name in the Superior Court in the county where you reside (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601).
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Newspaper publication is not automatic in Arizona. The court may order notice by publication or by service on interested parties only if it deems it proper (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602).
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Your application must state, under penalty of perjury, whether you have a felony conviction, whether felony charges are pending, that you are not changing your name to commit an offense, and that the change is solely for your best interest (Section 12-601).
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On request, the court may seal the application and judgment, and keep them confidential, for a person protected under an order of protection or injunction against harassment or a victim of stalking (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601(F)).
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A victim as defined in Section 13-4401 or a prosecutor has standing to contest a name change before judgment is entered or up to one year after (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601(D)).
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The change of name does not release you from obligations incurred in your original name (Section 12-602(B)). After judgment, order certified copies to update Social Security, your Arizona driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Arizona, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Name Change Petition guide walks through them.
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Arizona Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Arizona is filed in the Superior Court in the county where the applicant resides. A person who desires to change their name may file an application in the superior court in the county of the person's residence, setting forth the reasons and the name they wish to adopt (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601).
You file in the Superior Court in the county of your residence (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). Arizona sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you file the application.
Newspaper publication is not automatic in Arizona. If, upon the filing of the application, the court deems it proper that notice be given, it may order that notice be given by publication or by service on any interested party (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602). Check with your Superior Court about what notice, if any, it will order.
The application must set forth your present name, the reasons for the change, and the name you wish to adopt (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). The court may enter judgment that the adopted name be substituted for the original name.
You must state, under penalty of perjury, whether you have a felony conviction, whether felony charges are pending, that you are not changing your name to that of another to commit an offense, that the application is solely for your best interest, and that the change will not release you from obligations in your original name (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601).
State that the change is made in good faith and not to defraud a creditor, evade a legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any unlawful purpose. A victim as defined in Section 13-4401 or a prosecutor has standing to contest the change before judgment or up to one year after, and the court may set aside a judgment on entry of certain convictions (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601).
On request, the court may seal the change of name application and judgment, and the information is not a public record, for a person protected under an order of protection or injunction against harassment or a victim of stalking (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601(F)). Ask the court to seal the record when you file.
The change of name does not release you from obligations incurred, or destroy rights of property or action held, in your original name (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602). After judgment is entered, order certified copies to update Social Security, your Arizona driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
A name change petition is the court document an adult files in Arizona to legally change their own name. You file an application in the Superior Court stating your present name, the new name you wish to adopt, and your reasons, and you confirm under penalty of perjury that the change is solely for your best interest and not to commit an offense. After any notice the court orders, a judge may enter judgment substituting the adopted name for the original name (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601).
In Arizona you file an application for change of name in the Superior Court in the county where you reside, pay the filing fee or request a waiver, and complete the penalty-of-perjury disclosures about felony convictions or pending charges (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). Newspaper publication is required only if the court orders it (Section 12-602). If the court enters judgment, it substitutes your adopted name for your original name, and you then use certified copies to update your records.
Not automatically. Arizona does not make newspaper publication mandatory. Under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602, if the court deems it proper that notice be given, it may order that notice of the application be given by publication or by service on any interested party. Whether notice is required is left to the court, so check with the Superior Court in your county about what notice, if any, it will order in your case.
An adult name change in Arizona is heard by the Superior Court. By statute, a person who desires to change their name may file an application in the superior court in the county of the person's residence (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). Filing in the wrong county can delay your case, so file in the county where you live.
Arizona requires you to file in the Superior Court in the county of your residence (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). The statute does not set a fixed number of months you must have lived in Arizona or the county before filing; the key requirement is that you reside in the county where you file the application.
Yes, in qualifying cases. On request of a person who files an application, an Arizona court may seal the change of name application and judgment, and the information is not a public record (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601(F)). This is available to a person protected under an order of protection or injunction against harassment, or a victim of an offense involving stalking. Ask the court to seal the record when you file.
Yes. The court considers the penalty-of-perjury disclosures in your application and may deny a change sought to commit or further an offense or to evade the legal consequences of a conviction (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-601). A victim as defined in Section 13-4401 or a prosecutor has standing to contest the change before judgment or up to one year after, and the court may set aside a judgment on entry of certain convictions. As long as the request is lawful and complete, courts routinely grant adult name changes.
Once the Superior Court enters judgment changing your name, order several certified copies from the clerk. Use them to update your Social Security record first, then your Arizona driver license or ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. Remember that the change does not release you from obligations incurred in your original name (Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-602(B)). Keep at least one certified copy for your records.