Maine Name Change Petition

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   A name change petition lets an adult take a new legal name by court order; Maine bars the court from requiring public notice, so unlike most states no newspaper publication runs before a Probate Court judge approves it.

2. 2

   You file the petition in the Probate Court of the county where you reside (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

3. 3

   Maine does not require newspaper publication of an adult name change; by statute the court may not require public notice before approving the change (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

4. 4

   Maine requires an adult seeking a name change to undergo a criminal history record check, and the court may also order a motor vehicle record check or credit check for any petitioner (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

5. 5

   The court may deny a petition it believes is sought to defraud another person or entity or is otherwise contrary to the public interest, with a rebuttable presumption of improper purpose for a petitioner under official supervision or required to register as a sex offender (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

6. 6

   On request, the Probate Court may make the name change record confidential where your interest in confidentiality outweighs the public interest, considering factors such as being a victim of abuse or fear for your safety (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

7. 7

   The statutory filing fee for a name change petition is $75; a fee waiver may be available if you cannot afford it, and after the order you order certified copies to update Social Security, your Maine driver's license or ID, your passport, and other records (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

Maine Requirements for Name Change Petition

• Probate Court in Your County of Residence

  An adult name change in Maine is filed in the Probate Court of the county where the petitioner resides. By statute, a person may petition to change that person's name in the Probate Court in the county where the person resides (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). Each Maine county has its own Probate Court.

• Residency and Venue

  You file in the Probate Court of the county where you reside (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). Maine sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you file, so file in your home county to avoid a venue problem.

• No Newspaper Publication Required

  Maine does not require newspaper publication of an adult name change. By statute the court may not require public notice before approving the name change (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). Because no publication is required, no safety waiver of publication is needed; confidentiality of the record can instead be requested from the court.

• Present Name and Proposed New Name

  The petition states your present legal name, your date of birth and address, and the exact new name you are requesting, along with the reason for the change (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its decree.

• Reason and Good Faith

  State the reason for the change and that it is made in good faith. The court may deny a petition it believes is sought to defraud another person or entity or is otherwise contrary to the public interest, with a rebuttable presumption of improper purpose for a petitioner under official supervision or required to register as a sex offender (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701).

• Criminal History Record Check

  Maine requires an adult seeking a name change to undergo a criminal history record check, and the court may also order a motor vehicle record check or credit check for any petitioner, the cost of which may be borne by the petitioner (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). A criminal record does not automatically bar a change.

• Confidentiality Option

  On request, the Probate Court may make the name change record confidential where the adult's interest in maintaining confidentiality outweighs the public interest, considering factors such as being a victim of abuse or a reasonable fear for safety (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701). This option can matter for petitioners changing a name for safety reasons.

• Filing Fee and Certified Copies

  The statutory filing fee for a name change petition is $75 (Title 18-C, Maine Revised Statutes, Section 1-701); a fee waiver may be available if you cannot afford it. After the decree is signed, order certified copies from the court and use them to update Social Security, your Maine driver's license or ID, your passport, and other records.