Michigan Name Change Petition
In Michigan an adult files a name change petition in the family division of the circuit court after living in the county at least one year, and the court orders newspaper publication unless it seals the case for safety. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally take a new name, and Michigan requires a full year of county residency first: you must have lived in your county for at least one year before a family division judge signs the order granting it. In Michigan you file the petition in the family division of the circuit court for the county where you live, and you must have been a resident of that county for at least one year (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). You have to show a sufficient reason for the change and that it is not sought with a fraudulent intent, and you must disclose any criminal record in the petition; the court, not you, may use L.E.I.N. or ICHAT to check for a record at the court's own cost, and the current statute does not require you to be fingerprinted. The court may grant the change with or without a hearing, and unless the case is sealed it will order publication of the proceeding as provided by supreme court rule (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). Michigan protects petitioners at risk: if your petition shows good cause the court must order that no publication take place and that the record stay confidential, and good cause is presumed for victims of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or where you seek to affirm your gender identity (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3). After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Michigan driver license or ID, and other records. DocDraft builds your Michigan 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 lets an adult take a new legal name by court order; Michigan is unusual in requiring you to have lived in the county for at least one year before the family division of the circuit court can grant it.
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You file the petition in the family division of the circuit court for the county where you live (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
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Michigan requires that you have been a resident of the county where you file for not less than one year before filing (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
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You must show a sufficient reason for the change and that it is not sought with a fraudulent intent, and you must disclose any criminal record, including a pending charge, in the petition (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
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The court, not you, may use L.E.I.N. or ICHAT to check for a criminal record and bears that cost; the current statute does not require you to be fingerprinted (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
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Unless the case is sealed, the court orders publication of the proceeding as provided by supreme court rule, and it may grant the change with or without a hearing (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
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If your petition shows good cause the court must order no publication and a confidential record, and good cause is presumed for victims of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or to affirm your gender identity (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3). The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Michigan, 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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Michigan Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Michigan is filed in the family division of the circuit court for the county where the petitioner lives. By statute, the family division of the circuit court for a county may enter an order to change the name of an individual who has been a resident of the county for not less than one year (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
Michigan requires that you have been a resident of the county in which you file for not less than one year before filing the petition (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). This is a county residency requirement, so you file in the circuit court for the county where you have lived for at least the past year.
Unless the case is sealed, the court orders publication of the name change proceeding as provided by supreme court rule (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). Publication gives notice so anyone with an objection can be heard. The confidentiality provision in Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3 is the exception to this publication requirement.
If your petition shows good cause, the court must order that no publication take place and that the record of the proceeding be confidential (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3). Good cause is presumed for a petitioner or endangered individual who is a victim of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or who seeks to affirm their gender identity. The court cannot require proof of an arrest or prosecution, and the record is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
You must disclose any criminal record, including any pending charge, in the petition, or state that you have no criminal record (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). The court, not you, may use L.E.I.N. or ICHAT to check for a record and bears that cost. The current statute does not require you to be fingerprinted; an older fingerprinting requirement for petitioners 22 or older was repealed.
The petition must state your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting. The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its order (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
You must show a sufficient reason for the proposed change and that it is not sought with a fraudulent intent (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). A person with the same or a similar name may be permitted to intervene to show fraudulent intent, and a false statement intentionally included in the petition constitutes perjury.
The court may, in its discretion, enter the order with or without a hearing; if it sets a hearing, attend at the time and place ordered (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Michigan 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 Michigan to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name and the new name you want, confirm you have lived in the county for at least one year, give a sufficient reason, disclose any criminal record, and confirm the change is not sought with a fraudulent intent. After any required publication and, if the court holds one, a hearing, a family division judge signs an order that makes the new name your legal name (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1).
In Michigan you file a Petition to Change Name in the family division of the circuit court for the county where you have lived for at least one year, pay the filing fee or request a fee waiver, and disclose any criminal record (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). Unless the court seals the case, it orders publication of the proceeding as provided by supreme court rule, and it may grant the change with or without a hearing. You then use certified copies of the order to update Social Security, your Michigan driver license, and other records.
Usually yes. Unless the case is sealed, a Michigan court orders publication of the name change proceeding as provided by supreme court rule (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). But if your petition shows good cause, the court must order that no publication take place and that the record be confidential (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3). Good cause is presumed for a petitioner or an endangered individual who is a victim of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or who seeks to affirm their gender identity.
An adult name change in Michigan is heard by the family division of the circuit court for the county where you live. By statute, the family division of the circuit court for a county may enter an order to change the name of an individual who has been a resident of the county for not less than one year (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). Filing in the wrong county can delay your case, so file where you live.
Yes. Michigan requires that you have been a resident of the county in which you file for not less than one year before filing the petition (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). This is a county residency requirement, so you file in the circuit court for the county where you have lived for at least the past year. If you have not lived in your current county for a full year, you may need to wait or file where the one year rule is met.
You must disclose any criminal record, including any pending charge, in your Michigan petition, or state that you have no criminal record (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.1). The court, not you, may use L.E.I.N. or ICHAT to check for a criminal record and bears the cost of that check. The current Michigan statute does not require you to be fingerprinted; an older fingerprinting requirement for petitioners 22 or older was repealed.
Yes. If your Michigan petition shows good cause, the court must order that no publication take place and that the record of the proceeding be confidential (Michigan Compiled Laws Section 711.3). Good cause is presumed if you or an endangered individual is a victim of an assaultive crime, domestic violence, harassment, human trafficking, or stalking, or seeks to affirm their gender identity. The court cannot require proof of an arrest or prosecution, and a confidential record is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
Once the family division judge signs the order changing your name in Michigan, order several certified copies from the court clerk. Use them to update your Social Security record first, then your Michigan driver license or state ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. Each agency has its own process, but the certified order is the document that proves your new legal name. Keep at least one certified copy for your records.