Minnesota Name Change Petition
In Minnesota an adult files a name change application in the District Court of the county where they live after six months of residency, and proves identity in person with at least two witnesses. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition, which Minnesota calls an application, is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and Minnesota has you appear in person and prove your identity through at least two witnesses instead of publishing notice in a newspaper. In Minnesota you file the application in the District Court of the county where you live, and you must have resided in Minnesota for six months before applying (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). Minnesota does not require an adult to publish notice of the name change in a newspaper. Instead, you appear personally before the court and prove your identity by at least two witnesses (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). Upon meeting those requirements, the court grants the application unless it finds an intent to defraud or mislead (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (a)). If the change is made in connection with your participation in a witness and victim protection program, the court seals the name change court records from public access (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 2). After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Minnesota driver's license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Minnesota name change application from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
In Minnesota a name change petition is called an application: the District Court document an adult files, after residing in the state for six months, to take a new legal name, which the court grants unless it finds an intent to defraud or mislead.
- 2
You file the application in the District Court of the Minnesota county where you live, and you must have resided in Minnesota for six months before applying (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1).
- 3
Minnesota does not require an adult applicant to publish notice of the name change in a newspaper; instead you appear in person and prove identity by at least two witnesses (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1).
- 4
If the name change is made in connection with your participation in a witness and victim protection program, the court orders that the court records are not accessible to the public (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 2).
- 5
Upon meeting the requirements of section 259.10, the court grants the application unless it finds an intent to defraud or mislead, or another statutory bar applies (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (a)).
- 6
If you have a criminal record, the court and you must report the granted name change to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension within ten days (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (b)).
- 7
After the order is signed, order certified copies to update Social Security, your Minnesota driver's license or ID, your passport, and other records. The fee required by law is paid to the county recorder and court administrator, and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Name Change Petition in Minnesota, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Name Change Petition guide walks through them.
Open the Name Change Petition guideCustomize your Name Change Petition Template with DocDraft
Minnesota Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Minnesota is filed in the District Court of the county where the applicant resides. A person who has resided in this state for six months may apply to the district court in the county where the person resides to change the person's name (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1).
You must have resided in Minnesota for six months before applying, and you file in the district court of the county where you live (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). The application states your present name, the name proposed, and that you meet this six-month residency requirement.
Minnesota does not require an adult applicant to publish notice of a name change in a newspaper. Instead, Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1 requires you to appear personally before the court and prove identity by at least two witnesses. A publication step arises only in a minor's case when a non-applicant parent cannot be personally served.
Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1 requires the applicant to appear personally before the District Court and prove identity by at least two witnesses. Bring two people who can attest to your identity to your court appearance, along with the completed application and any required identity documents.
The application must state your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting, along with your residence in the county where you file (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its order (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (a)).
Upon meeting the requirements of section 259.10, the court shall grant the application unless it finds an intent to defraud or mislead, or another statutory bar applies (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (a)). 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.
If you have a criminal record, Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (b) requires the court to report the granted name change to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension within ten days, and you have the same ten-day reporting duty. Failing to report as required is a gross misdemeanor, so disclose any convictions truthfully in the application.
If your name change is made in connection with your participation in a witness and victim protection program, the court orders that the court records are not accessible to the public (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 2). After the order is signed, order certified copies from the court administrator to update Social Security, your Minnesota driver's license or ID, and your passport. The fee required by law is paid to the county recorder and court administrator, and a fee waiver is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
A name change petition, called an application in Minnesota, is the court document an adult files in the District Court to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name and the new name you want, confirm you have lived in Minnesota for six months, give the reason, and swear the change is not made to defraud or mislead anyone. After you appear in person and prove identity by two witnesses, a judge grants the change and the new name becomes your legal name (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10 and section 259.11).
In Minnesota you file an Application for Change of Name in the District Court of the county where you live, after residing in the state for six months, and pay the fee required by law or request a fee waiver. You appear personally before the court and prove your identity by at least two witnesses (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). No newspaper publication is required for an adult. Once the court grants the application, you use certified copies of the order to update your records.
No. Minnesota does not require an adult applicant to publish notice of a name change in a newspaper. Instead of publication, Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1 requires you to appear personally before the District Court and prove your identity by at least two witnesses. A publication step only arises in a minor's case when a non-applicant parent cannot be personally served, which is a different process from an adult name change.
An adult name change in Minnesota is heard by the District Court. By statute, a person who has resided in the state for six months may apply to the District Court in the county where the person resides to change the person's name (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). Filing in the wrong county can delay your Minnesota case, so file in the county where you actually live.
Yes. Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1 lets a person who has resided in this state for six months apply to the District Court in the county where the person resides. That six-month Minnesota residency is a firm requirement, and you file in the county where you currently live. The application states that you meet this residency requirement.
Yes. Minnesota is one of the states that requires you to appear personally before the District Court and prove your identity by at least two witnesses (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 1). Upon meeting the requirements of section 259.10, the court grants the application unless it finds an intent to defraud or mislead or another statutory bar applies (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (a)).
Yes, in a specific situation. If the court determines that your Minnesota name change is made in connection with your participation in a witness and victim protection program, the court orders that the court records of the name change are not accessible to the public (Minnesota Statutes section 259.10, subdivision 2). Sealed records may still be released to a law enforcement or corrections agency for a lawful investigation.
Once the Minnesota District Court signs the order changing your name, order several certified copies from the court administrator. Use them to update your Social Security record first, then your Minnesota driver's license or ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. If you have a criminal record, remember the ten-day report to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (Minnesota Statutes section 259.11, paragraph (b)). Keep at least one certified copy for your records.