Mississippi Name Change Petition

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name; when the chancellor signs the decree, that new name becomes your legal name.

2. 2

   You file the petition in the Chancery Court of the county where you reside, which has jurisdiction to alter your name upon your petition (Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1).

3. 3

   Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 anchors venue to the county of your residence and sets no fixed durational residency period, so there is no statutory minimum number of months you must have lived in Mississippi before filing.

4. 4

   Unlike many states, Mississippi requires NO newspaper publication for an adult name change; Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 contains no publication, notice, or order to show cause step.

5. 5

   Because no publication is required, an adult name change under Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 does not print your requested name in a newspaper the way order to show cause states do; the statute also creates no separate sealing scheme.

6. 6

   The statute vests jurisdiction in the Chancery Court or the Chancellor in vacation, so the chancellor can consider the petition and enter a decree without waiting for a formal court term (Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1).

7. 7

   After the decree is signed, order certified copies from the chancery clerk to update Social Security, your Mississippi driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the chancery clerk, so confirm the current fee, and ask whether a poverty affidavit is available if you cannot afford it.

Mississippi Requirements for Name Change Petition

• Chancery Court in Your County of Residence

  An adult name change in Mississippi is filed in the Chancery Court of the county where the petitioner resides. The chancery court, or the chancellor in vacation, of the county of the residence of the petitioner has jurisdiction upon the petition of any person to alter that person's name (Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1).

• Residence and Venue

  You file in the Chancery Court of the county where you live, because Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 anchors jurisdiction to the county of the residence of the petitioner. Mississippi sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you file, so state your Mississippi residence in the petition.

• No Newspaper Publication Required

  Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 is a single jurisdictional statute and contains no newspaper publication, notice, or order to show cause requirement for an adult name change. Unlike states that require publishing an order once a week for several weeks before a hearing, Mississippi does not put your requested name in a newspaper as part of the process.

• Present Name and Proposed New Name

  State your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting, and ask the Chancery Court to alter your name from the one to the other under Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1. The chancellor changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in the decree.

• Reason for the Change

  State the reason for the requested name change in your petition. Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 gives the chancery court broad jurisdiction to alter a person's name upon petition and does not list statutory grounds you must prove, so a clear, lawful reason such as marriage, divorce, personal, or identity reasons is what the chancellor considers.

• Good Faith and No Fraud

  Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 does not itself set a fraud bar, but customarily state that the change is sought in good faith and not to defraud a creditor, evade a legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any unlawful purpose. A Mississippi court will not aid a name change sought for a fraudulent or unlawful purpose.

• Decree by the Chancellor

  Because Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1 vests jurisdiction in the Chancery Court or the Chancellor in vacation, the chancellor can consider your petition and enter a decree without waiting for a formal court term, and the statute sets no separate publish then hearing waiting scheme. Confirm with the local chancery clerk whether the chancellor wants to see you in person.

• Certified Copies and the Filing Fee

  After the decree is signed, order certified copies from the chancery clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Mississippi driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the chancery clerk and varies by county, so confirm the current fee, and ask whether a poverty affidavit is available if you cannot afford it (Mississippi Code Section 93-17-1).