Pennsylvania Name Change Petition
In Pennsylvania an adult files a name change petition in the Court of Common Pleas, publishes notice in two newspapers, and files a search showing no judgments or liens. 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 signs the decree the new name becomes the person's legal name. In Pennsylvania you file the petition in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where you reside (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). Pennsylvania has one of the more involved processes: your petition must give any residence you have had for the five years before filing, and before the court will decree the change you must publish notice in two newspapers of general circulation in the county and present an official search showing there are no judgments, decrees of record, or other liens against you (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). After a hearing, the court may enter the decree if it is satisfied there is no lawful objection. Pennsylvania also limits who may change a name: a felony conviction blocks a change until two years after the sentence is completed, and certain violent or sexual offenses bar it entirely (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 702). After the decree is entered, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Pennsylvania driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Pennsylvania name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
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Key Things to Know
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In Pennsylvania a name change petition is filed in the Court of Common Pleas to legally change an adult's own name, and before the decree you must publish in two newspapers and show a search finding no judgments or liens against you.
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You file the petition in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where you reside (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
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Your petition must state any residence you have had for the five years before the date of the petition (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
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Before the decree, you must publish notice of the petition in two newspapers of general circulation in your county or a contiguous county; one of the two may be the county's official legal-notices paper (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
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You must present an official search of the proper county offices showing there are no judgments, decrees of record, or other liens against you, from each county you have lived in within the past five years (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
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A felony conviction blocks a name change until at least two years after you complete your sentence and are off probation and parole, and a conviction for certain violent or sexual offenses bars a change entirely unless you are pardoned (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 702).
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After the hearing, the court may enter a decree changing your name if it is satisfied there is no lawful objection, and you then use certified copies to update Social Security, your Pennsylvania driver license or ID, 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 Pennsylvania, 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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Pennsylvania Requirements for Name Change Petition
Court of Common Pleas in Your County
An adult name change in Pennsylvania is filed in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where the petitioner resides (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). This is the trial court of general jurisdiction in each Pennsylvania county; file in the county that is your home.
Five Year Residence History
The petition must state any residence you have had for the five years before the date of the petition (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). Gather each prior address and county, because they determine where the required judgment and lien searches must be run.
Publish Notice in Two Newspapers
Notice of the petition must be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where you reside or a contiguous county, and one of the two may be the county's official paper for legal notices (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). If publication would endanger you, ask the court whether it can seal the record or waive publication.
Official Judgment and Lien Search
You must present an official search of the proper offices of the county where you reside, and of any other county where you have resided within the five years before filing, showing there are no judgments, decrees of record, or other similar liens against you (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701). File the results with the court before the hearing.
Present Name, Proposed Name, and Reason
State your present name, the exact new name you are requesting, and the reason for the change. The court changes the name from your present name to the proposed name in its decree (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
Hearing and Decree
After publication and the required search, the court holds a hearing and may enter a decree changing your name if it is satisfied there is no lawful objection to granting the petition (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 701).
Conviction Limits
A felony conviction blocks a change until at least two years after you complete your sentence and are off probation and parole, unless pardoned; a conviction for certain offenses, including murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault, arson, kidnapping, and robbery, bars a change entirely (54 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Section 702).
Certified Copies After the Decree
After the decree is entered, order certified copies from the clerk and use them to update Social Security, your Pennsylvania driver license or ID, your passport, and other records. The filing fee is set by the court and a fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it.