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Utah Name Change Petition

In Utah an adult files a name change petition in the district court of the county where they live after a year of county residency, and the court decides what notice, if any, is given. Attorney review available.

Introduction

A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and Utah is unusual in fixing no set publication period: the court decides what notice, if any, the hearing needs before ordering the change that makes your new name legal. In Utah you file the petition in the district court of the county where you live, and you must have been a bona fide resident of that county for the year immediately prior to filing (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). Utah does not require newspaper publication as an automatic step. Instead, the court orders what, if any, notice of the hearing must be given, and it may grant the change upon proof in open court of the allegations of your petition and that proper cause exists (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). A person who is an offender as defined in Section 64-13-1 may not file, and a petitioner must state on the petition whether they are required to register under the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). A Utah name change does not affect any pending legal action or any right, title, or interest (Utah Code Section 42-1-3). After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Utah driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Utah name change petition from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name; in Utah a district court judge may order it only on proof in open court of your petition's allegations and that proper cause exists, and that order makes the new name legal.

  2. 2

    You file the petition in the district court of the county where you live (Utah Code Section 42-1-1).

  3. 3

    Utah requires you to have been a bona fide resident of that county for the year immediately prior to filing the petition (Utah Code Section 42-1-1).

  4. 4

    Utah does not automatically require newspaper publication; the court orders what, if any, notice of the hearing shall be given (Utah Code Section 42-1-2).

  5. 5

    The court may order the change of name upon proof in open court of the allegations of your petition and that proper cause exists for granting it (Utah Code Section 42-1-2).

  6. 6

    A person who is an offender as defined in Section 64-13-1 may not file, and every petitioner must indicate whether they are required to register under the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry (Utah Code Section 42-1-1).

  7. 7

    A Utah name change does not affect any pending legal action or any right, title, or interest (Utah Code Section 42-1-3). After the order, use certified copies to update records; 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 Utah, 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 guide

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF UTAH [JUDICIAL DISTRICT] JUDICIAL DISTRICT, [COUNTY] COUNTY

In re the Change of Name of [CURRENT LEGAL NAME], Petitioner.

Case No. ______________

PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME (Utah Code Section 42-1-1 et seq.)

Petitioner respectfully alleges:

  1. Petitioner. Petitioner's present legal name is [CURRENT LEGAL NAME]. Petitioner is over 18 years of age and resides at [STREET ADDRESS], [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Utah.

  2. Residence and venue. Petitioner has been a bona fide resident of [COUNTY] County, Utah, for the year immediately prior to the filing of this petition, and files in the district court of the county where petitioner resides, as required by Utah Code Section 42-1-1.

  3. Present and proposed name. Petitioner asks the Court to change petitioner's name from [CURRENT LEGAL NAME] to [REQUESTED NEW NAME].

  4. Cause for the change. The cause for which the change of name is sought is [REASON, for example to use a name petitioner has long gone by, following a divorce, or to align petitioner's legal name with petitioner's identity]. Proper cause exists for granting the change (Utah Code Section 42-1-2).

  5. Good faith. This petition is made in good faith. The change is not sought to defraud any creditor, to evade any legal obligation, judgment, or criminal record, or for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose.

  6. Registry disclosure. Petitioner [is / is not] required to register under Title 53, Chapter 29, Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry, and states this on the petition as required by Utah Code Section 42-1-1. Petitioner is not an offender as defined in Section 64-13-1.

  7. Notice and hearing. Petitioner understands that the Court will order what, if any, notice of the hearing shall be given, and that the Court may order the change upon proof in open court of the allegations of this petition and that proper cause exists (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). Where the Court directs notice, petitioner will provide it as ordered.

  8. No rights affected. This proceeding will not affect any legal action or proceeding now pending, or any right, title, or interest whatsoever (Utah Code Section 42-1-3).

WHEREFORE, petitioner asks the Court to enter an order changing petitioner's name from [CURRENT LEGAL NAME] to [REQUESTED NEW NAME], and for any further relief the Court finds proper.

Dated: [DATE]

[CURRENT LEGAL NAME], Petitioner

VERIFICATION

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Utah that the foregoing is true and correct. Petitioner understands that the falsification statutes in Title 76, Chapter 8, Part 5 apply to this petition.

Dated: [DATE]

[CURRENT LEGAL NAME], Petitioner

Note: This is a Utah adult name change petition drawn from Utah Code Section 42-1-1 et seq. Utah sets the court (the district court of the county where you live), the residency rule (a bona fide resident of the county for the year before filing), and how the court decides what notice, if any, is given before it may grant the change on proof in open court of proper cause. Newspaper publication is not automatic in Utah. Confirm the current filing fee with the district court clerk, and ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford it. For the generic template and other states, see the Name Change Petition hub.

Utah Requirements for Name Change Petition

District Court in Your County of Residence

An adult name change in Utah is filed in the district court of the county where the petitioner resides. A natural person desiring to change their name may file a petition in the district court of the county where the natural person resides (Utah Code Section 42-1-1).

One Year County Residency and Venue

You must have been a bona fide resident of the county for the year immediately prior to filing, and the petition must set out the cause for the change, the name proposed, and that residency (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). File in the district court of the county where you live.

Notice of the Hearing Set by the Court

Utah does not fix a newspaper publication period. The court shall order what, if any, notice of the hearing shall be given, and after that notice, if any, may order the change (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). Publication happens only if the court directs it, so a petitioner with safety concerns can ask the court to limit notice.

Present Name and Proposed New Name

The petition must state your present legal name and the exact new name you propose (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name in its order once proper cause is proven.

Cause for the Change and Proper Cause

The petition must set forth the cause for which the change of name is sought (Utah Code Section 42-1-1), and the court may order the change only upon proof in open court that there exists proper cause for granting it (Utah Code Section 42-1-2).

Good Faith, No Fraud, and Who Cannot File

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. A person who is an offender as defined in Section 64-13-1 may not file, and the falsification statutes in Title 76, Chapter 8, Part 5 apply (Utah Code Section 42-1-1).

Registry Disclosure on the Petition

Every petitioner must indicate on the petition whether they are required to register under Title 53, Chapter 29, Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry, and the court may request additional information from a person who must register (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). Utah imposes no fingerprint or criminal background check for a name change.

Certified Copies, No Rights Affected, and Fee

A Utah name change does not affect any pending legal action or any right, title, or interest (Utah Code Section 42-1-3). After the order is signed, order certified copies from the clerk to update Social Security, your Utah 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 Utah to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name, the name you propose, the cause for the change, and that you have been a bona fide resident of your county for the year before filing. After the court decides what notice is needed and hears proof in open court of your allegations and proper cause, a district court judge orders the change (Utah Code Section 42-1-1 and Section 42-1-2).

In Utah you file a petition for change of name in the district court of the county where you live, stating the cause for the change, the name you propose, and that you have been a bona fide resident of the county for the year immediately prior to filing (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). The court then orders what notice, if any, is given and may grant the change upon proof in open court of proper cause (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). You use certified copies of the order to update your records.

Not automatically. Unlike many states, Utah does not fix a newspaper publication period in the statute. Instead the court shall order what, if any, notice of the hearing shall be given, and after that notice, if any, may order the change (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). This means publication in Utah happens only if the court directs it, so a petitioner with safety concerns can ask the court to limit or dispense with notice rather than relying on a fixed statutory waiver.

An adult name change in Utah is handled by the district court. By statute, a natural person desiring to change their name may file a petition in the district court of the county where the natural person resides (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). You file in the county where you live, so filing in the wrong county can delay your case.

Yes. Utah requires that you have been a bona fide resident of the county for the year immediately prior to the filing of the petition, and the petition must set that out (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). This one year county residency requirement is stricter than states that only ask that you currently live there, so confirm you meet the full year in your county before you file.

Utah contemplates a hearing. The court may order the change of name only upon proof in open court of the allegations of the petition and that there exists proper cause for granting it (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). The court also decides what, if any, notice of that hearing must be given, so the exact format depends on what your district court directs in your case.

Yes. A Utah court grants a change only when there is proper cause and proof in open court of the petition's allegations (Utah Code Section 42-1-2). A person who is an offender as defined in Section 64-13-1 may not file a district court petition to change their name, and every petitioner must state whether they must register under the Sex, Kidnap, and Child Abuse Offender Registry (Utah Code Section 42-1-1). Falsification statutes in Title 76, Chapter 8, Part 5 also apply.

Once the Utah district court judge signs the order, order several certified copies from the court clerk. A Utah name change does not affect any pending legal action or any right, title, or interest (Utah Code Section 42-1-3), so use the certified order to update your Social Security record first, then your Utah driver license or ID, your passport, and then banks, employers, and other accounts. Keep at least one certified copy for your records.