Wisconsin Name Change Petition
In Wisconsin an adult files a name change petition in the circuit court of the county where they live, and must publish a class 3 notice once a week for three weeks before the hearing. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A name change petition is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name, and Wisconsin front-loads the notice: before you petition, you publish a class 3 notice that runs once a week for three consecutive weeks, and then a judge's order makes the new name legal. In Wisconsin you file the petition in the circuit court of the county where you reside (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36). Before you petition, Wisconsin requires you to publish notice of the requested change: a class 3 notice under chapter 985 stating the nature of the petition and when and where it will be heard (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(1)). A class 3 notice runs once each week for three consecutive weeks (Wisconsin Statutes Section 985.07(3)(a) and Section 985.01(1m)(a)), and you file a copy of the notice with proof of publication (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). Wisconsin waives publication for safety: if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that publication could endanger you and that you are not seeking the change to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record, the petition is kept confidential (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4)). At the hearing the court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). After the order is signed, you use certified copies to update Social Security, your Wisconsin driver license, and other records. DocDraft builds your Wisconsin 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 is the court document an adult files to legally change their own name; in Wisconsin the circuit court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary, and once the judge signs, that new name becomes your legal name.
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You file the petition in the circuit court of the Wisconsin county where you reside (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)).
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Before petitioning, Wisconsin requires you to publish a class 3 notice under chapter 985 stating the nature of the petition and when and where it will be heard, which runs once each week for three consecutive weeks (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(1), Section 985.07(3)(a), and Section 985.01(1m)(a)).
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You file a copy of the published notice with proof of publication, and the court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)).
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Publication is waived and the petition kept confidential if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that publication could endanger you and that you are not seeking the change to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4)).
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A licensed professional may not change a name to unfairly compete with another practitioner or mislead the public, and any change of name other than as authorized by law is void (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(3) and Section 786.36(4)).
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After the order is signed it is recorded with the register of deeds and, for a Wisconsin birth or marriage, an abstract goes to the state registrar of vital records; order certified copies to update Social Security, your Wisconsin driver license or ID, and other records (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(2)). 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 Wisconsin, 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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Wisconsin Requirements for Name Change Petition
An adult name change in Wisconsin is filed in the circuit court of the county where the petitioner resides. A resident of this state, upon petition to the circuit court of the county where he or she resides, may have the name changed or established by order of the court if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)).
You must be a resident of Wisconsin and file in the circuit court of the county where you reside (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). Wisconsin sets no fixed durational residency period for a name change; the requirement is that you reside in the county where you file. The petition states your present name, your residence, and the name you are requesting.
Before petitioning, Wisconsin requires you to publish a class 3 notice under chapter 985 stating the nature of the petition and when and where it will be heard (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(1)). A class 3 notice requires three insertions (Section 985.07(3)(a)), and an insertion means once each week for consecutive weeks (Section 985.01(1m)(a)), so the notice runs once each week for three consecutive weeks, the last publication at least one week before the hearing. You file a copy of the notice with proof of publication (Section 786.36(1)).
The petition states your present legal name and the exact new name you are requesting, along with your residence in the county where you file (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). The court changes the name from the present name to the proposed name by order if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary.
State the reason for the requested name change. A Wisconsin circuit court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). A change of name other than as authorized by law is void (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(4)).
State that the change is made in good faith and that you are not seeking it to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4)). A licensed professional may not change a name to unfairly compete with another practitioner or mislead the public as to identity (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(3)), and persons required to register as sex offenders face restrictions under Wisconsin Statutes Section 301.47.
If publication could endanger you, you may request that the petition remain confidential and that publication be waived. The court waives publication if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that publication could endanger you and that you are not seeking the change to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record; the clerk then keeps the petition confidential (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4)).
After the order is signed it is entered in the court records and a certified copy is recorded with the register of deeds; if you were born or married in Wisconsin, the clerk sends an abstract to the state registrar of vital records to correct that record (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(2)). Order certified copies from the clerk to update Social Security, your Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin to legally change their own name. You state your present legal name and the new name you want, confirm you reside in the county where you are filing, give the reason, and confirm the change is not to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record. After the required class 3 notice is published and the petition is heard, a Wisconsin circuit court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)).
In Wisconsin you file a petition for change of name in the circuit court of the county where you reside, and before the hearing you publish a class 3 notice under chapter 985 stating when and where the petition will be heard (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(1)). You then file a copy of the notice with proof of publication, pay the filing fee or request a waiver, and attend the hearing, where the court may order the change if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). You use certified copies of the order to update your records.
Usually yes. Before petitioning, Wisconsin requires you to publish a class 3 notice under chapter 985 stating the nature of the petition and when and where it will be heard (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(1)). A class 3 notice requires three insertions (Wisconsin Statutes Section 985.07(3)(a)), and an insertion means once each week for consecutive weeks (Wisconsin Statutes Section 985.01(1m)(a)), so the notice runs once each week for three consecutive weeks, the last publication at least one week before the hearing. Publication can be waived for safety under Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4).
An adult name change in Wisconsin is heard by the circuit court. By statute, a resident petitions the circuit court of the county where he or she resides, and the court may have the name changed or established by order if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). Filing in the wrong county can delay your case, so file in the county where you live.
Wisconsin requires you to be a resident of the state and to file in the circuit court of the county where you reside (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). The statute does not set a fixed number of months you must have lived in Wisconsin or the county before filing; the key requirement is that you reside in the county where you file. The petition states your current legal name, your residence, and the new name you are requesting.
Yes. Under Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.37(4), you may ask that your petition remain confidential, and the publication requirement does not apply, if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that publication of your petition could endanger you and that you are not seeking the name change to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record. When the court grants confidentiality, the clerk keeps the Wisconsin name change petition confidential.
Yes. A Wisconsin circuit court grants the change only if no sufficient cause is shown to the contrary (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(1)). A licensed professional may not change a name to unfairly compete with another practitioner or mislead the public as to identity (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(3)), any change of name other than as authorized by law is void (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(4)), and persons required to register as sex offenders face restrictions under Wisconsin Statutes Section 301.47. A lawful, complete petition is routinely granted.
Once the Wisconsin circuit court signs the order, it is entered in the court records and a certified copy is recorded with the register of deeds; if you were born or married in Wisconsin, the clerk sends an abstract to the state registrar of vital records to correct that record (Wisconsin Statutes Section 786.36(2)). Order several certified copies from the clerk and use them to update your Social Security record, your Wisconsin driver license or ID, your passport, and your bank and employer records. Keep at least one certified copy.