Name change guide

How do I change my name?

There are 4 ways to change your name in Washington state: 

• By court order
• Through marriage, divorce or adoption
• By common law (This method may not be recognized by everyone and isn't a “legal” name change.)
• By amending a minor child's birth certificate (This is only for children born in Washington.)

This guide explains how to change your name by court order. In most situations, it’s a simple process you can do by yourself, without a lawyer.

You might also be able to change your name during your citizenship naturalization process. You should talk to your immigration lawyer if you want to try to get a name change that way.

How do I change my name using a marriage, divorce or adoption?

You can change parts of your name during the regular processes of marriage, divorce or adoption. 

• Marriage: You might only be able to change your last name if using a marriage to do so. If you want to change your first and middle name, you may still need to complete a court ordered name change. Use the final official marriage license as proof of your legal last name change. Follow the instructions on the marriage certificate for how to use that specific form to change your name. Each marriage certificate form is distinct and will have its own unique instructions for how to list your names and show the name change.
• Divorce: You can change your name during any kind of divorce. You can ask to change your first, middle and last name during a divorce. There is a section for requesting name changes on the standard Washington state court form for divorce: FL Divorce 201 (Petition for Divorce).

You can’t use divorce or parentage cases to change a child’s name unless there is domestic violence and the judge allows you to combine it into 1 case and 1 order. This is uncommon and usually involves a lawyer. Read Chapter 5 to learn more about how to deal with this.

• Adoption: Courts generally allow name change requests in adoptions as a normal part of the adoption case. You don’t need to file a separate case. You can ask to change first, middle and last names during an adoption.

Who can get a court-ordered legal name change?

In Washington, you can ask the court to legally change your name if you’re an adult or an emancipated minor. A court-appointed guardian can ask the court to change the name of the adult they have guardianship over. A parent or court-appointed guardian can ask the court to change a minor child's name, although the court will usually require notice to any other parent or guardian. 

If I change my name by court order, will it be confidential (“sealed”)?

Not unless you file a special type of case to make it confidential (“sealed”). Sealed name changes in Washington are more private than non-sealed name changes. The record of your name change will be kept as confidential as possible if you ask for a sealed name change. 

Name changes don’t have to be published in the newspaper in Washington.

What if I had a name change previously but lost all my certified copies of the name change order?

You will need to contact the court where you got the name change order and see if it is possible to buy more copies. It might not be possible if the name change order wasn’t recorded or if the records are only kept for a limited number of years. Each court has its own process and rules about name change records. If the court no longer has a record of your name change, you might have to get a new name change order to prove your current legal name. This would require you to file a new name change case to essentially redo your previous name change.