Name change guide
Learn how to get a legal name change. Use this if you need a name change for any reason including safety, religion, sex, gender identity, transgender status, immigration status, marital status or other reasons. There are 2 kinds of name changes in Washington — sealed name changes and name changes that are not sealed. This guide has instructions for both kinds and forms for a sealed name change.
Contents
1. Common questions
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 may not be considered 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.
- 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.
- 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.