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Florida adult name change
Changing your legal name in Florida is a court proceeding. It is not complicated, but it has a fingerprint step that surprises most people, and getting the order is only half of the job.
What the process involves
- A petition in the circuit court where you live. Florida handles adult name changes under section 68.07 of the Florida Statutes. The petition is filed in the circuit court for the county of your residence and must set out specific facts the statute requires — among them your date and place of birth, your residence, and whether you have ever been arrested for or charged with a criminal offense, whatever the outcome.
- Fingerprints and a criminal history check. This is the step people do not expect. Unless you are restoring a former name, Florida requires you to be fingerprinted and to have a state and national criminal history records check completed before the court will hear the petition. The results have to be back before the hearing, which is usually what sets the timeline.
- A hearing. Adult name change hearings are typically short. The court is confirming that the statutory requirements are met and that the request is a lawful one. The petition must state under oath that it is filed for no ulterior or illegal purpose and will not invade anyone else’s property rights.
- The final judgment — and everything after it. The signed judgment is the legal document that changes your name. It is not self-executing. Social Security, the Florida driver license, your passport, banks, employers, insurers and title records each have their own process, and most want a certified copy.
The part that causes the most trouble is the last one. People get the judgment and assume the work is finished. Agencies do not talk to each other, several have an order of operations that matters, and a mistake at one of them can mean redoing the others.
How long it takes
The realistic driver is the criminal history check, not the court. Once results are back, hearing availability depends on the circuit and the judge's calendar. An exact number of days cannot be given without knowing your county.
Common situations
Name change after a divorce
If you want to restore a former name as part of a dissolution, that is normally requested inside the dissolution case itself rather than as a separate petition. If your divorce is already final and the restoration was not included, a separate petition is usually the route. A separate petition to restore a former name does not require fingerprints, and it may be heard as soon as it is filed.
Changing a name after marriage
Most people who take a spouse's surname at marriage do not need a court order at all — the marriage certificate serves that function with the agencies. A court petition is generally for changes that a marriage certificate does not cover.
Gender-affirming and personal name changes
The statutory process is the same one described above. The petition, the fingerprint requirement, and the hearing do not change based on the reason for the request, so long as the request is a lawful one.
How this firm handles it
As a defined engagement with a written scope and a fee stated before any work begins: preparing and filing the petition, coordinating the fingerprint and records-check step, appearing at the hearing, and providing you a clear list of what to do with the judgment afterward and in what order.
What is included and what is not is stated in the engagement agreement in writing. You will know before you decide.
This page describes Florida procedure in general terms. It is not legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not make this firm your lawyer. Requirements and local practice vary by circuit.