Process for Legal Name Change in Michigan

• Here's a link to the form.

• Oakland County Specific (may be similar elsewhere)

  • Refer to the Oakland County resource page for more information

  • Once you submit the petition, the court will contact you via email with instructions on how to complete the process and any issues with your forms. This person will also be able to assist with questions on the criminal background check as well once it is in process.

File the petition and pay the fees - File the completed Petition for Name Change at the circuit court in the county where you live.

You will have to pay the filing fee of $175.00 when you file the petition.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many courts require the form to be mailed in versus in-person. Contact the courthouse for local regulations

Oakland County

• As of April, 2020, submit a $96.05 publication fee (payable to Legal News) to cover the cost to publish the name change notice. Oakland County court will handling the publishing for you. You will receive a copy of the publishing in the mail.

• If you are 22 years old or older, you must have a criminal background check done.

• First, get fingerprinted at a local police agency. The cost to get fingerprinted will vary depending on the agency. Check with your local agency about the cost.

  • Local Agencies: A1 Fingerprints - Cost $35-40

• Then mail your fingerprints, a copy of your Petition to Change Name, and check or money order for $43.25 (made out to the State of Michigan) to the address below.

Michigan State Police, CJIC

Identification Section

P.O. Box 30266

Lansing, Michigan 48909

This fee amount and address were listed on the Michigan State Police Department website as of January 2020. It is always a good idea to confirm the fee and address before sending your information and payment. To confirm the address and more information about the process, go to the Michigan State Police Department website at www.michigan.gov/msp.

The state police will forward a second copy of your fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). It usually takes three to five weeks to complete the background check.

The state police department will report its findings and any information it got from the FBI to the court where you filed your petition. The court will not schedule a hearing for your name change until it gets the report from the state police. If you have no pending charges or criminal record, the state police will destroy its copy of your fingerprints.

After the court receives the report from the state police, a hearing will be scheduled. Some courts require you to call and schedule it. Other courts will schedule it for you and send you a Notice of Hearing. You can ask the court clerk about scheduling your hearing when you file your petition.

Oakland County - In Oakland the court will contact you through email and physical mail with hearing details and timing. As of April 2020, the hearing will be held via Zoom.

• Publish your Notice of Hearing - Some courts, like Oakland County, work with the local Legal News for publication.

• These courts will send a copy of the Publication of Notice of Hearing form to the Legal News when you file the form.

• The Legal News will bill you for $96.05.

  • In Oakland County, include the check with your initial petition and that may speed the process up.

• After you pay the fee, the Legal News will mail you the original Affidavit of Publication for you to file with the court.

On the day of your hearing, bring any documents related to your name change. It is always a good idea to have two copies of the documents, so you can give one to the judge.

At the hearing, the judge will likely ask you questions about the information in your petition. The judge will also give anyone who objects to your name change a chance to talk about their reasons for objecting.

Oakland County - The hearing will be held virtually on Zoom. The court will mail your final documents in 1-2 weeks.

Generally the first agency to start with is Social Security.This is required prior to being able to change your name on your driver's license or state ID, as well as any financial records such as your bank, employer, credit cards, etc.

Social Security Process

• Note - In order to change your gender marker with the Social Security office additional documentation is necessary. Social Security will accept any of the following forms of evidence for a gender marker change. Please refer to the linked resource for more information, including a template letter your doctor can use for the 3rd option.

  • A U.S. passport showing the correct gender,

  • A birth certificate showing the correct gender

  • A court order recognizing the correct gender, or

  • A signed letter from a doctor confirming that you have had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b4ao82qUWgTLcJ0YWXuAue4yp12IyXyWJLHUxZCSSl4/edit