Name change in Arizona

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Arizona, in order. Each links to its official source and the date we last checked it. When you're ready, build a personalized checklist that covers every document at once.

This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change, so always confirm with the official source linked on each step, and talk to a lawyer or legal-aid organization about your specific situation.

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  1. Step 1: Get a court order for your name change

    • In Arizona you file an application for a name change in the superior court in your county of residence, listing the name you want and your reasons for wanting it. A judge decides whether to substitute your new name for your original one.
    • Arizona's superior courts charge a total of $252.00 to file a petition for change of name: a $222.00 base fee plus a $15.00 document-storage-fund fee and a $15.00 conciliation-court-fund fee.

    Cost: varies (sources differ — see each step's source)

    Varies by court/clerk.

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    • Once the court grants the change, you give the signed court order to the office of vital records in the state where you were born, so that state can update your birth certificate. Arizona's statewide court filing fee for this petition is set on a separate fee schedule (see the paired fee record for this jurisdiction). Under "Resources," the page links to the name-change forms and to Arizona Revised Statutes Title 12 (Courts and Civil Proceedings), § 12-601.
    • This is the statewide fee schedule set under A.R.S. § 12-284, effective December 28, 2024 (Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order 2024-210). Individual counties may add local fees on top of it. Arizona courts also offer a fee waiver and deferral process for people who cannot afford the filing fee.

    Sources

  2. Step 2: Update your Social Security record

    • Social Security still changes the legal name on your Social Security record. A valid court order for a name change is one of the events Social Security recognizes as changing your legal name, and you apply with Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card.

    Do first: Court order

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    • Social Security's policy manual defines your legal name as your first name and last name — the name you use to sign legal documents. For a person born in the United States, that is generally the name shown on the birth certificate, unless the name changed through an event such as a marriage or a valid court order for a name change. The sex marker on your record is handled separately and under a different rule — see the Social Security sex marker step.

    📝 Get the official form: Form SS-5 — Application for a Social Security Card

    Sources

  3. Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID

    • To change the name on your Arizona driver's license or ID card, first change your name with the Social Security Administration, then visit a Motor Vehicle Division office. You must update your name with MVD within 10 days of your legal name change taking effect.

    Do first: Court order

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    • After you change your name with the Social Security Administration, wait two business days before you visit an MVD office. Bring an original or certified copy of your court order (or other proof, such as a marriage license or divorce decree) plus identification showing both your new and previous names. This requires an in-person MVD office visit; it cannot be completed online.

    Sources

  4. Step 4: Update your U.S. passport

    • To update the name on your U.S. passport, submit a passport application with an original or certified copy of the document that legally changed your name, such as a court order.

    Cost: No fee when you use Form DS-5504 within a year of issuance ($60 if you want it expedited). Otherwise standard application fees apply.

    Do first: Court order

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    • If your name changed within 1 year of your most recent passport being issued, mail Form DS-5504 with the name-change document — you will not have to submit any fees for this service. If it has been more than a year, renew by mail with Form DS-82 and a certified name-change document, or apply in person with Form DS-11. If you have no legal documentation of the change, you apply in person with Form DS-11 plus Form DS-60, Affidavit Regarding a Change of Name.

    📝 Get the official form: Form DS-82 — U.S. Passport Renewal

    Sources

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Where to get help

These organizations publish their own guides or can help you directly.

Last reviewed 2026-07-13.