Name change in Connecticut

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Connecticut, 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

    • To legally change your name in Connecticut, you file a Petition for Change of Name (PC-901) and a Name Change Affidavit (PC-910) with the Probate Court that covers the town you reside in. You submit these along with a certified copy of your long-form birth certificate and two forms of identification, one of which must include a photo. You can file online, in person, or by mail.

    Cost: The page doesn't state a dollar amount for the filing fee — it points to the Probate Court's own Fees & Expenses Tool. Contact the Probate Court you're filing in for the current fee.

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    • The court sends notice of your petition to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to check whether you appear on the Sex Offender Registry or the Deadly Weapons Offender Registry. You then attend a hearing, where the judge must be satisfied the name change isn't for an unlawful purpose, such as avoiding pending legal actions or consequences. In most cases the judge decides the petition at the hearing itself.

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  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 Connecticut driver's license or non-driver ID, you must first update your name with the Social Security Administration — it may take up to 48 hours for SSA to process that change, and it must be done before the DMV will update your license. Then you make an appointment at a DMV office and bring a completed Change of Name Request (Form E-78), your current license or ID, and certified documentation of the name change, such as a marriage license, civil union certificate, divorce decree, or probate court documents.

    Cost: $30

    Do first: Social Security card

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    • Only original documents are accepted — photocopies and religious marriage certificates are not. There is a $30 fee to change your name on a driver's license or non-driver ID card, and DMV express locations, including AAA and certain credit union branches, may charge an additional convenience fee of up to $8 per transaction. Your former license or ID must be surrendered when the new one is issued.

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  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.