Name change in Illinois

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Illinois, 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 Illinois you change your legal name by filing a Request for Name Change with the circuit clerk, and a judge signs an Order for Name Change granting it.

    Cost: Filing fees differ from case to case and county to county — ask the circuit clerk. A fee waiver is available if you qualify.

    💸 This fee can be waived. Form: Application for Waiver of Court Fees. The court says: "If you cannot afford the fees, you can ask to have them waived."

    Varies by court/clerk.

    Needs reverification, so we don't show it as current.

    More detail
    • You fill out a Request for Name Change and an Order for Name Change, file them with the circuit clerk (usually by electronic filing), get a hearing date, and go in front of a judge. If having your court file open to the public would harm your health or safety, you can also file a Motion to Impound. The guide says the laws on adult name change were updated beginning January 1, 2024, and again on March 1, 2025. The guide no longer lists a newspaper publication step. Illinois law also sets a residency requirement and restricts who may file after certain criminal convictions — see the paired eligibility record, which cites the statute itself.

    📝 Get the official form: Request for Name Change (Adult Name Change) — Illinois Supreme Court statewide approved form NC-A

    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 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

    More detail
    • 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.