Name change in Louisiana
These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Louisiana, 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.
Build my personalized checklist →
-
Step 1: Get a court order for your name change
- To legally change your name as an adult in Louisiana, you file a petition in the district court of the parish where you live, the parish where you were born, or the parish that has venue over the state's Vital Records Registry. If you are incarcerated, you instead file in the district court of the parish where you were sentenced.
- Louisiana's name-change law says only that "the applicant in all cases shall pay the cost of the proceedings" — it sets no statewide dollar amount.
Varies by court/clerk.
More detail
- A felony conviction blocks you from filing until your sentence, probation, or parole is complete. A conviction for any of the violent felonies Louisiana law lists as a "crime of violence" (R.S. 14:2(B)) blocks you from filing a name-change petition permanently, with no waiting period.
- Contact the clerk of the district court where you'll file for the current filing fee.
Sources
-
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.
More detail
- 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
-
Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID
- To change the name on your Louisiana driver's license, you must first record the change with the Social Security Administration. Then you go to the Office of Motor Vehicles with original documentation that supports the name change, such as a certified birth certificate, a state-certified marriage license, a divorce decree, or probate court documents, along with your current license, proof of residency, and proof of insurance for any vehicle you own. You'll also need to pass a vision test.
More detail
- The Office of Motor Vehicles checks name changes against Social Security Administration records online, so your name must already be updated there first.
Sources
-
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.
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
- U.S. Department of State — Change or Correct a Passport — We cannot check this source automatically for changes. Check it yourself before you file.
Build my personalized checklist →
Where to get help
- Louisiana Trans Advocates — A Louisiana organization run by and for transgender people, offering community support and advocacy on state policy affecting transgender residents.
- ACLU of Louisiana — The Louisiana affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union tracks LGBTQ+ policy in the state and publishes know-your-rights information relevant to transgender residents.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — Louisiana identity documents guide — Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) keeps a plain-language guide to changing your name and gender marker on Louisiana documents. Their staff write and update it. Read it alongside this checklist.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — National advocacy organization (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality) with plain-language guides to updating federal identity documents (Social Security, passport) after a name or gender-marker change.
- Lambda Legal Help Desk — National LGBTQ+ legal organization offering a free legal help desk for questions about discrimination and legal name/gender-marker changes.