Name change in Massachusetts

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts you file a Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27) in the Probate and Family Court for the county where you live. The court can grant it without a hearing, or it can require you to give public notice before it decides.

    Cost: The court filing fee is $150 plus a $15 surcharge fee, for a $165 total filing fee. If the court issues an Order of Notice, there is an additional $15 citation fee. Filing online (eFiling) adds a separate flat fee of $22 for the initial case. If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask the court to waive it through the Indigency (waiver of court fees) process by filing an Affidavit of Indigency.

    💸 This fee can be waived. Form: Affidavit of Indigency. The court says: "You are eligible for a waiver, substitution or state payment of fees and costs if any one of the following scenarios applies to you: you receive public assistance under one of the following programs: Massachusetts Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children; Massachusetts Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled Children; Federal Supplemental Security Income; Massachusetts MassHealth (formerly Medicaid) or Massachusetts Veterans Benefits; or your income, after taxes, does not exceed 125% of the current federal poverty line."

    Varies by court/clerk.

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    • You sign the petition in front of a notary public and show a photo ID. If your photo ID does not show your current legal name, you can file a Motion (CJD 400) asking the court to waive the notary's ID requirement. If the court issues an Order of Notice, you may have to publish a citation in a newspaper, mail notice to interested people, or both; if you have a reason not to publish, you can file a Motion (CJD 400) asking the court to waive publication instead. If the court does not require any of this, it can grant your petition administratively and mail you a certified Decree of Change of Name.

    📝 Get the official form: Form CJP 27 — Petition to Change Name of Adult

    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 Massachusetts driver's license or ID card, schedule an appointment at an RMV Service Center and bring a completed application. If you are applying for a REAL ID and your current name does not match your lawful-presence documents, you must prove the legal name change with a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court document.

    Cost: $25

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    • If you are applying for a Standard (non-REAL ID) driver's license or ID card, Massachusetts says you may change your name with no documentation as long as there is no attempt to defraud. Either way, your photo is taken and your signature is captured again at the appointment.

    📝 Get the official form: Driver's License, Learner's Permit or ID Card Application

    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.