Name change in Michigan

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Michigan, 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 Michigan you file a Petition for Name Change with the family division of the circuit court in the county where you live, and a judge decides whether to grant it, with or without a hearing.

    Cost: $175

    💸 This fee can be waived. Form: Fee Waiver Request Form — Michigan One Court of Justice. The court says: "The judge must waive your fees if you show that your gross household income is under 125% of the federal poverty level."

    Varies by court/clerk.

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    • You must have lived in that county for at least one year before you file. It costs $175 to file the petition; if you cannot afford it, you can ask the judge to waive the fee. Unless a judge excuses you for good cause, such as a risk of danger or discrimination, you must publish notice of the hearing in a local newspaper, usually two to eight weeks before the hearing depending on the county. The petition asks you to disclose any criminal record, but having one does not stop a name change. Michigan's current name-change law and petition form do not ask for fingerprints. If the judge grants your petition, there is a $10 fee to enter the order, and a certified copy costs $11 more.

    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 correct your name on a Michigan driver's license or state ID, you visit a Secretary of State office and show proof of your name change, along with proof that the Social Security Administration has already updated your name.

    Cost: $9

    Do first: Court order, Social Security card

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    • You must update your name with the Social Security Administration first. If the name on your application doesn't match Social Security's records, the Secretary of State's office denies the application. At the office, you provide your current license or ID and at least one proof of your name change, such as a certified court order, a marriage certificate, or a certified divorce decree. Michigan offers no online, mail, or self-service option for this change; office visits typically take about 20 minutes. Staff take a new photo and issue a temporary paper credential, and your permanent card is printed off-site and mailed to you.

    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.