Name change in Mississippi

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Mississippi, 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 as an adult in Mississippi, you petition the chancery court of the county where you live. Mississippi law gives that court jurisdiction over a petition to change a person's name.

    Cost: Mississippi's name-change law does not state a filing fee — the chancery court where you file sets its own. Contact the chancery clerk in the county where you'll file for the current amount.

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

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    • As of July 1, 2026, Mississippi law makes it a felony for a person required to register as a sex offender to change their name, unless the name changed because of a marriage or a divorce. This new rule does not affect most people filing a name-change petition, but it matters if you have a sex-offender registration requirement.

    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 Mississippi driver's license or ID card, the Driver Service Bureau only accepts one of four documents: a marriage license, a divorce decree, an adoption order, or a court order.

    Do first: Court order

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    • Your Social Security card doesn't have to show your new name for this transaction, but the Bureau strongly encourages updating it with the Social Security Administration before you renew your license or ID card.

    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.