Name change in North Carolina

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina you file a name change application before the clerk of superior court, for good cause shown, in the county where you reside. As of December 1, 2025, the law no longer requires you to publish notice of your application in a newspaper before it is decided.
    • To have a North Carolina name change application granted, you submit your true name, county and date of birth, your parents' names as shown on your birth certificate, and the name you want to adopt. You also submit the results of a state and national criminal history record check completed within 90 days of your application date — done by the State Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or an FBI-approved Channeler — plus a sworn statement about your residency and any outstanding tax or child support obligations.

    Cost: This statute does not state a dollar filing fee. Contact the clerk of superior court in your county for the current amount.

    Varies by court/clerk.

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    • The clerk decides your application administratively; the statute describes no courtroom hearing before a judge. Your application and the court's record of it are kept out of the public record if you are enrolled in the state's address confidentiality program, or if you show evidence that you are a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking. A separate section of this same law, G.S. 101-5, lists what you must submit with the application — read that record too before you file.
    • The clerk tells you how to get fingerprints taken and submitted for the criminal history record check. The clerk then reviews everything submitted to decide whether there is good and sufficient reason to grant or deny your application; this is a judgment call, not a checklist. If the clerk denies your application, the order states the reasons, and you can ask the resident superior court judge to reconsider within 30 days of that order. If reconsideration does not succeed, you must wait 12 months before applying again. This requirement does not apply to an application to change the name of a minor under 16.

    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

    • If your name changes, North Carolina gives you 60 days to notify the NCDMV and get a duplicate driver's license or ID card with your new name.

    Cost: This page does not state a fee amount for the duplicate card. See NCDMV's fee schedule for the current driver's license and ID fees.

    Do first: Court order

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    • Because NCDMV checks your name against Social Security Administration records, visit your local Social Security office at least 24-36 hours before you go to NCDMV. Bring documented proof from the courts establishing that the name change was officially accomplished — such as a certified marriage license or certificate, a divorce decree, or a document from the courts or Register of Deeds — and complete a notarized DL-101 obtained from a DMV office. All documentation must come from the appropriate government agency of the United States, Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, or Canada.

    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.