Name change in Vermont

These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Vermont, 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 →

  1. Step 1: Get a court order for your name change

    • To legally change your name in Vermont, you fill out a Petition of Adult to Change Name (form 700-00122) and file it with the probate division of the Superior Court in the county where you live — in person, by mail, or by email. There is a $150 fee to file the petition; if you can't afford it, you can ask the court to consider waiving it.

    Cost: $150

    💸 This fee can be waived. Form: Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs (Form 600-00228). The court says: "The court can waive your filing fee and service costs if: you receive any kind of public assistance, or your gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines , or the court finds you can't pay the fee without expending resources needed to support you and your dependents."

    Varies by court/clerk.

    More detail
    • You may also be required to file a certified copy of your birth certificate and a copy of a photo ID — check with the court where you're filing for its exact requirements. The court will schedule a hearing with a judge and notify you of the date by mail.

    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

    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

  3. Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID

    • Vermont law requires you to notify the DMV within 30 days of any change to your name. To change the name on your license or non-driver ID, you must apply in person and provide an original or certified copy of the document establishing your new name — a marriage license or certificate, a civil union certificate, or a court order clearly stating your new name — along with a completed Name/Address Change Form (form VL-021).

    Do first: Court order

    More detail
    • If your license or ID is Real ID compliant, the DMV must verify your name and date of birth through Social Security Online Verification, so your records with the Social Security Administration must be updated before the DMV can issue a license or ID in your new name.

    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

    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

Build my personalized checklist →

Where to get help

These organizations publish their own guides or can help you directly.

Last reviewed 2026-07-13.