Name change in Wyoming
These are the steps most people follow for a name change in Wyoming, 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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Step 1: Get a court order for your name change
- In Wyoming, you file the forms for a name change with the District Court in the county where you live. You must have been an actual resident of Wyoming for at least six (6) months before you can ask the court for a name change.
Varies by court/clerk.
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- Most name-change petitions are public records, and the law generally requires notice of your name change to be printed in a local newspaper. Filing fees depend on the county where you file — the District Court Clerk at your local courthouse can tell you the current amount — and you separately pay the newspaper's cost to publish the notice, which can be substantial (some newspapers charge several hundred dollars). If you are a victim of domestic violence and your safety is in danger, you can ask the court to keep your residence information confidential and skip the newspaper publication.
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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.
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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
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Step 3: Update your driver's license or state ID
- To change the name on your Wyoming driver's license or ID card, you appear in person at a Wyoming driver exam office, surrender your current card, and present legal proof of the name change, such as a court order, a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or other legal verification of a name change signed by a judge.
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- If you have not already changed your name with the Social Security Administration, you need to do that first — your new name and date of birth must be verified with SSA before WYDOT will issue your revised license or ID. You are re-photographed and asked for a new signature, and you pay the standard renewal fee. The new card is mailed to you in about 4 to 6 weeks.
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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.
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
- U.S. Department of State — Change or Correct a Passport — We cannot check this source automatically for changes. Check it yourself before you file.
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Where to get help
- Legal Aid of Wyoming — Wyoming's statewide, federally funded civil legal aid provider for low-income residents, with offices in Cheyenne, Casper, Lander, and Gillette.
- ACLU of Wyoming — ACLU of Wyoming's advocacy and legal work, which includes LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit rights.
- Wyoming Equality — A Wyoming LGBTQ+ organization running community, health-access, and support programs.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — Wyoming identity documents guide — Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) keeps a plain-language guide to changing your name and gender marker on Wyoming documents. Their staff write and update it. Read it alongside this checklist.
- Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) — National advocacy organization (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality) with plain-language guides to updating federal identity documents (Social Security, passport) after a name or gender-marker change.
- Lambda Legal Help Desk — National LGBTQ+ legal organization offering a free legal help desk for questions about discrimination and legal name/gender-marker changes.