Name Change

Recent decision from the Minnesota Supreme Court concerning minor name changes:

The court publishes different "Packets" of name change forms which are available on this website. Each "packet" includes a set of Instructions and forms.

To find the forms you need, click on the correct link below depending on whether you want information on how to change an adult's name or a minor's name.

Recommended Steps from the MN Judicial Branch Self-Help Center

1. Get new identification cards.
2. Notify agencies and organizations.
3. Update important papers.

To get copies of a name change order

Certified copy of name change order

After the Order is signed, you can obtain certified copies of the Order from the Court Administrator’s office in your county for a fee of $14 each ("Application for Name Change and Other Relief Instructions," p. 2).

Documentation of name change as part of naturalization

Contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You may also want to contact the court where your name change occurred. 

In our positions as librarians, not lawyers, we can suggest resources but cannot give legal advice (such as which form to file) or legal opinions (such as how a statute might apply to particular facts). To do so could be considered the unauthorized practice of law. Even though we try to suggest materials that will be of help, more research is often required to find a complete and correct answer. For many questions, the best answer may be to consult an attorney.