How to legally change your name in Ohio

There are many reasons why someone might want to change their name. People often change their names when they get married. That’s probably the most common reason and the least complicated process for changing a name.

If you are newly married and you want to change your name to your spouse’s last name or to a hyphenated version of your two names, you need a certified copy of your marriage certificate, your current ID (such as a driver’s license) and your birth certificate showing your U.S. citizenship. These documents and a completed SS-5 form from the Social Security Administration will allow you to update your name and obtain a new Social Security card.

You must bring certified copies/originals of these documents. The SSA will make copies of the documents you provide. You can use your marriage certificate plus your new Social Security card to obtain a new driver’s license and then a passport.

If your new name is more complicated than simply taking your spouse’s last name or a hyphenated version of the two names or if you want to change your name for another reason, you would need to follow the process to obtain a legal name change through your local probate court. The process of completing a name change as an adult is set forth in Ohio Revised Code section 2717.

You must begin the process with your local probate court. You must complete an application for a change of name. This document requires you to specify what your current name is and what you want your new name to be. It also requires you provide a reason for the name change.

You also must complete an affidavit that requires you to affirm you have been a resident for at least 60 days of the county in which you are filing the application, that the application is not made for the purpose of evading any creditors or other obligations, that you are not a debtor in any currently pending bankruptcy proceeding, and that you have not been involved in any identity fraud or convicted of a sexually oriented or child victim oriented offense. Further, you must consent to both a background check and a court records authorization.

Finally, the statute allows the court to hold a hearing on a name change at the court’s discretion. If a hearing is held, the court may require publication of the hearing date. You can ask the court not to publish the hearing notice and to seal the file if you can show any publication of the name change will jeopardize your safety.

When a legal name change has been granted to a person whose birth occurred in Ohio, the Ohio Bureau of Vital Statistics will accept a certified copy of the court-ordered legal name change to update the birth record. The court order must have been granted by a U.S. court. Some courts may send the certified copy directly to the Bureau of Vital Statistics while others may require you to do so. Make sure to check with the probate court to find out what their process is.

Once the legal name change is accepted by the Bureau of Vital Statistics, a footnote will appear on the record indicating a legal name change is on file, and the new name as exactly listed on the court order is the name that will be reflected in the updated birth record.

Once these steps are complete, you can then begin the same process indicated above: take your new documents to the SSA, then to the Ohio BMV to update your driver’s license and, finally, don’t forget to update your passport.

One last note: If you are getting divorced, you can request your married name be reverted back to your former or maiden name. Make sure you request this change both in your divorce complaint/petition and then ensure it is in your divorce decree. A certified copy of your divorce decree can be utilized to get your new Social Security card, driver’s license and passport.

Monica L. Miyashita is an attorney-at-law and can be emailed at kensingtonlawyer@gmail.com. Be advised the information contained herein is not a substitute for individual legal advice.