How to Legally Change Your Name in Indiana (Court Petition)
When your new name isn't written into a marriage certificate or a divorce decree, Indiana requires a court order: you file a petition, publish a notice, and a judge signs an order that every agency will then accept. Here is the Indiana version of that process, in order.
Do you actually need the court?
Only if your new name can't be derived from a marriage certificate or a divorce decree with a restoration clause. Taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or going back to a maiden name named in the decree all skip the court entirely.
Just married? You don't need any of this — use the Indiana marriage name change guide instead.
Indiana quick facts
| Where to file | The circuit or superior court in the county where you live |
|---|---|
| Form | Verified Petition for Change of Name (Indiana self-service legal forms) — official forms |
| Cost | ≈ $150–$200 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge (confirm with the clerk) |
| Publication | Required — notice of the petition runs three times in a newspaper in the county (once a week for three weeks), and the hearing is set at least 30 days after the last notice |
| Background check | No fingerprinting, but the petition asks you to swear you are not a sex or violent offender and to disclose felony convictions; the court can deny a change that looks intended to hide from creditors or the law |
| Residency | You must be a resident of the county |
| Time | 6–10 weeks, driven by the publication schedule |
What makes Indiana different
Indiana's three-week publication requirement is the clock: call the county's legal-notice newspaper first and get its schedule and price, because the court won't set a hearing until the third notice has run.
Married in Indiana and just taking a spouse's name? You don't need any of this — the certified marriage certificate is your document. See the Indiana marriage name change guide.
Step by step
- Get the petition form from the Indiana courts and fill it in: current name, requested name, the reason, and the sworn statements about your record. Have it notarized if the form requires it.
- File it with the clerk of the circuit or superior court in the county where you live. Pay the filing fee (≈ $150–$200 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge) or file a fee-waiver request with proof of income.
- Publish the notice. Required — notice of the petition runs three times in a newspaper in the county (once a week for three weeks), and the hearing is set at least 30 days after the last notice. Get the newspaper affidavit of publication and file it with the court.
- Background check. No fingerprinting, but the petition asks you to swear you are not a sex or violent offender and to disclose felony convictions; the court can deny a change that looks intended to hide from creditors or the law.
- Hearing or signature. Many uncontested petitions are granted on the papers; if a hearing is set, it is usually five minutes of confirming what you wrote. The judge signs the order.
- Certified copies of the order — get at least 3. The order is now your authorizing document. From here it's the standard sequence: Social Security (free SS-5), wait 48 hours, driver's license, passport, then everyone else. The tracker keeps the list.
Want the petition prepared for you?
A document service prepares the Indiana petition to your county's exact requirements and walks you through publication and filing — useful if you'd rather not manage the logistics. Court filing fees are separate either way.
See LegalZoom name change →Common questions
How much does it cost to legally change your name in Indiana?
≈ $150–$200 filing fee, varying by county, plus the newspaper's publication charge. Add certified copies of the order afterwards (a few dollars each) and the downstream document fees — the Social Security card is free, the license is $10–$50 depending on the state, a passport in the new name is $130. Fee waivers exist for low-income petitioners in every state. Confirm the current fee with the clerk: Indiana courts.
How long does a court name change take in Indiana?
6–10 weeks, driven by the publication schedule. The pacing item is the publication schedule.
Do I need a lawyer to change my name in Indiana?
No. Adult name changes are designed to be filed without a lawyer, and the court's self-help forms are the same ones lawyers use. People hire help for one of three reasons: a criminal record that complicates the petition, a contested case (usually a child's name), or simply not wanting to manage publication and hearing logistics — a document service handles that part for a flat fee.
Do I need a court order to change my name after marriage in Indiana?
No. A marriage-based change (taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or restoring a former name written into a divorce decree) needs no petition — the certified marriage certificate or decree is the legal document, and you take it straight to Social Security. The court route is for every other kind of change: a new name you simply prefer, a name for a child, or a divorce decree that lacks a restoration clause.
Can the judge deny my name change?
Rarely, and only for cause: the change appears intended to defraud creditors, evade law enforcement, or infringe someone's rights; you hold certain convictions the state bars; or the name is obscene or would cause confusion. A truthful petition for an ordinary reason is granted as a matter of course.
Divorced and the decree didn't restore your name? Read getting your maiden name back after divorce first — amending the decree is often cheaper than a new petition. Full cost comparison: how much a name change costs by state.