How We Verify What's on This Site
Government rules and fees change, and a wrong fee sends someone home from a DMV counter. Here is how every number on this site gets here, how you can tell which ones are verified, and what we won't publish.
Sources
Every federal step cites ssa.gov, travel.state.gov, irs.gov or the agency's own page. Every state step names the state licensing agency and links its official page, the certificate-issuing office and the voter registration site. We don't cite other name-change services as sources.
The ≈ mark
A fee or deadline shown with ≈ was compiled from the official page or an official summary but hasn't yet been re-verified by us against the live page in the current quarter. Numbers without ≈ were read from the official page on the date shown as "Last reviewed". Either way, the official link is on the page so you can confirm before you go.
Re-verification
Once a quarter we re-open every linked official page, compare fees and deadlines, update the data file that generates the site, and reset the reviewed date. Our open dataset carries the same status field per state.
What we don't do
- Invent a rule to fill a gap: if a state hasn't been verified, the page says so and routes you to the official source.
- Give legal advice or prepare court petitions: court guides describe the published procedure and link the court's self-help forms.
- Collect form data: the packet runs in your browser by design, so there is nothing for us to secure or leak.
Corrections
Email [email protected] with the page and the official source; we fix confirmed errors within a few days.
Common questions
How current are the fees?
Numbers without ≈ were read from the official page on the reviewed date; numbers with ≈ are pending this quarter's re-check. The official link is always on the page.
Do you use AI to write the steps?
The steps are compiled and maintained by us from official sources and generated into pages from a data file; nothing is invented to fill a gap.
Why do you publish court procedures if you're not lawyers?
We describe each court's published procedure and link its forms, the way the court's own self-help center does. We don't advise on your case.
How do I report an error?
Email [email protected] with the page and the official source.