How to Change Your Name in Georgia

Watch to learn about the process of legally changing your name in Georgia.
Transcript:
In Georgia, there are four requirements to legally change your name.
You must:
Live in ga,
File a petition to change your name in the county where you live,
Not change your name to commit fraud or for the purpose of fraud, and
Publish notice of the change for 4 weeks in your local legal newspaper.
You can find the forms for free online on your court’s Superior Court website.
File your petition for a name change either online or in person at the court Clerk’s office.
The documents you will need to file are:
1. Civil Case Filing Form, which is used by the Clerk to open your case
2. Petition for Name Change, which is your written request to change your name
3.Verification, which must be notarized and is your sworn statement that your Petition is true and correct.
4. Notice of Publication, which is the notice that will be published in the legal newspaper for 4 weeks.
There is a filing fee but if you cannot afford the fee, you can also file a poverty notarized affidavit to have the fee waived.
There is also a fee to publish the notice, which may or may not be waived if your affidavit is approved.
If there is evidence of family violence against you, the judge may let you file your case under seal and waive the requirement to publish notice in the newspaper. You should ask for this at the time you file your case.
You must arrange for the newspaper to publish your Notice of Publication within 7 days of filing your case.
After it is published for 4 weeks, you will get a Publisher’s Affidavit stating they published your notice. Bring this Affidavit with you to the final hearing.
Once the judge signs the order giving you a name change, you can get certified copies of the order at the Clerk’s Office.
Use these certified copies to update legal documents like your driver’s license and Social Security card.
Learn more at GeorgiaLegalAid.org