Texas Petition for Change of Name of Minor

Instant Download - Only $9.99

  • Professional MS Word & PDF formatting
  • Fully editable & reusable
  • Lifetime updates
  • Accuracy guarantee
About this Form, Who May File, and Who Must Receive Notice: In Texas, a Petition for Change of Name of Minor must be filed at the office of the District Clerk located in the county in which the minor child lives. The petition may be filed by the child's parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian, who is known as the "petitioner" after filing. A citation (formal notice) must be issued to the other parent or custodian unless that party files a waiver of this requirement with the court or the party's rights have been terminated. Any lawful reason that the petitioner deems a benefit is adequate to satisfy the court, provided that the change is in the best interest of the child and in the interest of the public. For example, the petitioner may prefer a new name for his or her child due to social or religious reasons. The petitioner may not change the minor child's name for purposes of fraud or if it will violate the rights of others. The petitioner should contact the District Clerk's office in the county in which the minor child resides to determine the filing fees, docket number, and other local requirements. In response to the filing of a valid petition, the judge will issue an order changing the name of the child after a court hearing.

Minor Corrections to a Child's Name: Filing a petition with the court is unnecessary if the change sought is a minor correction to the child's first or middle name, such as a spelling mistake or typographical error on the birth certificate. In such a case, the petitioner should complete Texas Form VS-170 ("Birth Certificate Correction Application") and mail the application along with payment to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section.

Governing Law: The law that governs the change of name of a minor within the state of Texas, including the requirements for a valid petition, is codified in Texas Family Code, Chapter 45, Subchapter A.
Original Petition for Change of Name of Minor


State of Texas
County of ________________
Court _____________________________
Docket No. ________________________
 
 
Name of Petitioner(s):
In re:  Change of Name of Minor  
_____________________________
_____________________________
From: _____________________________
To: _______________________________

Petitioner(s) makes (make) the following declaration:

1. Birth Date and Place:   The minor was born on _______________________, 20____ in  ________________________ [city],  ________________________ [county], ________________________ [state]. A certified copy of the minor's birth certificate is attached to this petition.

2. Birth Name:  The minor was named ____________________________________________ at birth, and as of the date of this petition, the minor has always been known by that name, with the following exceptions, if any:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
[list all legal names previously held].

3. Residence:  The minor resides at _____________________________________________________________________________ [insert the minor's residential address] and has lived at this address for ________ [insert length of time in months or years at this address].   The Petitioner(s) resides (reside) at _____________________________________________________________________________ [insert residential address] and has (have) lived at this address for ________ [insert length of time in months or years at this address].

4. Minor's Parents:  The father of the minor is named ______________________________________________, and he resides at _____________________________________________________________________________ [insert residential address of father].  The mother of the minor is named ______________________________________________, and she resides at _____________________________________________________________________________ [insert residential address of mother]. 

5. Reason for Name Change:  Petitioner(s) seeks (seek) to change said minor's name to ______________________________________________ and offers (offer) the following reason(s) for seeking to do so:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

6. Legal and Creditor Status:  The minor does not have any outstanding judgments, has never been convicted of a crime, and is not involved in any pending legal actions.

7. Additional Declarations:  In addition to the foregoing statements, the Petitioner(s) further declares (declare):
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
[insert additional declarations, if any].

NOW, THEREFORE, the Petitioner(s) requests (request) that the court order the minor's name changed as follows:

From: ____________________________________________
To: ______________________________________________


 Verification (Petitioner #1)

I, _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ [name of Petitioner], affirm under penalty of perjury that I am the (a) Petitioner in the foregoing Petition to Change Name of Minor and that all statements in this Petition are accurate to the best of my knowledge.
 

_____________________________________________
_________________
Petitioner's Signature
Date


_____________________________________________
Petitioner's Address, Line 1

_____________________________________________

Petitioner's Address, Line 2


 Verification (Petitioner #2, if any)

I, _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ [name of Petitioner], affirm under penalty of perjury that I am the (a) Petitioner in the foregoing Petition to Change Name of Minor and that all statements in this Petition are accurate to the best of my knowledge.
 

_____________________________________________
_________________
Petitioner's Signature
Date


_____________________________________________
Petitioner's Address, Line 1

_____________________________________________

Petitioner's Address, Line 2


Subscribed and sworn to before me on this ____ day of __________________, 20_____.
 
 
__________________________________
Notary

   
About this Consent to Change of Name of Minor Form:  The following consent form may accompany the Petition for Change of Name of Minor if needed. Contact the office of the District Clerk in the county in which the minor resides to determine whether this consent is required.

Consent to Change of Name of Minor

State of Texas
County of ________________
Court _____________________________
Docket No. ________________________
 
 
Name of Petitioner(s):
In re:  Change of Name of Minor  
_____________________________
_____________________________
From: _____________________________
To: _______________________________

I make the following declaration:

1. Name:  My name is ____________________________________________, and as of the date of the signing of this Consent, I have always been known by that name, with the following exceptions, if any:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

2. Residence:  I reside at _____________________________________________________________________________ [insert the residential address] and have lived at this address for ________ [insert length of time in months or years at this address].

3. Consent to Change of Name of Minor:  I am fully informed of the legal consequences and effects, and I give my consent to the request of the Petitioner(s) to change the name of said minor child as follows:

From: ____________________________________________
To: ______________________________________________

Verification

I, _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ [name of individual granting his or her consent], affirm under penalty of perjury that all statements in this Consent to Change of Name of Minor are accurate to the best of my knowledge.
 

_____________________________________________
_________________
Signature
Date


_____________________________________________
Address, Line 1

_____________________________________________

Address, Line 2



Other Forms You May Need