Becoming You: How to Legally Change Your Name in Tennessee
In honor of Pride Month, we want to share some information that may be helpful for transgender and non-binary individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community who wish to change their names! If you’re someone living in Tennessee who, for any reason, wants to change your name, this article is for you.
It’s a privilege to wake up and feel like you are truly yourself each morning—to identify with your gender. This is a privilege that many of us may take for granted. For someone seeking to affirm their identity, changing their name is often an important step.
Thankfully, a legal name change in Tennessee is a relatively simple process.
HOW To LEGALLY Change Your Name:
First, you must fill out a Petition for Change of Name and prepare to file the document with the appropriate court in your county. In most Middle Tennessee Counties, the appropriate court will be the Chancery Court.
Next, before you go to file your document, you will need to do two things:
(1) You will need gather some important documents, including your social security card, birth certificate, photo ID(s), and proof that you are a resident of the county in which you will file your documents. The court will need to verify these documents at the time you go to file your petition.
(2) You will need to prepare to pay a filing fee. Filing fees may vary depending on the county in which you live. In Davidson County, the fee to file a Petition for Change of Name is $159.50. For other counties, you can visit your local chancery court’s website or call the court clerk’s office to find out what the filing fee will be.
After you file your petition, the court will set a hearing for you. At the hearing, the judge will review your petition, confirm how you want your name to be spelled, and ask you to confirm that you are not changing your name for any illegal purpose or to avoid creditors. Once the judge grants your petition, you will receive an official order from the court that requires the government to issue a new birth certificate with your new name.
To receive your new birth certificate, you can contact the Department of Health in the State where you were born. Or, if you were born in Tennessee, you can contact the Tennessee Vital Records Department. For a new social security card, you can visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call (800) 772-1213. And, to change your driver’s license, you can visit your local DMV.
For minors, the process to change a name is very similar to the steps listed above. However, in order for a minor to change their name, BOTH parents or legal guardians must attend the hearing and BOTH parents/legal guardians must confirm they believe a name change is in the best interest of the minor.
Take note that current Tennessee law prohibits amending a person’s sex on a birth certificate, even if a person undergoes gender affirmation surgery. However, this law is currently being challenged.
Even though this process may seem simple, dealing with all the details of changing your name and going to court can be overwhelming. We understand how personal the decision to change your name is, and we want you to feel comfortable every step of the way. If you have any questions about this process, or need help with anything, we are here for you. Contact us today.
(Edited 03/26/2021)
