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Legal name change in Arkansas

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  • Page changed: Circuit clerks directory (2026-10-12) · #208
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  • Page changed: Court forms (2026-09-28) · #11
Change your legal name
Yes
Publication requirementA rule in some states that a name-change petition be printed in a newspaper before it is granted. Many states waive it for trans petitioners or for safety.
Not required
Court hearing
Sometimes
Sealed recordA court file that is kept confidential and not available to the public.
Possible

Adults in Arkansas can change their name by filing a sworn petition in circuit court in the county where they live. There is no newspaper publication. The filing fee is about $165 (a fee waiver is available), and some judges hold a short hearing.

Main cost
$165, can be waived
Apply
Online or in person

Draft from official sources, September 24, 2026. Not yet checked by a person. How we verify

On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Steps
  3. Costs and fee waivers
  4. Free help
  5. Forms
  6. Requirements
  7. Minors
  8. After you finish
  9. Tips
  10. Laws and other guides
  11. Sources

How it works

Arkansas Code § 9-2-101 lets the circuit court change the name of any person within its jurisdiction "upon good reasons shown." You file a verified (notarized) petition stating your reasons with the circuit clerk in your county. The law does not require publishing a notice in a newspaper. The judge signs an Order for Name Change listing your prior name, birth date, identifying information, and new name.

Since 2023 the clerk sends the unredacted order to the Arkansas Crime Information Center and to Driver Control, and to Vital Records if you ask. If you show by clear and convincing evidence that you would otherwise be endangered, the court must seal the file.

You do not have to say you are transgender. Many people give "common usage" or "this is the name I use" as the reason.

Steps

  1. Call your county's circuit clerk[10][9]

    Ask the clerk for the current filing fee, whether your judge holds a hearing, and whether the county wants any extra paperwork (some ask for a disposition sheet). The state court website lists every circuit clerk.

  2. Prepare the cover sheet, petition, and proposed order[1][3][5]

    Fill out the civil cover sheet, a petition for change of name, and the order for name change. Use your current legal name everywhere except where the new name is asked for. Sign the petition in front of a notary.

  3. Ask for a fee waiver if you cannot pay[4][10]

    Optional

    File the in forma pauperis affidavit describing your income, property, and expenses. According to A4TE, a judge has to grant the waiver before the clerk accepts your petition without the fee.

    Form
    IFP

  4. File with the circuit clerk and pay the fee[7][1]

    File in person at the circuit clerk's office, or through the courts' e-filing system if you have an account. The fee to start a civil case is $165 in Pulaski County.

    Cost
    $165 circuit court filing fee

  5. Go to the hearing if one is set[10]

    Some judges sign the order from the paperwork; others set a short hearing and ask why you want the change. Bring ID and a copy of everything you filed.

  6. Get certified copies of the signed order[8]

    Buy several certified copies from the clerk ($5 per seal in Pulaski County). Social Security, the revenue office, your bank, and the passport agency each need to see one.

    Cost
    $5 certified copy of the order (per seal)

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[4][2]

You must swear that because of poverty you cannot pay the costs. The affidavit asks about your job, income in the past year, cash, property, and people who depend on you. The judge decides.

File the affidavit (Ark. R. Civ. P. 72) with or before your petition.

IFP

WhatCostNotes
Circuit court filing fee[7][10]$165Can be waivedVaries by countyPulaski County fee schedule (dated 2019) lists $165 for initiating any civil cause of action; A4TE says the fee is typically about $165 statewide. Confirm with your clerk.
Certified copy of the order (per seal)[8]$5Varies by countyPulaski County figure; plus a small per-page copy fee.

Free help

Legal clinics, organizations, and funds that help with this.

  • Legal Aid of Arkansas[11]

    Statewide nonprofit law firm giving free civil legal help to low-income Arkansans. Call 1-800-952-9243 or apply online. Its site does not list name changes among case types, so ask.

    • Free
    1-800-952-9243Languages: English, Español

  • ACLU of Arkansas[12]

    Civil rights organization working on LGBTQ rights in Arkansas; contact it if an official refuses your paperwork or treats you unfairly.

    • Free

  • Intransitive[13]

    Trans-led Arkansas organization offering anti-violence advocacy, community care, workshops, immigration support, and financial support funds for trans Arkansans.

    • Free

  • Transgender Law Center, legal information helpdesk[14]

    National trans legal organization; free legal information helpdesk for people in any state.

    • Free

More detail

Forms7 forms: CV-cover, IFP

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (3)

CV-coverCover Sheet, State of Arkansas Circuit Court, Civil (11/15/2023)Required

How to fill it out

  • Case type: check (NC) Name Change under Miscellaneous Civil.
  • Plaintiff: your current legal name. Mark that you are self-represented.

Open CV-cover[2][3]

Petition for Change of Name (verified)Required

There is no official statewide form. Arkansas Law Help publishes sample name-change forms; Legal Aid of Arkansas can also help. The petition must be signed in front of a notary.

How to fill it out

  • Use your current legal name in the caption. The new name appears only in the body of the petition and in the order.
  • Reason: "common usage" or "this is the name I use" is enough. You do not need to mention gender identity.
  • If you fear for your safety, add a request that the court seal the file and explain why (see Confidentiality).
  • Sign in front of a notary; the statute requires a verified petition.

Open the form[1][10]

Order for Name ChangeRequired

Fill in the county, your current name, and your new name; the judge signs it.

Open the form[5]

Forms only some people need (4)

IFPAffidavit in Support of Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Rule 72)Optional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee.

Open IFP[2][4]

Petition for Name Change (minor, by guardian and next friend)Sometimes required: For a child under 18.

Open the form[6]

Affidavit of Proof of Service by Certified Mail (child's name)Sometimes required: If the other parent does not sign the consent and must be served instead.

Open the form[6]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the circuit court of the Arkansas county where you live.[1][10]
Age
18 or older files for themselves. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian files as "next friend"; see Minors.
Criminal record
The statute does not bar people with convictions, but the clerk sends every name-change order to the Arkansas Crime Information Center.
Newspaper publication
No.

Ark. Code § 9-2-101 has no newspaper publication requirement.

[1][10]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The statute requires the court to find good reason but does not require a hearing; practice varies by county and judge.

[1][10]
Background check
No.

No fingerprints are required, but the clerk must send the unredacted order to the Arkansas Crime Information Center and to Driver Control.

[1]
Privacy and sealed records
Available.

The court "shall order the court file sealed upon clear and convincing evidence" that you would otherwise be endangered. Otherwise, the case is public but the clerk redacts identifying information other than your old and new names, and indexes the case under both names.

Ask for sealing in your petition (or a separate motion) and bring evidence of the danger, such as police reports, protective orders, or documented threats.

[1]
How long it takes

Usually a few weeks to a couple of months from filing to a signed order, depending on the county and whether a hearing is set.

MinorsA parent or guardian files as the child's "next friend" using a minor petition.

A parent or guardian files as the child's "next friend" using a minor petition. The other parent can sign a consent and waiver of notice; if they do not, they must be served (for example by certified mail) and can object. The judge decides based on the child's best interests, including the child's own preference (weighed more as the child gets older), the relationship with each parent, and any harassment the child faces under the current name. A hearing is likely.

[6][10]
After you finishUpdate Social Security first (bring the certified order and ID).

Update Social Security first (bring the certified order and ID). Then the driver's license or ID at a revenue office (in person; see the driver's license guide). If you were born in Arkansas, send the order to Vital Records to change the name on your birth certificate ($15 amendment fee plus $12 for a copy), or ask the clerk to forward it. Then your passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records.

Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • You can ask the clerk to send the order straight to Vital Records; the law says the clerk will if you request it.
  • An Arkansas birth certificate sex change needs a court order that says your sex was changed by a surgical procedure. If that applies to you, ask for it in the same petition; see the birth certificate guide.
Laws and other guides1 law, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

14 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Act 331 of 2023 (HB 1473), amending Ark. Code § 9-2-101Arkansas General Assembly, Law. accessed
    “The court shall order the court file sealed upon clear and convincing evidence presented by the petitioner that the petitioner would otherwise be endangered.”
  2. Court formsArkansas Judiciary, Official page. accessed
  3. Cover Sheet, Circuit Court Civil (11/15/2023)Arkansas Judiciary, Form. accessed
    “(NC) Name Change”
  4. Affidavit in Support of Request to Proceed In Forma PauperisArkansas Judiciary, Form. accessed
    “because of my poverty I am unable to pay the costs of said proceeding”
  5. Order for Name Change (sample form)Arkansas Law Help, Form. accessed
  6. Petition for Name Change of a minor, consent, and proof of service (sample forms)Arkansas Law Help, Form. accessed
  7. Court Filings Fee Schedule (May 20, 2019)Pulaski County Circuit/County Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “For initiating ANY cause of action in Circuit Court (This applies to CIVIL, DOMESTIC, PROBATE cases, including appeals) $165.00”
  8. Misc. Fee Schedule (May 20, 2019)Pulaski County Circuit/County Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “Certified/Authenticated Copies $5.00 per seal”
  9. Circuit clerks directoryArkansas Judiciary, Official page. accessed
  10. Arkansas Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “No requirement for publication in a newspaper or a hearing.”
  11. LGBTQ RightsACLU of Arkansas, Organization. accessed
  12. Our WorkIntransitive, Organization. accessed
  13. Transgender Law CenterOrganization. accessed