Trans Resource Navigator

Legal name change in Mississippi

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
Required
Sealed recordA court file that is kept confidential and not available to the public.
Not offered

Adults 21 and older can change their name by petition in the chancery court of the county where they live. There is no newspaper publication, but you normally attend a short hearing and the judge decides. The fee is about $148. People required to register as sex offenders cannot change their name (since July 1, 2026).

Main cost
$148, can be waived
Apply
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

Name changes in Mississippi are handled by the chancery court of the county where you live (Miss. Code § 93-17-1). You file a notarized petition with a certified copy of your birth certificate, pay the filing fee (or ask to file without paying), and then go to a hearing where the chancellor (judge) signs, or refuses to sign, your order. The judge has discretion, so bring the reason for your change in simple terms.

In Mississippi you are a legal adult at 21. People under 21 need a parent or guardian to file for them, and courts apply a "best interest of the child" test.

The free ACLU of Mississippi online tool drafts the petition and order for you. A name change does not change your gender marker; see the driver's license and birth certificate guides.

Steps

  1. Draft your petition and order[3][4]

    Use the ACLU of Mississippi's free online tool, or ask your county's chancery clerk for a local petition form. You also need the civil cover sheet and a certified copy of your birth certificate ($17 from the Mississippi State Department of Health if you were born in Mississippi).

  2. Sign in front of a notary[4]

    Sign the petition (and the fee affidavit, if you use it) only in front of a notary, with your photo ID.

  3. File at the chancery clerk's office[4][6]

    Bring the cover sheet, petition, birth certificate (Exhibit A), photo ID, and the filing fee (or the fee affidavit) to the chancery clerk in your county. Call ahead for the exact fee and accepted payment methods. Ask for two file-stamped copies so you have your case number.

    Cost
    $148 chancery court filing fee (name change)

  4. Schedule and attend the hearing[4]

    Ask the clerk how to schedule your hearing. Chancellors travel between counties, so your hearing may be in a different courthouse. Bring the unsigned order and your copy of the petition. If the judge will not sign, ask why and call the ACLU of Mississippi at 601-354-3408.

  5. File the signed order and get certified copies[4]

    Take the signed order back to the chancery clerk in the county where you filed and ask for at least four certified copies. Some counties charge per copy.

Costs and fee waivers

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

For people who cannot afford court costs. The judge decides whether to accept the affidavit.

Sign the Affidavit for Commencement of Suit without Prepayment of Fees before a notary and file it with your petition.

Affidavit for Commencement of Suit without Prepayment of Fees

WhatCostNotes
Chancery court filing fee (name change)[6][4]$148Can be waivedVaries by county$85 base fee plus $57.50 in state-mandated fees and $5.50 in county fees in Madison County. Other counties may differ slightly; call your clerk.

Free help

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

More detail

Forms3 forms

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Forms everyone files (2)

Cover Sheet for Civil Case FilingRequired

Open the form[5][4]

Petition to Change Name and Order to Change Name (ACLU of Mississippi automated forms)Required

Mississippi has no statewide official petition form. Use the ACLU tool or ask your chancery clerk for the local form.

How to fill it out

  • Choose "Adult First and Middle Name Change" or "Adult Surname Change" (or the name-and-gender-marker option if you also want a court order about your gender).
  • For the reason, a short honest statement works (for example, that you are known by this name and it matches your gender identity). The judge can ask questions at the hearing.
  • Do not sign the petition until you are in front of a notary. Most chancery clerk offices have one.
  • Attach a copy of your certified birth certificate marked "Exhibit A."

Open the form[3][4]

Forms only some people need (1)

Affidavit for Commencement of Suit without Prepayment of FeesOptional

Only if you are low-income and cannot pay the filing fee. Sign it in front of a notary.

Open the form[4]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the chancery court of the county where you live.[1][2]
Age
21 or older to file for yourself. Under 21, a parent or guardian files for you.
Criminal record
Since July 1, 2026, a person required to register as a sex offender may not change their name except through marriage or divorce (SB 2126, Miss. Code § 45-33-30). A4TE also reports that incarcerated people can petition only through a district attorney, sheriff, or corrections official.
Newspaper publication
No.

Mississippi does not require you to publish a notice of your name change in a newspaper.

[2][8]
Court hearing
Yes.

You normally attend a hearing, and the chancellor has discretion to grant or deny the petition.

[4][2]
Background check
No.

No fingerprinting is required. People on the sex offender registry are barred from changing their name (SB 2126, effective July 1, 2026).

[1]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

We found no Mississippi law that seals name change files. If you have safety concerns, ask a lawyer about requesting that the judge seal the record.

[2]
How long it takes

Usually a few weeks to a couple of months from filing to hearing, depending on the chancellor's calendar.

MinorsAnyone under 21 needs a parent or guardian to file.

Anyone under 21 needs a parent or guardian to file. Both legal parents must be notified; a parent who does not consent must be formally served. If the last name changes, the State Board of Health must be named as a respondent and served (Miss. Code § 41-57-23(1)(b)).

A chancellor may grant a minor's name change only when it is "clearly in the best interest of the child." In In re S.M.-B. (Miss. 2025), the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld a Hinds County chancellor who dismissed a 16-year-old trans boy's petition for lack of maturity, even though both parents agreed. Minor petitions are still possible, but bring strong supporting evidence (letters from teachers, counselors, or doctors).

[7][2]
After you finish1. Social Security first (free; bring a certified copy of the order and photo ID).
  1. Social Security first (free; bring a certified copy of the order and photo ID).
  2. Driver's license or ID at a Driver Service Bureau station ($11 duplicate); bring the certified court order. The sex marker cannot be changed (see the driver's license guide).
  3. Birth certificate if born in Mississippi: MSDH Form 1126 plus the certified order ($28).
  4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration (circuit clerk), and school records.
Tips2 tips from people who have done this
  • Judges ride circuits between counties. Ask the clerk which chancellor will hear your case and when; the ACLU of Mississippi may know how that judge handles trans petitions.
  • A U.S. passport name change is often the most useful ID update if your state ID cannot reflect your gender.
Laws and other guides2 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

11 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. SB 2126 (2026), name change prohibited for registered sex offenders; amends § 93-17-1Mississippi Legislature, Law. accessed
    “It shall be unlawful for a person required to register under this chapter to change his or her name except when his or her name changed as a result of marriage or divorce.”
  2. Mississippi Identity DocumentsAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
    “Name Change (Adult – 21 or older): Yes. ... You will typically have to attend a hearing. There is no publication requirement.”
  3. Identity Document ResourcesACLU of Mississippi, Organization. accessed
  4. Mississippi Name Change Guidelines (October 2023)ACLU of Mississippi, Organization. accessed
    “If you are low-income, you may want to fill out an Affidavit for Commencement of Suit without Prepayment of Fees to proceed "in forma pauperis"”
  5. Cover Sheet for Civil Case FilingMississippi Administrative Office of Courts, Form. accessed
  6. Madison County Chancery Court Civil Case Filing Fees (effective January 1, 2020)Madison County Chancery Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “Name Change, base fee 85.00, statutorily mandated fees 57.50, optional board approved fees 5.50, total 148.00”
  7. In re Petition of S.M.-B. v. Mississippi State Board of Health, No. 2023-CA-01379-SCTSupreme Court of Mississippi, Court. accessed
    “a chancellor may only grant a minor's name change "where to do so is clearly in the best interest of the child."”
  8. Mississippi's equality profileMovement Advancement Project, Organization. accessed
  9. Mississippi Legal ServicesOrganization. accessed
  10. Name Change ProjectAdvocates for Trans Equality, Organization. accessed
  11. Point of PrideOrganization. accessed