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Legal name change in Tennessee

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  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-104 (2026-10-12) · #241
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-103 (2026-10-12) · #239
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-102 (2026-10-12) · #238
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101 (2026-10-12) · #236
  • Page changed: Probate Court Filing Fees (Effective January 1, 2026) (2026-10-05) · #175
  • Page changed: Circuit Court Filing Fees (Effective January 1, 2026) (2026-10-05) · #174
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-104 (2026-09-28) · #44
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-103 (2026-09-28) · #43
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-102 (2026-09-28) · #42
  • Page changed: Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101 (2026-09-28) · #41
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.
Not offered

Adults in Tennessee can change their name by filing a sworn petition in the circuit, probate, or county court where they live. There is no newspaper publication. In Nashville (Davidson County) the fee is $159.50 and you must attend a short hearing in person. People convicted of murder or a registrable sex offense cannot change their name.

Main cost
$159.50, 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

Tennessee's name change law is short (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-8-101 to 29-8-105). You file a written petition, signed and sworn before a notary or the clerk, in the circuit, probate, or county court of the county where you live. The petition states that you live in the county and gives your reason. The judge may then order the change. The law does not require publishing a notice in a newspaper.

Changing your name is the one part of legal transition Tennessee still allows. The state does not let you change the sex on your Tennessee birth certificate or driver's license (see those guides), and courts are not asked to rule on gender in a name change. You do not need to say you are trans: "to use the name I am known by" or "personal preference" is a common, truthful reason.

Each county has its own forms and fees. In Davidson County (Nashville) name changes go to the Seventh Circuit (Probate) Court, which has a fill-in petition, charges $159.50, and schedules an in-person hearing on a Tuesday morning.

Steps

  1. Find your county's court and form[1][14][5]

    Call or visit the circuit court clerk or probate court clerk in the county where you live and ask how they handle adult name changes and what the fee is. In Davidson County, use the Probate Court's fill-in petition. The Vital Records office links to a statewide list of court clerks.

  2. Gather your documents[5]

    Bring a copy of your birth certificate, a government photo ID (driver's license or passport), and your Social Security card. Davidson County asks for all three and files them under seal. Other counties may ask for similar documents.

  3. Ask to file without paying if you cannot afford the fee[8][9]

    Optional

    Fill out the Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency and file it with your petition. A judge or special master decides whether to waive the fee.

  4. Sign before a notary or the clerk, then file[2][6][5]

    The petition must be sworn. Sign it in front of a notary public or the court clerk, then file it with the clerk and pay the fee (or file your indigency affidavit). In Davidson County the Probate Court Clerk is at the Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, and the fee is $159.50 (no personal checks or money orders).

    Cost
    $159.50 court filing fee, adult name change petition (Davidson County)

  5. Go to the hearing if your court sets one[5]

    In Davidson County the clerk writes a hearing date on the petition. Hearings are Tuesdays at 9:00 am before a special master in Courtroom 608 of the Historic Metro Courthouse, and you must attend in person. Bring your ID and a copy of your petition. Other counties may decide on the papers or set a hearing.

  6. Get certified copies of the order[6][11]

    After the judge signs the order, buy several certified copies from the clerk (in Davidson County Probate Court, $5 plus 50 cents per page each). The Department of Safety requires an original or certified copy with the judge's original signature or the court's seal; photocopies are refused.

    Cost
    $5 certified copy of the order (Davidson County Probate Court)

  7. Update your other records, in this order[11][12][13]

    1. Social Security first (free). The Department of Safety advises updating SSA before visiting a Driver Services Center.
    2. Tennessee driver's license or ID, in person, $8 for a first duplicate (see the driver's license guide). Only the name changes; the sex marker cannot.
    3. Birth certificate, if you were born in Tennessee: mail a certified copy of the order to Vital Records ($15 amendment fee plus $15 per copy). Only the name changes.
    4. Passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, school records.

Costs and fee waivers

Can’t afford it? You may not have to pay.[8][9]

There is no fixed income cutoff. You swear that, because of poverty, you cannot pay the costs of the case, and list your income, benefits, expenses, and property. The judge or a special master decides.

File the affidavit together with your petition. In Davidson County, special masters are authorized to rule on indigency.

Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency

WhatCostNotes
Court filing fee, adult name change petition (Davidson County)[6][7][3]$159.50Can be waivedVaries by countyDavidson County Probate and Circuit Courts both list $159.50 as of January 1, 2026. Other counties set their own amounts; call your clerk.
Certified copy of the order (Davidson County Probate Court)[6]$5Varies by county$5 per certified copy plus 50 cents per page.

Free help

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

More detail

Forms2 forms: Davidson Petition for Adult Legal Name Change, Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency

Open a form for tips on filling it out.

Uniform Civil Affidavit of IndigencyUniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency (pauper's oath), Davidson County Probate Court versionOptional

Only if you cannot afford the filing fee. Every Tennessee court uses the same uniform affidavit; ask your clerk for their copy.

How to fill it out

  • List your income after taxes, any benefits (SSI, disability, unemployment), your monthly expenses, and what you own.
  • Sign in front of a notary or the clerk. A judge or special master decides whether you can file without paying.

Open Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency[8]

RequirementsWhere you live, age, criminal record, newspaper notice, hearing, background check, privacy and sealing, timeline
Where you live
File in the county where you live. The petition must state that you are a resident of that county.[1][2]
Age
18 or older for the adult petition. For a child, a parent or guardian files; see Minors.
Criminal record
You cannot change your name if you were convicted of first- or second-degree murder or of any offense that requires registration as a sex offender. If you have any other felony conviction, the law presumes bad faith and you must show by clear and convincing evidence that the change is for a legitimate reason. These limits do not apply to name changes from marriage, divorce, or adoption.
Newspaper publication
No.

Tennessee's name change statutes do not require publishing a notice in a newspaper, and the Davidson County petition has no publication step.

[2][4][5]
Court hearing
Sometimes.

The statute leaves it to the court. Davidson County schedules every adult petition for an in-person hearing before a special master (Tuesdays, 9:00 am). Other counties vary.

[4][5]
Background check
No.

No fingerprinting is required by statute. You must swear whether you have any felony convictions; murder and sex-offender-registry convictions bar a name change, and other felonies create a presumption of bad faith that you must overcome.

[1][5]
Privacy and sealed records
Not available.

Tennessee has no law sealing name change cases. The petition and order are court records. Davidson County does file your copies of your birth certificate, photo ID, and Social Security card under seal.

If you have a safety concern (for example, domestic violence), ask a legal aid lawyer whether to request that the judge seal the file; there is no standard form.

[5]
How long it takes

Often a few weeks from filing to the hearing in Davidson County, then about 2 weeks for Vital Records to amend a Tennessee birth certificate. Timing varies by county.

MinorsA parent or guardian files the petition in the circuit, probate, or county court of the county where the child lives, using the same…

A parent or guardian files the petition in the circuit, probate, or county court of the county where the child lives, using the same statute. The court usually requires that a parent who does not sign be notified of the petition and the hearing, and the judge decides based on the child's best interest, looking at things like the child's own preference, how long they have used the name, and any harassment they face. If the other parent objects, the case becomes contested. Judges have wide discretion. A court order changing only the name does not affect the sex on any record.

[15][1]
After you finishStart with Social Security (bring the certified order and photo ID).

Start with Social Security (bring the certified order and photo ID). Then the Department of Safety (in person, $8 for a first duplicate license, $12 after that; add $4 at a county clerk partner office). If you were born in Tennessee, mail a certified copy of the order to Tennessee Vital Records with the $15 amendment fee and $15 for each new copy. Then your passport, bank, employer, insurance, voter registration, and school records. Tennessee will change only the name on these state records, not the sex.

Tips3 tips from people who have done this
  • Buy at least three certified copies of the order. Agencies often keep one.
  • Keep your stated reason short and factual. The law tells judges to deny a petition that seems meant to defraud or mislead, is not in good faith, would injure someone, or would compromise public safety; a truthful reason about the name you use does none of these.
  • Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee holds free name change clinics; call 1-800-238-1443 or check las.org for dates.
Laws and other guides3 laws, 2 other guides

Laws and rules

Other trusted guides

Sources

20 sources. Numbers in the text, like [1], point here.Show all
  1. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101FindLaw (Tennessee Code), Law. accessed
    “The circuit, probate and county courts have concurrent jurisdiction to change names and to correct errors in birth certificates on the application of a resident of the county in which the application is made.”
  2. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-102FindLaw (Tennessee Code), Law. accessed
    “The application to change the name ... shall be by petition, in writing, signed by the applicant and verified by affidavit, stating that the applicant is a resident of the county, and giving the applicant's reasons for desiring the change or correction.”
  3. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-103FindLaw (Tennessee Code), Law. accessed
    “The clerk's fee for services in proceedings under this chapter shall be the same as for like services in other cases, to be paid by the party petitioning.”
  4. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-104FindLaw (Tennessee Code), Law. accessed
    “The court may order the name to be changed or the birth certificate to be corrected by entry of record reciting the petition and its reasons therefor.”
  5. Petition for Adult Legal Name Change, Seventh Circuit (Probate) Court for Davidson CountyDavidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Form. accessed
    “THIS PETITION SHALL BE HEARD BY SPECIAL MASTER ... ON TUESDAY ... AT 9:00 AM IN COURTROOM 608 OF THE HISTORIC METRO COURTHOUSE ... THE PETITIONER MUST ATTEND THE HEARING IN PERSON.”
  6. Probate Court Filing Fees (Effective January 1, 2026)Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “Petition for Name Change 159.50 ... Certified copy of any document or pleading (+ .50/page) 5.00 ... No Personal Checks or Money Orders”
  7. Circuit Court Filing Fees (Effective January 1, 2026)Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “Category Three Cases: Petition for Certificate of Employability, legitimations, name changes, and minor settlements. 159.50”
  8. Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency (Probate Court of Davidson County)Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Form. accessed
    “because of my poverty, I am unable to bear the expenses of this case”
  9. Order re Circuit Court Special Masters Authorized to Determine IndigencyDavidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Court. accessed
  10. Resource CenterDavidson County Circuit Court Clerk, Official page. accessed
    “1 Public Square Ste 303. Hours 8:00 to 4:30. Phone (615) 862-5207.”
  11. Name Change (Driver Services)Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Official page. accessed
    “It is advised to visit your local social security office and update your name with them first before visiting the driver service center.”
  12. My name was legally changed. How do I get it changed on my birth certificate?Tennessee Vital Records, Official page. accessed
  13. FeesTennessee Vital Records, Official page. accessed
  14. How do I get a court order?Tennessee Vital Records, Official page. accessed
    “For instructions on obtaining a court order contact the court clerk's office in your county of residence.”
  15. Name Changes for Minors in TennesseeNational Center for Transgender Equality (now A4TE), Organization. accessed
    “the court will usually require that any parent that does not sign the petition be notified of the filing of the petition and the hearing date.”
  16. Contact, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the CumberlandsOrganization. accessed
  17. Free Name Change Clinic in Cookeville, Tennessee (July 9, 2026)Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Organization. accessed
    “Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands is hosting a free name change clinic”
  18. Tennessee Equality ProjectOrganization. accessed
  19. OUTMemphisOrganization. accessed
    “OUTMEMPHIS COMMUNITY CENTER 892 S. Cooper Street Memphis TN 38104 (901) 278-6422 ... WALK-IN HOURS TUE-SAT 12-8PM”
  20. Trans LifelineOrganization. accessed