Missouri (Not STL)
Missouri (Not STL)
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There is a lot of confusion right now. We're trying to keep our site up-to-date. (Please do not take legal advice from random people on social media!)
Forms
Forms
Some people understand forms really well. Some do not. If you just want the forms, these are all the necessary forms to change one's name in St. Louis County. If you need more guidance, refer to the thoughts laid out below.
Petition
Petition
Needs to be signed in front of a notary. Members of this group are notaries and can provide the free service. You can usually find a notary at a bank, too.
You do not need an attorney!
If the questions do not apply to you, do not fill them out
This form looks very similar to the judgment, but they are different and both need to be filed. This document may be complicated for why certain parts are on here and what they are asking. While we cannot give you legal advice, we have noted parts of the document that interest us.
One of the main things the court is looking for is if a name change will be detrimental to others such as credit companies. #10, #17, and #18 is talking about that.
#11 is one of the ways the court can easily figure out if a name change is necessary. Reasons that work as a reason to change one's name can be (mixing and matching these is definitely possible, and if they do not fit your reason, do what works best for you):
- [NEW NAME] is the name I am known as [and have been using for ____ years].
- [NEW NAME] is the name I am known as, and I would like my legal name to better align with my gender identity.
- I want my name to be consistent on all my important documents.
- I would like to share the same surname as my spouse/partner.
- I would like my child(ren) to share the same surname as ________.
- I want to update my name to reflect my marriage/divorce/separation.
- I want to update my name to reflect my religious beliefs.
#16 is asking if the court needs to keep the case confidential from publishing. Many people in the trans, non-binary, and other communities have faced discrimination laid out in this question. If someone has experienced these, they do not need to publish their name change in the newspaper (see below in the Publish section)
#17 is talking about a money judgment that has been signed by the judge and closed.
#18 is talking about if a pending for money request is in the court - threats from companies do not count.
Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. Click Here.
Judgment
Judgment
If you are in a county that does name change by affidavit (a fancy letter, as opposed to having a court date), then you will fill out an “Affidavit for Judgment” instead of “Judgment for Name Change of Adult Individual.” St. Louis City uses an Affidavit which is found on the next section.
#4:
If you were born in Missouri, check the Missouri-specific box.
If you were not born in Missouri, check the other box and write-in the state you were born in.
If you were not born in the U.S. but are a U.S. citizen, the U.S. State Department has a Consular Record of Birth Abroad for you which can be amended like a birth certificate.
#5:
If you checked that you have been a victim of crimes laid out in question #16 of the petition, the person filing checks the latter box that does not require publishing.
If you have to publish the change, the newspaper you can use is called "_____". This is a legal newspaper that only lawyers and credit sharks look at.
Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. The document is near the bottom of the petition sheet: Click Here.
Request for Publication
Request for Publication
You do NOT need to publish your legal name change if you are the victim of a crime based on:
domestic violence as defined in §455.010, RSMo; or
child abuse as defined in §210.110, RSMo; or
abuse by a family or household member as defined in §455.010, RSMo.
Publication has to happen in your county, but you can publish in local publications, including legal ones! No one actually reads legal publications (except maybe a few lawyers)
Each county has a different legal newspaper to publish in a low-risk way. Since you are representing yourself, you can ask the court which newspaper to publish in.
Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. Click Here.
Cover Sheet
Cover Sheet
The cover sheet is the same cover sheet you would use for use for other confidential case filings.
You file in the county you reside in
You are the petitioner
Instead of “X v. Y” your case would be titled “In re [your current legal name]”
Asks for a lot of information that is not relevant for name change
Only fill in what you know! If the questions do not apply to you, do not fill them out
Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. Click Here.
NEW Redaction Requirement
NEW Redaction Requirement
NEW REQUIRED REDACTION FORMS
Two new Redaction forms that you should take with you as you file your case:
Confidential Redacted Information Filing Sheet
Redaction Certification
Starting in late 2023, Missouri courts began requiring individuals to redact certain types of information from any filed court pleadings (Petition, Judgment, Affidavit, etc.).
The roll-out of this process has been extremely confusing and handled differently by different counties, and even by different court employees. Because the courts did not properly prepare for implementing this rule, they have gone back and changed the new redaction processes multiple times in 2023 and 2024.
Because the courts have been so inconsistent, it has been very difficult for us to be certain that any suggestions we share about the new redaction process will be accurate for you.
Filing Fees
Filing Fees
There are two ways to pay for the name change process:
A person can pay for it themselves or get the funding from community. Make sure you have the funds in CASH (debit/credit usually not accepted).
Depending on the county, the cost can range from about $120 to $180. Check with your local clerk to see how much it costs.
The courts have an option for people to "File as a Poor Person" in a process called In Forma Pauperis.
This document may need to be signed by a judge before filing all the documents.
They court may tell you to go to a specific judge, but any judge can sign this form.
Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. Click Here.
Next Steps
Next Steps
YAY! You filled out all the forms. Now, you can go to the court and get it done.
Take the papers to the county clerk in the county courthouse. (Some counties require you to file everything online, so make sure you ask!) You will typically be assigned a court date. You will not be assigned a court date if you are in a county that does name changes by affidavit (unless there are other complications, such as past felonies).
Since you are representing yourself, your county may require you to watch a video in person or online
If you are "Filing as a Poor Person," you may have an additional steps to take like talking to a judge before filing.
After you file everything, it will take about four-six weeks. The court will mail you the judgment. If it was successful, you will receive two copies of the judgment to do the next steps of the process for your birth certificate, ID, social security, and all other documents.
Read our After the Courts page for more details!
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