Name Change Arizona Cost, Fees & Steps
How Much Does It Cost To Change Your Name In Arizona?
Changing your name is a VERY personal and important decision. However, it isn’t simple or free to do. Finding out about all the costs involved isn’t easy, either. This post will give you the Name Change Costs Arizona residents can expect to have – Details, itemization and totals.
Itemized Arizona Name Change Fees
To legally change your name, so you can update your ID, you need a Certified Copy of a Court Order. You’ll get that at your Name Change Hearing, after approval by a Superior Court judge. The Certified Copy is what Social Security, School Administrators, MVD, US Passport, and the other important government and financial offices all want to see. Each steps you need to take, to get that Certified Copy, has a cost associated with it.
The Steps are:
- Prepare an Application
- File the Application in Court
- Legal Notice/Consent
- Get Certified Copy of Order Changing Name, upon approval
- Update ID and Official Records
Name Change Arizona Cost & Steps
1. Prepare a Name Change Application
A Name Change Application is a collection of Legal Forms that must be completely and correctly filled out for the Superior Court of the County where you live now. You can do this yourself, for free. Or, you can have a Name Change Specialist, or other licensed professional, do it for you. EZ Name Change charges $190 plus court and other costs, which includes Full Service. There are between 5 and 15 different forms to fill out, depending on the county where you live and the type of Name Change you’re doing. Plan on spending some hours to gather it all up and filled out correctly, or take about 5 minutes to complete the EZ Name Change Start Now Questionnaire.
When you’ have all your Application documents fully completed, it’s time to get your Application Notarized. It will cast about $10 for a Notary.
2. Arizona Court Costs - Filing Your Application
$271 Average Court Cost for Name Change Filing – $218 to $333, depending on County.
The biggest single category of Name Change Costs is the court filing fee. Every Arizona Court charges between $218 and $333, but most are between $258 (Pima) and $333 (Maricopa). Whether you do everything yourself, have EZ Name Change help you, or have someone else help you, this Court Filing cost needs to be paid. The Court does have a Fee Waiver Request process to defer or eliminate court filing costs. Let us know and we can provide you with information and help with the Request for Waiver of Court Fees and Consent to Entry of Judgment documents.
When you file your name change Application forms, you’ll have to pay the Arizona state Court Filing fee or have a court order allowing the filing fee to be waived. The Courts change their filing rates when they need to, so you’ll need to check or get current costs before you file to know the exact current rates for a Name Change case. Click here to ask for Current Court Filing Costs or for a Court Fee Waiver Request.
3. Notice, Consent, Publishing – Costs, If Needed
For some Name Change Applications filed in Arizona, you will need to get Consent, Serve or Publish Notice in a Qualified Newspaper. If you are applying for legal name change and married or have minor children, you may need to document consent and/or properly get notice to those individuals. Getting Consent Notarized will cost about $10 per Notary signature.
If you are required to Publish Notice , Proof of Publication must be provided to your judge before your Name Change Application can be approved. Newspaper ads can cost from $50 on up to $500.00, if you need that, so planning and getting good information is important. Publishing may be required if you need Consent or Notification for a spouse or other Interested Person and can’t tie down the whereabouts exactly. So, this type of Cost may not apply to your situation.
There are situations when you may need to Serve by Certified Mail, or by a Sheriff. Certified Mail Costs can be between $10 and $25, and a Sheriff may cost $30 to $200 to Serve, if needed. Situations where you might need these costs are also related to a spouse or interested other person. These charges can be waived by the court, upon request and with certain circumstances.
4. Certified Copies
You must have 1 Certified Copy of your Order Changing Name to update ID or Official Records. We recommend that you get 2 of them, or 3 if you’re intending to update a Birth Record. You get them from the Certified Copy Clerk. Each Certified Copy costs $31. For 2 of them, figure $62. With an approved Fee Waiver, they may be free.
Each place you present a Certified Copy will return it to you. You don’t need 1 for every record you plan to update. You can can additional Certified Copies if you need them in years to come, from the same Court.
5. Update ID and Official Records
You may or may not have to pay fees for updating ID and Records. It depends on which ID and Records you need to update and when you decide to do it. Usually, and particularly if you plan well, costs to Update your ID and Official Records are FREE or nominal.
Social Security might be your first Record to update since it’s an anchor ID for many other important agencies. There is no charge to update your Social Security Account after Court Order Name Change.
Both Real ID (MVD) and Passport (US State Department) do have charges UNLESS you update at your initial or renewal date. For MVD/Real ID it’s between Free and $25 depending on your age; Passport $15 to $160 depending on age and what you want exactly.
No Charge to update your Name with your Bank, Employer or Professional Licensing (though some Professional licensing requirements do assess a fee in some situations).
Summary – Legal Name Change Costs in Arizona
$523 TOTAL (+$45 if eXpedite)
example: Maricopa County –
With Full Service, you would pay EZ $115 when you begin and another $408 (or $453 if eXpedite) AFTER you return the signed Application. You would also pay $10 directly to the Notary and $31 directly to the Superior Court for your Certified Copy, upon approval.
Every other Arizona County costs are less, due to smaller Court Filing Costs. If you have complicating factors, such as being able to Notify a Spouse or other interested persons, Additional costs for Notice, Publishing, Service, etc., may apply.
Costs to Update ID and Official Records for Name Change
From $ Zero to $200. Usually Zero or close to it.
Social Security doesn’t, and many other Agencies, DO NOT charge for updating Your Name after getting an Order Changing Name. Even Real ID and US Passport don’t charge if you’re getting an initial one or asking them to update your Name when you’re Renewing.
With EZ Name Change Full Service
Name Change is important and very personal. We get it. We’re Name Change Specialists and look to make sure you have a 5-Star experience, from the day you start until you’re smiling with Your Certified Order Changing Name in your hands. It’s all we do.
More About How EZ Name Change Can Help
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