How do you officially change your last name?

Question

I live in South Carolina

Answer 1

In January 2007, Consumer Reports provided a very comprehensive guide to name change information that I have summarized:

1) Pay a filling fee ranging anywhere from $13 to $230 and obtain a court order. Usually you will need to publish a public notice of your name change (more on that later).

2) Go to the Internet and search for your state and "courts" (for example, South Carolina + courts):

Note, I've already done this and found the name-change form for South Carolina, which appears along with the name-change forms from some other states:

http://www.uspegalforms.com/changeofname

Of course, you can also stop by your county court house for the paper work. You will also need to make sure that you meet the residency requirements for your state.

3) Hiring an attorney will probably expediate matters; however, fees start at about $200.

4) Some states require finger printing and background checks.

5) You will need to publish your name change petition in a "newspaper of general circulation".

6) File with the court, pay any court fees, and schedule a hearing. If the judge agrees that your name change isn't detrimental to anyone else, you have successfully changed your name. But your work has just begun.

7) Ask your county clerk for at least one-half dozen copies of your name-change decree (at $10 per copy). Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles for a new driver's license; ask Social Security for a new card (Form SS-5), or else download it at http://www.ssa.gov ; change your passport, sending to the the US Department of State your old passport along with a certified copy of your name-change order/or marriage license*. See http://www.travel.state.gov to downloard form DS-5504 or DS-82.

8) Notify every entity with whom you do business:

------Your employer to change paychecks, withholding, and W-2 forms

------credit card companies

------insurance carriers for home, life, auto, health

------attorneys for parents if you expect to inherit anything, so they can change their wills

------brokerage, stock, bonds, mutual funds, and any other possible financial accounts

------mortgage companies

------medical providers, for example, Blue Cross/Blue Shield

------College alumni associations

------County tax assessors

------State licensing boards

------Your children's schools

------Utilities (telephone, cell phone, electricity, gas, water, cable TV, Internet provider)

How about just using a nickname?
______
*Of course, if you are an unmarried woman, you can pick a willing groom and get married, but you will still have to go through steps 7 and 8--not to mention picking out a china pattern.

Answer 2

bypass to the county courtroom website on your county. (use Google) in case you reside in a huge city they could have the substitute of brand call varieties on the information superhighway so you might fill out. there will be a cost. If the county courthouse does not have an internet site, you are going to could desire to bypass down there to get the workplace work. call transformations take place all the time (women human beings get married), it won't have an result on clearance for gvmnt jobs. in basic terms be constructive to show any past names if the education is asked for.

Answer 3

Get on your government site for the state of South Carolina.

or find the government site for your county.

in the area of birth certificates, marriage licesnse, etc, there should be an FAQ area - name changes rules are listed there!

Good luck!

Answer 4

Generally, you will need a court order. I am unfamilar with S.C. law, but check with your local Courthouse, they should have forms for you to fill out and detailed instructions, as name changes are generally done pro se.

Answer 5

You can probably do it at the DMV office or the Social Security office. Make an appointment.

This includes when you get married and want to change to a married name.

Answer 6

you either get married and take the last name, or you pay to have your name changed

Answer 7

Genealogy is about researching dead ancestors.