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Florida court form packet

Florida Adult Name Change

Download the Florida petition for change of name of adult packet for yourself. This state-specific self-help form package is ready for instant secure access and includes the packet documents listed below.

  • print-ready PDF format
  • Attorney-reviewed template packet
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

What you receive for Florida

A practical adult name change packet built around the court filing documents used to request an official name change order.

State-specific court packet

Prepared for Florida adult name change filings, with petition and order materials reflected in the downloadable packet.

Private self-help workflow

Download the files, complete them on your own device, then file with the appropriate court. Your personal details are not entered into an online form builder.

Filing guide + printable checklist

A short PublicLegal filing guide covers this state's age split, publication and service sequence, and after-order updates — ending in a printable checklist to carry to the clerk.

Included packet documents

This state packet includes 1 packet PDF • 4-page PublicLegal guide + 20 pages of official Florida court forms. Use the PDF files for print-ready review and filing preparation.

  • Adult Name Change Packet — PublicLegal guide + checklist + official Florida petition (12.982(a)) PDF

Researched filing overview

Florida Adult Name Change Filing Overview

Who files and venue
an adult 18 or older files the verified Petition for Change of Name (Adult) (form 12.982(a)) in the circuit court of the Florida county where they live — a bona fide resident of and domiciled in that county, with no minimum length of residency. The petition is signed under oath before a notary or deputy clerk and asks for a 5-year employment history, all prior names, bankruptcies, judgments, every arrest or charge regardless of outcome, civil-rights status, and any sexual-predator or sexual-offender registration — gather those details first. The filing fee is approximately $400 (most clerks charge $401) and varies by county; ask the clerk about the Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status if you cannot afford it.
Fingerprints, not publication
Florida has no newspaper-publication requirement for an adult name change — a fingerprint-based state and national criminal-history check replaced it. File the petition first; at filing the clerk provides the list of FDLE-authorized Livescan providers and the routing information, and the results travel from FDLE to the clerk — the court may not set your hearing until the clerk has them, so allow several weeks and budget roughly $40-$75. A petitioner restoring a former name is exempt and may be heard right after filing.
Limits and after
this packet is not for a name change inside a divorce, adoption, or paternity case (§ 68.07(9)); when the parents are married and the whole family wants one new name, the court's family petition (forms 12.982(f) and (g), free at flcourts.gov) covers everyone in one case. Bring the Final Judgment (12.982(b)) to the hearing with only the caption completed, and buy several certified copies. The clerk reports the judgment to the state — for a Florida-born petitioner, to the Bureau of Vital Statistics — but you still apply and pay for an amended birth certificate (born elsewhere, send a certified copy to that state's registrar); then update Social Security (free, form SS-5), your Florida driver license or ID, and your passport, in that order. Self-represented filers may e-file through myflcourtaccess.com, uploading each official form as its own PDF.
Verified against section 68.07, Florida Statutes (2025), and the Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms (12.982(a) petition and 12.982(b) judgment, rev. 02/18; 12.928 and 12.900(h), rev. 02/24; downloaded 2026-08-18). Sources: Florida Courts — Family Law Forms ; Section 68.07, Florida Statutes

Preview the Petition for Change of Name of Adult

See page 1 of the actual blank form and review a plain-language outline. The complete documents are delivered after checkout.

Get Full Packet — $9.99
Caption page of the official Florida Petition for Change of Name (Adult), form 12.982(a), included in the download
Caption page of the actual official Florida 12.982(a) petition included in your packet.

PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME (ADULT) — Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.982(a), rev. 02/18. The official petition that opens an adult name-change case in the circuit court of the Florida county where you live (§ 68.07).

Caption: the circuit court and county, "In re: The Name Change of" your current legal name, and the case number and division the clerk assigns.

Verified and detailed: signed under oath before a notary or deputy clerk, the petition asks for your 5-year employment history, all prior names, bankruptcies, judgments, every arrest or charge regardless of outcome, civil-rights status, and any sexual-predator or sexual-offender registration.

No publication: Florida replaced newspaper notice with an FDLE/FBI fingerprint records check (§ 68.07(2)) — restoring a former name is exempt.

The full packet also includes the court's own 12.982(a) instruction pages, the Final Judgment (12.982(b)), the Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases (12.928), the Notice of Related Cases (12.900(h)), and a PublicLegal filing guide ending in a printable checklist.

This outline is not the form itself. Your download includes the complete PDF packet.

Validity and satisfaction guarantee

ILRG is committed to top quality legal forms that are valid in all states. If you are not 100 percent satisfied after purchase, contact us for a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Adult Name Change Forms

Yes. This product is the Florida adult name change packet tied to this state-specific page and the packet documents shown above.

The included packet documents are listed on this page. Where the same document is provided in more than one format, it is grouped once with Word, PDF, or other format badges.

This packet currently includes print-ready PDF format. The document list above reflects the packet contents for this state without exposing internal fulfillment filenames.

Complete the petition and related court documents, then file them with the appropriate court. Court filing fees and local procedures vary by county.

These forms are designed for self-help use, but ILRG does not provide legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney if your situation involves unusual facts, contested issues, or questions about local procedure.

Timing depends on the court, local scheduling, notice requirements, and whether anyone objects. Many name change matters take several weeks, but local timing can vary.

Possibly. Some states impose additional notice, waiting period, or disclosure requirements for certain convictions. Review local rules or consult an attorney if this applies to you.

No. ILRG provides self-help legal forms and information, not legal advice. You are responsible for reviewing local court requirements before filing.

No. Florida replaced publication with a fingerprint-based state and national criminal-history check (§ 68.07(2)). Publication arises only as constructive service on a missing parent in a minor-child case.

Approximately $400 — most clerks charge $401 — varying by county; confirm with your clerk. Fingerprinting, certified copies, and any service costs are separate, and the clerk has a civil indigent fee-waiver application.

The court may not hold a hearing until the clerk receives the FDLE/FBI records-check results. You file first, then the clerk directs you to an authorized Livescan provider; results go to the clerk, never to you. Restoring a former name is exempt and can be heard right after filing.

Yes — a name change incident to a dissolution or adoption is handled inside that case (§ 68.07(9)). This packet is the standalone circuit-court petition.

Download Florida Packet — $9.99