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Michigan court form packet

Michigan Adult Name Change

Download the Michigan 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 Michigan

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 Michigan 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 • PublicLegal guide + checklist + the official Michigan SCAO adult name-change forms (petition, protected-PII form, publication notice, order). Use the PDF files for print-ready review and filing preparation.

  • Adult Name Change Packet — PublicLegal guide + checklist + official Michigan SCAO forms PDF

Researched filing overview

Michigan Adult Name Change Filing Overview

Who files
an adult 18 or older who has lived in the county for at least one year petitions the circuit court — family division — showing a sufficient reason and no fraudulent intent (MCL 711.1(1)). Any criminal record, including a pending charge, must be disclosed in the petition; the court then runs its own ICHAT or LEIN check at the court’s cost, and Michigan never requires the petitioner to submit fingerprints.
Forms and the privacy rule
the petition is PC 51, and dates of birth never go on it — they are entered on the Protected Personal Identifying Information form (MC 97a) at the reference rows the petition names, and the two are filed together (MCR 1.109). Both forms are in this packet, along with the court’s publication form (PC 50) and the proposed order (PC 52).
Publication and the safety off-ramp
the court must order notice published once in a county newspaper at least 14 days before the hearing (MCR 3.613(B)), and if your fees are waived (form MC 20) the court pays the publication cost. If publicity would put you in danger of physical harm or at risk of unlawful retaliation or discrimination, file form PC 51c instead of PC 51 — on good cause the record is confidential and nothing is published (MCR 3.613(C)). The judge may also proceed without a hearing using a published deadline to object (PC 50d).
Fee and after the order
the filing fee is about $187 — confirm the amount with your county clerk. Attend the hearing if one is set and bring the proposed order (PC 52) with the caption completed. Buy several certified copies of the signed order, then update records in order: Social Security card (SSA form SS-5, free), Michigan license or ID at a Secretary of State office, U.S. passport, and birth certificate — Michigan-born petitioners can ask for a new live birth certificate right in the petition (PC 51 item 12). Blank official forms are free at courts.michigan.gov.
Verified against MCL 711.1 and MCR 3.613 (current through the November 19, 2025 rule amendment) and the official SCAO forms PC 51 (Rev. 5/25), MC 97a (Rev. 9/20), PC 50 (Rev. 1/26), and PC 52 (Rev. 7/26), downloaded from courts.michigan.gov 2026-08-19. Sources: MCL 711.1 — Order changing name (legislature.mi.gov) ; Michigan Courts — PC 51, Petition for Name Change (SCAO)

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
Page 1 of the official Michigan Petition for Name Change (PC 51) included in the download
Page 1 of the actual official Michigan PC 51 petition included in your packet.

PETITION FOR NAME CHANGE (PC 51). The official Michigan SCAO petition that opens a name-change case in the circuit court family division of the county where you live.

Caption and petitioner facts: the judicial circuit and county, your current legal name and address, and the proposed new name with your reasons — dates of birth go on the companion MC 97a, not on this form.

Criminal-record declaration: the petition requires you to state any criminal record, including pending charges, or that you have none; the court verifies through ICHAT or LEIN at its own cost.

The full packet also includes the MC 97a protected-information form, the Publication of Notice of Hearing (PC 50), the proposed Order Regarding Petition for Name Change (PC 52), and the PublicLegal filing guide with 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 Michigan Adult Name Change Forms

Yes. This product is the Michigan 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 fingerprints. You must disclose any criminal record — including a pending charge — in the petition, and the court runs its own ICHAT or LEIN record check at the court’s cost (MCL 711.1(1)).

Yes in most cases — the court orders one publication in a county newspaper at least 14 days before the hearing (MCR 3.613(B)). If publicity would endanger you or risk unlawful retaliation or discrimination, form PC 51c asks for a confidential record with no publication.

About $187 in most counties — confirm the exact amount with your county clerk. If the court waives the fee (form MC 20), it must also pay the newspaper publication cost.

Often yes — a marriage certificate, or a divorce judgment restoring a former name, is usually enough for Social Security and the Secretary of State. A court petition under MCL 711.1 is for other changes.

Download Michigan Packet — $9.99