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Montana court form packet
Download the Montana 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.
A practical adult name change packet built around the court filing documents used to request an official name change order.
Prepared for Montana adult name change filings, with petition and order materials reflected in the downloadable packet.
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.
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.
This state packet includes 2 documents in editable Word and print-ready PDF formats. Use the Word version for editing and the PDF for print-ready reference.
Researched filing overview
Who files: an adult 18 or older petitions the District Court of the Montana county where they live (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-31-101). Montana’s district courts sit in numbered judicial districts that cover one or more counties — the clerk of district court can tell you your district number, and this packet’s captions let you write it in. The petition is verified: you sign it before a notary, and it states your place of birth and residence, your present and proposed names, and your reason — plus the recitals that you are not incarcerated in a state prison, not under Department of Corrections supervision, and not changing your name to avoid a debt or hide a criminal record.
The sequence — petition, hearing order, then publication: file the verified petition together with the proposed Order Setting Hearing; the judge signs it to set the hearing date and place, and only then can the Notice of Hearing be published. Notice runs once a week for 4 successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county — or, if the county has no newspaper, by posting in at least three public places for 4 successive weeks (§ 27-31-201(1)). File the newspaper’s affidavit of publication before the hearing; the hearing proceeds on due proof (§ 27-31-203), and anyone may file objections before it (§ 27-31-202).
Fees: plan on about $120 to file, plus about $50 when the order is entered — roughly $170 total, but confirm the current figure with your clerk. If you cannot afford the fee, Montana waives fees on a Statement of Inability to Pay (§ 25-10-404) — ask the clerk or get the form free at courts.mt.gov/forms.
Safety — a different track: if publishing your name change would put your safety at risk, Montana allows a sealed-record petition with no publication and a file withheld from public inspection (§ 27-31-201(3)). The Judicial Branch publishes a separate, free sealed-record packet at courts.mt.gov/forms/namechange — use that track instead of this kit, and never publish a notice for a case meant to be sealed.
After the order: buy several certified copies from the clerk, then update records in order — Social Security card first (SSA form SS-5, free), Montana driver license or ID at the MVD, U.S. passport, then banks and insurers. Montana-born filers amend the birth certificate by mailing the original certified court order, a photocopy of photo ID, and $41 to the Office of Vital Records, PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604 — allow 3 to 4 weeks, and the amended record is marked “amended” (§ 50-15-204). A marriage certificate or a divorce restoration usually makes a court petition unnecessary.
See page 1 of the actual blank form and review a plain-language outline. The complete documents are delivered after checkout.
VERIFIED PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME (ADULT) — PublicLegal-authored to Mont. Code Ann. §§ 27-31-101, 27-31-103. The petition that opens a name-change case in the district court of the Montana county where you live.
Caption: Montana judicial district court, your county, and the cause number the clerk assigns — the caption lets you write in the judicial district number your clerk supplies.
What it asks: your current legal name, date and place of birth and residence, the new name requested and your reason, and the good-faith recitals (not incarcerated, not under Department of Corrections supervision, not avoiding debt or hiding a criminal record) — with the notarized verification.
The full packet opens with the PublicLegal filing guide whose last page is a printable checklist (before filing / publication and hearing / after the order), then the proposed Order Setting Hearing, the Notice of Hearing for the 4-week publication, and the proposed Order for Name Change. Editable Word set included. Official Montana packets are free at courts.mt.gov/forms/namechange (licensed for not-for-profit use, so this kit does not reprint them).
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.
Yes. This product is the Montana 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 editable Word and print-ready PDF formats. 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.
Yes, for most adult cases — once a week for 4 successive weeks in a county newspaper, or 3-place posting if the county has no newspaper (§ 27-31-201(1)). The sealed-record safety track (§ 27-31-201(3)) skips publication; the court’s free sealed packet is at courts.mt.gov/forms/namechange.
No — they are PublicLegal-authored to Mont. Code Ann. §§ 27-31-101 to 27-31-204. Montana’s official packets are free at courts.mt.gov/forms/namechange but are licensed for not-for-profit use only, so this kit cannot reprint them. The disclosure appears on the cover and on every instrument.
About $120 to file, plus about $50 when the order is entered (≈ $170 total) — confirm with your district court clerk. A fee waiver (Statement of Inability to Pay, § 25-10-404) is available free at courts.mt.gov/forms.
Usually — a change from marriage is handled at Social Security and the MVD on your marriage certificate, and a former name can be restored within the divorce itself. Use this packet when the name you want is not available through either document.