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Pennsylvania court form packet

Pennsylvania Adult Name Change

Download the Pennsylvania 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.

  • editable Word and print-ready PDF formats
  • Attorney-reviewed template packet
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

What you receive for Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania 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 county 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 2 documents in editable Word and print-ready PDF formats. Use the Word version for editing and the PDF for print-ready reference.

  • Adult Name Change Packet — PublicLegal guide + checklist + Pennsylvania adult instruments PDF
  • Adult Name Change Instruments — editable Word set (PublicLegal-authored) Word

Researched filing overview

Pennsylvania Adult Name Change Filing Overview

Who files and where
an adult 18 or older files the Petition for Change of Name in the Court of Common Pleas of the county of residence, and a spouse may join the same petition (54 Pa.C.S. § 701(a.1)(1)). Pennsylvania publishes no statewide official form, so this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to the statute — many counties (Philadelphia, Lehigh, Northampton, Adams, and others) publish their own packets, and the county’s form controls where one exists. The filing fee is county-set — roughly $100 to $350 in most counties; Philadelphia charges $349.23 (January 2026 schedule) and its court warns total costs with publication and searches can exceed $900.
Fingerprints
before the decree, a duplicate petition and a set of fingerprints go to the Pennsylvania State Police for a criminal-history check (54 Pa.C.S. § 702(b)) — most counties have you obtain a court-approved fingerprint card before filing. The statute draws no age line (it always applies to adults); the only exceptions are divorce/widow resumption, adoption, and a child following a parent’s new surname. A felony conviction blocks the petition until two years after the sentence is fully completed with no probation or parole, or a pardon — and the violent offenses listed in § 702(c)(2) bar a change entirely.
Publication and judgment searches
unless the court waives it for safety, notice is published once in each of two newspapers of general circulation — one may be the county’s official legal paper — commonly at least 30 days before the hearing, and both publishers’ affidavits come to the hearing. You must also present official judgment and lien searches for the county where you live and every county where you lived in the past five years (§ 701(a.1)(4)); some clerks run the search for you, some counties make you buy certified searches shortly before the hearing. When notice is waived for safety, the file is sealed.
Hearing and after
the court sets the hearing one to three months after filing (Philadelphia uses a hearing-officer conference). After the judge signs the decree, buy several certified copies, then update records in order — Social Security card (SSA form SS-5, free), PennDOT driver’s license (form DL-80), U.S. passport — and Pennsylvania-born petitioners can ask the Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records about amending the birth record.
Verified against 54 Pa.C.S. §§ 701–705 (palegis.us, 2026-08-18) and current county Court of Common Pleas packets (Philadelphia rev. 1/20/26, Lehigh rev. 5.1.26, Northampton). Pennsylvania publishes no statewide official name-change form — this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to the statute; where your county publishes its own packet, the county’s form controls. Sources: 54 Pa.C.S. Chapter 7 — Judicial Change of Name ; Philadelphia Courts — Name Change Petition packet (rev. 1/20/26) ; UJS Public Records — Confidential Information Form

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 PublicLegal-authored Pennsylvania Petition for Change of Name of Adult included in the download
Page 1 of the actual Pennsylvania adult name-change petition (PublicLegal-authored) included in your packet.

PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF ADULT. The PublicLegal-authored Pennsylvania petition that opens a name-change case in the Court of Common Pleas — Pennsylvania publishes no statewide official form.

Caption: the county Court of Common Pleas, the petitioner's current legal name versus the proposed new name, with the docket number the prothonotary assigns.

Petitioner facts: your current legal name, date and place of birth, your county of residence and every address for the past five years, the new name you want, and your reasons — the 54 Pa.C.S. § 701(a.1) recitals.

Eligibility and § 4904 verification: the felony-history disclosure (§ 702(c)) and a signed verification under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 subjecting the statements to penalty for unsworn falsification.

The full packet also includes the proposed Order for Publication and Notice, the newspaper Notice, the proposed Decree, the Certificate of Compliance, the official statewide UJS Confidential Information Form (Rev. 1/2022), a PublicLegal filing guide with printable checklist, and an editable Word set of every instrument.

This outline is not the form itself. Your download includes the complete editable documents.

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 Pennsylvania Adult Name Change Forms

Yes. This product is the Pennsylvania 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 county 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, county 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 — notice is published once in each of two newspapers of general circulation (one may be the county’s legal journal) before the hearing, unless the court waives publication because it would jeopardize your safety; waived cases are sealed (54 Pa.C.S. § 701(a.1)(3)).

No — a divorced person resumes any prior surname by filing a written notice with the prothonotary of the divorce county (54 Pa.C.S. § 704; about $20 in Allegheny), and a surviving spouse does the same under § 704.1. No petition, publication, or hearing. Use this packet when you want a name that is not simply a prior surname.

Yes — a State Police fingerprint criminal-history check is a statutory precondition to the decree (54 Pa.C.S. § 702(b)). Most counties have you obtain a court-approved fingerprint card before filing; the State Police certify the result to the court within about 60 days.

No — Pennsylvania publishes no statewide official name-change forms. This packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to 54 Pa.C.S. §§ 701–705 (the included Confidential Information Form IS the official statewide UJS form). Many counties publish their own packets; where yours does, the county’s form controls.

Download Pennsylvania Packet — $9.99