Tennessee Adult Name Change

Researched filing overview

Tennessee Adult Name Change Filing Overview

Who files

an adult 18 or older who lives in the county applies to the court that county routes name changes to — the statute gives the circuit, probate, and county courts concurrent jurisdiction (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101(a)), and in practice the choice is a county decision: Davidson County files in Chancery Court, Shelby County in Probate Court, and Rutherford County sets a General Sessions hearing. Call your clerk first; the petition caption in this packet lets you write in the court the clerk names. Tennessee publishes no statewide official petition form, so the filed instruments here are PublicLegal-authored to the statute; if your clerk hands you a county packet (Davidson and Rutherford publish one), use the county’s — county packets are free.

What you file

the verified petition — signed before a notary, because the statute requires verification by affidavit (§ 29-8-102) — and the proposed order. Bring your birth certificate, Social Security card, and photo ID; some counties ask to see them at filing or the hearing. The petition deliberately keeps your Social Security number off the filed papers — Tennessee court files are public.

Criminal-history disclosures are part of the petition itself

first- or second-degree murder and offenses requiring sex-offender registration are an absolute bar (§ 29-8-101(b)(1)); any other felony creates a presumption of bad faith you must overcome with clear and convincing evidence (§ 29-8-101(b)(3)); and denial is mandatory if the court believes the petition is fraudulent, not in good faith, injurious, or compromises public safety (§ 29-8-101(b)(2)). None of these restrictions applies to a change from a lawful marriage, marital dissolution, or adoption (§ 29-8-101(b)(4)).

No publication, no fingerprints

Tennessee requires no newspaper notice and no background-check attachment. The filing fee is county-set — recent schedules run roughly $150 to $250 (Davidson about $159.50, Shelby about $166.50–$170.00, Rutherford $243.50) — and the tncourts.gov uniform affidavit of indigency is available if you cannot afford it. Most counties set a short hearing; the person whose name is changing may be required to appear, and the judge signs the proposed order if satisfied.

After the order

buy several certified copies, then update records in order — Social Security card first (SSA form SS-5, free), then your Tennessee driver license or ID at a Driver Services Center (bring a certified copy), U.S. passport, banks, and insurers. A Tennessee birth certificate is amended by mailing an original certified copy of the order plus the amendment fee to Tennessee Vital Records — it keeps the certified copy, so buy extras.