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West Virginia court form packet
Download the West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 files a verified petition — signed before a notary — with the circuit clerk of the county where you have lived for at least one year (a nonresident who was born and married in the county and lived there at least 15 years may also file there). The circuit clerk assigns the case to a circuit or family court judge (§ 48-25-101(a)). The filing fee is $200 (§ 59-1-11); the clerk’s fee-waiver form can waive it. West Virginia publishes no statewide official form — this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to the statute; free fill-in petitions and a guided tool are also published by Legal Aid of West Virginia.
The petition and publication: the petition carries the ten affirmations the statute lists verbatim (§ 48-25-101(a)) — including that you are not a registered sex offender and not a convicted felon; a filer with any felony history should talk to a lawyer first, because applying in violation of the bars is a crime (§ 48-25-107). After filing, get a hearing date from the judge’s office, then publish the included Class I Legal Notice once in a county newspaper at least 10 days before the hearing, and file the newspaper’s proof of publication. If the petition pleads personal-safety identity protection, the court can excuse the new name from the notice and close the hearing on good cause — the court controls that path, not the filer.
Eligibility bars: the court cannot grant a change while you are incarcerated on a felony, during a sex-offender registration period, or for ten years after discharge for first-degree murder or kidnapping (§ 48-25-103). There are no fingerprints and no background check. Anyone likely injured by the change may appear and object (§ 48-25-102).
After the order — the step that completes it: file a certified copy of the signed order with the clerk of the county commission (the county clerk’s deed office, not the circuit clerk) — only then is the new name in effect (§§ 48-25-104, 48-25-105); the recording fee is the small deed fee. Then update records in order: Social Security card (SSA form SS-5, free), West Virginia DMV license or ID, U.S. passport, and — for West Virginia-born filers — a Vital Registration birth-record amendment on a certified copy. A marriage or divorce can change a name without this petition.
See page 1 of the actual blank form and review a plain-language outline. The complete documents are delivered after checkout.
PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME (ADULT). The PublicLegal-authored petition that opens an adult name-change case in the circuit court of the West Virginia county where you have lived for at least one year, under W. Va. Code §§ 48-25-101 to 48-25-107. West Virginia publishes no statewide official form.
Verified by notary: the petition carries the ten affirmations the statute lists verbatim — including that you are not a registered sex offender and not a convicted felon — and you sign it before a notary.
Publication is required: after filing, publish the included Class I Legal Notice once in a county newspaper at least 10 days before the hearing; the court can excuse the new name from the notice and close the hearing when the petition pleads personal safety.
The full packet also includes the Motion to Excuse Publication of New Name, the proposed Order Changing Name, the editable Word set, and the PublicLegal filing guide with printable checklist.
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 West Virginia 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.
No. West Virginia publishes no statewide official name-change form, so this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to W. Va. Code §§ 48-25-101 to 48-25-107. Free fill-in petitions and a guided tool are also published by Legal Aid of West Virginia, and the circuit clerk supplies the Civil Case Information Sheet and fee-waiver form.
Yes — after filing, publish a Class I legal notice once in a county newspaper at least 10 days before the hearing, and file the newspaper’s proof of publication with the court (§ 48-25-101(b)). The notice normally states your new name; if the court grants a personal-safety request it can omit the new name and close the hearing.
$200 (§ 59-1-11); the circuit clerk’s fee-waiver form can waive it, and a financial affidavit can waive the newspaper publication fee.
No — West Virginia requires neither. But the petition affirms under oath that you are not a registered sex offender and not a convicted felon, and applying in violation of the statutory bars is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $10,000 fine (§§ 48-25-103, 48-25-107).