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Montana court form packet
Download the Montana petition for change of name of minor packet for your child. This state-specific self-help form package is ready for instant secure access and includes the packet documents listed below.
A practical minor name change packet built around the court filing documents used to request an official name change order.
Prepared for Montana minor 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: a parent petitions the District Court of the Montana county where the child under 18 lives (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-31-101) — one living parent may file alone; Montana does not require both parents to join. If both parents are deceased, the child’s legal guardian files; with no guardian, a near relative or friend files, and the petition names the child’s near relatives and where they live, as far as known. The petition is verified — signed before a notary.
Skip publication with written consents: Montana removes the publication requirement entirely when BOTH parents and ALL legal guardians consent in writing (§ 27-31-201(2)) — this packet’s Consent of Parent / Legal Guardian is signed before a notary and filed with the petition. Without every required consent, the statute’s notice is publication: 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)). Montana’s statute does not require personal service on a non-consenting parent — but if you know the other parent’s address, mailing a copy of the petition and hearing notice is prudent: judges commonly expect actual notice when an address is known, and it protects the order from later challenge. A non-consenting parent may file objections before the hearing (§ 27-31-202) — an objection is not a veto; the judge decides.
Fees: plan on about $120 to file, plus about $50 when the order is entered — roughly $170 total; confirm with your clerk. A fee waiver (Statement of Inability to Pay, § 25-10-404) is available free at courts.mt.gov/forms.
Safety — a different track: if publishing notice would put the child’s safety at risk, Montana’s sealed-record petition (§ 27-31-201(3)) has no publication and a file withheld from public inspection. 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.
Hearing and after: bring the child — the judge may ask the child questions, and may examine anyone under oath (§ 27-31-203). After the judge signs the order (§ 27-31-204), buy certified copies and update the child’s Social Security record first (SSA form SS-5, free), then school and medical records and passport if any. A Montana-born child’s birth certificate is amended by mailing the original certified court order, a photocopy of the parent’s photo ID, and $41 to the Office of Vital Records, PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604 — the amended record is marked “amended” (§ 50-15-204). A name change does not create or end custody, support, or parental rights.
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 OF A MINOR — PublicLegal-authored to Mont. Code Ann. §§ 27-31-101, 27-31-103. The petition a parent (or guardian or near relative) files in the district court of the Montana county where the child lives — one living parent may file.
Caption: Montana judicial district court, the county where the child lives, and the cause number the clerk assigns.
What it asks: the child's current legal name, date and place of birth and residence, the requested new name and reason, and the notice-path election — written consents of both parents and all legal guardians remove publication (§ 27-31-201(2)); otherwise notice publishes for 4 successive weeks.
The full packet opens with the PublicLegal filing guide whose last page is a printable checklist, then the notarized Consent of Parent / Legal Guardian, the proposed Order Setting Hearing, the Notice of Hearing, and the proposed Order for Name Change of a Minor. 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 minor 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.
A parent or guardian can usually file a minor name change petition, but notice to or consent from the other parent may be required. Requirements vary by state and county.
No. ILRG provides self-help legal forms and information, not legal advice. You are responsible for reviewing local court requirements before filing.
No — one living parent may file. But written consent of BOTH parents and ALL legal guardians removes the newspaper-publication requirement entirely (§ 27-31-201(2)); the packet’s notarized consent instrument is built for that. Otherwise notice publishes for 4 successive weeks, and a non-consenting parent may object before the hearing (§ 27-31-202).
Montana sets no fixed age for the child’s written consent. Plan to bring the child to the hearing — the judge may ask the child questions (§ 27-31-203).
No — they are PublicLegal-authored to Mont. Code Ann. §§ 27-31-101 to 27-31-204. Montana’s official child packet is free at courts.mt.gov/forms/namechange but is licensed for not-for-profit use only, so this kit cannot reprint it.
Not when both parents and all legal guardians consent in writing (§ 27-31-201(2)). Otherwise yes — 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)).