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Tennessee court form packet
Download the Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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, legal guardian, or next friend petitions for a child under 18 in the county where the child lives. Circuit, probate, and county courts have concurrent jurisdiction (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-8-101(a)); in practice the filing court is a county decision — Davidson County uses Chancery Court, Shelby County Probate Court, Rutherford County a General Sessions hearing. Tennessee publishes no statewide official minor form, so this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to the statute; if your clerk prefers a county packet, use the county’s — county packets are free.
The other parent — notice, not veto: the statute sets no consent requirement, but the other legal parent is entitled to notice and may object. An objection is not a veto — and it is not a rubber stamp either: the judge decides the child’s best interest, and the petitioning parent carries the burden. Courts weigh the child’s preference (if old enough), the effect on each parent-child relationship, how long the child has used the current name, the community respect associated with each name, and any harassment or embarrassment from either name (Barabas v. Rogers). County practice matters: some counties — including Davidson and Shelby — expect both legal parents to sign and appear, or a notarized affidavit from the absent parent. This packet covers the cooperative path two ways: the other parent can join as a co-petitioner, or sign the included Waiver of Formal Service / Acceptance of Service and Optional Consent. If the other parent will not cooperate, have them served under the court’s procedure; if there is no other legal parent, attach the proof.
What you file and fee: the verified petition (signed before a notary, § 29-8-102), the waiver/acceptance instrument if the other parent is cooperating but not joining, and the proposed order — with the child’s birth certificate and your photo ID. The fee is county-set, roughly $150 to $250; the tncourts.gov uniform affidavit of indigency is available if needed. Ask whether the child must appear — Davidson Chancery expects it; other counties differ.
No publication, and after the order: Tennessee requires no newspaper notice for a child’s name change (service by publication is a service step if the other parent cannot be located — not a name-change notice). After the order, buy certified copies, then update the child’s Social Security record first (SSA form SS-5, free), school and medical records, and passport if any; a Tennessee birth certificate is amended by mailing an original certified copy of the order plus the amendment fee to Tennessee Vital Records. 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 Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-8-101, 29-8-102 and the Barabas v. Rogers best-interest standard. The petition a parent, legal guardian, or next friend files in the Tennessee county where the child lives.
Caption: In re the child's name — State of Tennessee, the child's county, and the court your clerk directs you to.
What it asks: the child's current and requested names, the petitioning parent(s), the other-parent notice path (co-petitioner, waiver / acceptance of service with optional consent, or formal service), the best-interest reasons, and the good-faith recitals — with the integrated notarized verification.
The full packet opens with the PublicLegal filing guide whose last page is a printable checklist, then the other-parent waiver instrument and the proposed order. Editable Word set included. County packets, where published, are free from the clerk.
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Yes. This product is the Tennessee 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 — the other legal parent is entitled to notice and may object, but an objection is not a veto. The judge decides the child’s best interest under Barabas v. Rogers, and the petitioning parent carries the burden. Cooperative paths: co-sign the petition or sign the included notarized waiver/acceptance with optional consent.
County variance — Davidson Chancery expects the child to appear with the parents; other counties differ. Ask the clerk when you file.
No. If the other parent cannot be located, ask about service by publication — that is a service step, not a name-change notice.
County-set, roughly $150 to $250 in recent schedules. The uniform affidavit of indigency at tncourts.gov is available if you cannot afford the fee.