At the Name Change Clinic you will meet with an attorney to prepare a Petition for Name Change. You do not need to bring any documentation with you to the clinic. When you file the Petition you will need to show the court additional documentation. That varies from county to county but generally includes a birth certificate, photo identification and proof of residence in the county.

At the Name Change Clinic you will meet with an attorney to prepare a Petition for Name Change. There is no charge for this representation. The filing fee is the only cost that you need to pay to file the Petition. In some counties there is an additional cost for a certified copy of the Order which is required to change your name on a driver’s license or with the Social Security Administration. The county specific information will be provided at the clinic.

At the Name Change Clinic we will only prepare petitions to be filed in Tennessee. In Tennessee you must be a resident of the county where you are filing the Petition for Name Change. You can file the Petition in your county of residence whether or not you were born in Tennessee.

We will not be able to help minors to complete a Petition for Name Change at the clinic. In Tennessee generally a parent must apply for the name change of a minor. If only one parent applies, the other must agree or be served with the Petition. If the second parent objects, the court will have a hearing to decide if the name change is in the minor’s best interest. If a minor is allowed to file a Petition, notice must be given to both parents and there will be a hearing to establish whether the change is in the best interest of the minor.

The length of time between the filing of a Name Change Petition and the entry of an Order varies from county to county. In Davidson County a hearing date is usually set three to four weeks from the date of filing. In some counties you may have a hearing on the date the Petition is filed if the judge is available.

Financial Aid is available on a limited basis to cover filing fees. if you are someone who would like to donate towards the name change project, please visit inclusiontn.org/contribute and mark your gift “Name Change”. We’ll apply those funds to name change applicants!